Communicating Your Study Progress Efficiently
Has your supervisor asked you to write and submit a progress report on your research? A progress report summarises your research work completed during a specific time period. This report is more than just a summary of your results. It is a summary of your entire strategy. This strategy must be evaluated regularly to ensure that you meet your objectives, make educated decisions, and justify any adjustments.
At Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), postgraduate students must consult with supervisors using the Logbook: Research Student Progress (for the doctorate and optional) and submit a progress report (for master's and doctorate) every semester. If a student fails to submit the report in any semester, the university will dismiss them from their studies. At the end of each semester, supervisors will conduct a thorough evaluation of their students' research work by utilising this form.
Research Progress Report form serves as a structured assessment tool to provide comprehensive feedback on the students' progress and achievements. Before registering for the upcoming semester, students should review their evaluation results on the student portal. This step will give them valuable insights into their research performance and help them plan their academic journey more effectively.
A. Tips for Working with Your Progress Report Solutions
a. How do you plan and advance your research?
SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-targeted) goals can be used to plan and set goals as the first step toward accomplishing your mission.
However, setting goals is not enough to ensure success.
You need to achieve your objective and assess your performance by covering current results, experiments you are working on, ideas for future work, and any challenges you are experiencing.
As mentioned in the Logbook, doctoral students need to meet their supervisors at least 10 hours a month.
Supervisors may reduce the minimum number of hours deemed appropriate as their students progress in their research.
The frequency of meetings should be reported in the progress report.
b. How frequently do you evaluate your progress?
Your supervisor will inform you how frequently he or she wants the progress report, which usually requires one each semester.
You can keep track of your work on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
The type of your task determines the period.
Your supervisor's job includes assessing your progress and, if necessary, adjusting your action plan.
Student research progress is monitored through regular supervision sessions and other learning activities, as required by the research project.
c. How is the progress report being processed?
There are three sections in the progress report.
A student must complete Section I and submit it to the main supervisor.
The main Supervisor is to complete Section II and submit it to the Postgraduate Programme Coordinator or the KPPS (Koordinator Program Pasca Siswazah).
KPPS faculty is to present the completed form to the faculty’s Graduate Academic Committee for endorsement during the Faculty Postgraduate Studies Exam meeting at the end of each semester.
KPPS faculty submits the original copy of the endorsed form to IPSis immediately after the meeting for record keeping.
B. Tips for Filling Up Your Progress Report Solutions
a. Section I: Student's Report
Students need to fill in this section in all CAPITAL LETTERS. There are two components: Student's study details and a list of publications and paper presentations.
Student's Study Details
Name
Student ID no.
Programme code
Faculty
Research title
DRP (Defence of Research Proposal)
Date
Result
Date of research progress presentation/submission
Semester
March
September
Year
Supervisor
Main supervisor
Name
Faculty/institution
Co-supervisor 1
Name
Faculty/institution
Co-supervisor 2
Name
Faculty/institution
Co-supervisor 3
Name
Faculty/institution
List of Publications
Title of paper/article
Name of publisher/journal
Date
List of Paper Presentations
Title of paper/article
Name of conference/seminar/workshop
Date
b. Section II: Supervisor’s Report
This section needs to be completed by the main supervisor. It has three components: consultation/meeting, candidate rating, and overall research progress.
Consultation/meeting
Frequency of consultations/meetings with supervisor for the present semester
Never
1-3
4-5
6-8
9-10
More than 10
Other forms of communication (with elaboration)
e-mail
mail
telephone
others
Candidate’s Rating
The candidate is rated based on the following criteria:
Demonstrate a critical and in-depth understanding of frontier knowledge by generating substantial and original contributions to a field and/or practice [PLO 1]
Synthesise existing and new knowledge in one or more discipline areas to develop new concepts, interpretations, or applications [PLO 2]
Conduct rigorous and independent research or investigation with minimal supervision [PLO 3]
Demonstrate intellectual leadership qualities and management skills [PLO 4]
Perform research adhering to legal, ethical, professional and sustainable practices [PLO 5]
Communicate cogently in the field/s and interact with specialists and general audiences [PLO 6]
Select and use suitable digital and analytical techniques to research problems [PLO 7]
Demonstrate commitment to lifelong learning and personal development [PLO 8]
Rates
Poor (0 - 2)
Fair (3 - 4)
Good (5 -6)
Very Good (7 - 8)
Excellent (9 - 10)
Overall Research Progress
Research milestones in completion percentage (%)
Defence of research proposal
Research ethics
Data collection
Manuscript publication writing
Thesis writing
Thesis correction after viva
Research progress in completion percentage (%)
Research objective 1
Research objective 2
Research objective 3
Research objective 4
Research objective 5
Research objective 6
Overall comments from the main supervisor
Attitude
Motivation
Challenges
Others
Overall research achievements in completion percentage (%)
Supervisor’s Recommendation
I recommend that the candidate proceed to the following semester.
This candidate is to be given a first warning on the need to improve his/her overall performance.
