7.1 The student should prepare, with the assistance of the supervisors, an application to register for a research degree. The application has to be approved by the Postgraduate Research Tutor or the Chair of the Faculty Research Committee and should normally be submitted to the Research Degrees Committee within the first 6 months after initial enrolment.
The Research Degrees Committee will not backdate the effective date of registration by more than 6 months unless for good reason (see section 5.2 of the Policy and Procedures section of this document). Exceptionally, if a student has not registered their proposal by the fifth meeting of the appropriate RDC subject Sub-Committee meeting following first enrolment; on the recommendation of a student’s supervisors and the Faculty or Departmental Postgraduate Research Tutor, the Research Degree Committee will terminate the student’s enrolment.
In the application the student should define the area of research, show familiarity with appropriate background knowledge and the context within which the research is to be set, outline the literature review, and prepare a proposed plan of work.
Students are advised to read the Research Degrees Committee’s Notes of Guidance on Completing the Application to Register for a Research Degree, Form RDC-R and the details set out in each section of the form before completing the application form.
7.2 The responsibility is on students to generate topics for discussion with their supervisors and to set the agenda for supervisory sessions. Students should keep a record of their meetings with supervisors and sign them confirming what has been agreed. It is the student’s responsibility to make contact with the supervisor. Any serious problems a student has with a supervisor, including those of access, should be taken up by the student with the supervisor, or with the Postgraduate Research Tutor.
7.3 In their own interests, students should submit their work frequently to their supervisors for review.
7.4 Students should take note of the guidance and feedback from their supervisors.
7.5 Students are required to produce a brief written annual progress report on their research, which should be submitted to the Postgraduate Research Tutor and copied to the supervisors. In addition, Faculty’s will have in place a procedure which gives students the opportunity to comment directly to the Postgraduate Research Tutor or PVC Dean of Faculty on the adequacy of supervision and facilities provided for their research.
7.6 Students are required to attend both the Faculty and the University Training programmes (as detailed in the Code of Practice for Research Training)
7.7 Students are required to participate in any research seminar programme organised by the Faculty, where they can present their work to their peers. Students are advised that this is an important part of their course.
7.8 Students should generally produce all written work for the thesis in the appropriate professional style.
7.9 Students are required to present the final version of the thesis to their Director of Studies before submission.
7.10 Students should acknowledge the University and their supervisors in any public output which results from their research degree work.
7.11 In matters relating to intellectual property rights, students should refer to the University’s IPR policy.
7.12 Students must ensure that agreed sections of their work are submitted through Turnitin as required by their Director of Studies and that all work submitted for examination has been referenced correctly.
7.13 Students must ensure that they have obtained permission for the use of all third-party copyright material to allow its inclusion in the publicly available online version of the thesis.