This candidate is to be given a second warning on the need to improve his/her overall performance.
This candidate is to be given a third warning on the need to improve his/her overall performance.
This candidate has not demonstrated an acceptable level of performance to proceed with his/her study.
Others (Please specify)
C. Section III: Results of Application
The application results are subject to the approval of the Faculty Postgraduate Academic Sub-Committee or JKAPS (Jawatankuasa Kecil Akademik Pasca Siswazah). The committee will meet on a specific date to recommend the following:
This candidate can proceed to the next semester.
In Progress (SM: Sedang Maju)
This candidate is to receive the first reminder and needs to improve their overall performance.
First Reminder (AM1: Perhatian 1)
This candidate needs a second reminder and needs to improve his/her overall performance.
Second Reminder (AM2: Perhatian 2)
This candidate is to be given a third reminder and needs to improve his/her overall performance (only for PhD candidates)
Third Reminder (AM3: Perhatian 3)
This candidate has not demonstrated an acceptable level of performance to proceed with his/her study.
Candidate is terminated (D10: Calon diberhentikan)
Tips for Interpreting the Progress Results Solutions
Candidates who demonstrate an acceptable level of progress in their research will be granted SM status and endorsed by JKAPS.
Candidates who do not demonstrate an acceptable level of performance in their research progress will be given AM1, AM2 (for Master's) or AM1, AM2, and AM3 (for Doctoral).
A Master’s student who received AM2 will be dismissed from the study.
A doctoral student who received AM3 will be dismissed from the study.
Status of Dismissed (D) is given to students with unsatisfactory performance and is described as follows:
Master’s students with AM2 status
Doctoral students with AM3 status
No progress report at the stipulated time
Failed DRP for the third time
Exceed the maximum duration of the study
Dismissed due to disciplinary action
The report will be submitted to KPPS by the supervisor and approved by the JKAPS.
The endorsed result of the student's progress will be entered into the Student Information Management System (SMIS) by KPPS, and a copy of the progress report will be submitted to the Institute of Graduate Studies (IPSis).
IPSis endorses the candidate's progress in the Academic Assessment Central Committee (JKIPA) meeting.
IPSis updates the endorsed candidate's progress in the SIMS database.
The candidate's status is displayed on the iStudent Portal.
C. Tips for Monitoring Your Progress Report Solutions
To achieve the milestones mentioned in the progress report above, here is the to-do list for a postgraduate student within six semesters.
Semester 1
Attend the following events:
Research skills seminar organised by the Institute of Graduate Studies (IGS) based on its schedule
Training in Innovation and Entrepreneur Exploration (TIE2) organised by the Malaysian Academy of SME and Entrepreneurship Development (MASMED) based on the IGS schedule
Writing workshop using the UiTM template in Microsoft Word
Research methodology coaching sessions such as statistical analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
Referencing workshops such as Mendeley or EndNote
Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:
Discuss the research proposal.
Discuss the application for funding grants (optional).
Write the research proposal for Chapter 1.
Conduct a pilot test.
Semester 2
Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:
Discuss the pilot test results.
Discuss the research proposal.
Write and finalise the research proposal.
Discuss the 1st research paper (conceptual).
Write the research proposal for Chapters 1, 2, and 3.
Submit the research proposal.
Present in the Defence of Research Proposal (DRP).
Apply for research ethics clearance.
Attend academic writing or research-related workshops (to prepare for publications).
Attend/present in a colloquium/symposium/conference at the end of the semester (if necessary).
Semester 3
Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:
Correct the research proposal based on the examiners' comments.
Discuss and finalise the draft of Chapters 1, 2, and 3.
Discuss the publication of the 1st research paper (conceptual).
Edit the thesis for Chapters 1, 2, and 3.
Receive the research ethics clearance approval.
Attend academic writing or research-related workshops (to prepare for publications).
Attend/present in a colloquium/symposium/conference at the end of the semester (if necessary).
Publish the 1st research paper (conceptual).
Semester 4
Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:
Discuss the data collection.
Discuss the data analysis.
Discuss the 2nd research paper (pilot test).
Begin data collection and data analysis throughout the semester.
Edit the thesis of Chapters 1, 2, and 3.
Attend academic writing or research-related workshops (to prepare for publications).
Attend/present in a colloquium/symposium/conference at the end of the semester (if necessary).
Semester 5
Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:
Discuss the draft of Chapters 4 and 5.
Discuss the publication of the 2nd research paper (pilot test).
Write the thesis of Chapters 4 and 5.
Publish the 2nd research paper (pilot test).
Submit the Letter of Intent (LOI).
Attend/present in a colloquium/symposium/conference at the end of the semester (if necessary).
Semester 6
Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:
Discuss the thesis in its final draft.
Discuss the viva voce preparation.
Edit the whole thesis report.
Submit the thesis in its final draft within 3 months.
Present in viva voce.
Correct the thesis based on the examiners' comments.
Submit the hardbound and soft copies.
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