Partnering with Your Supervisor: Strategies for Success

Both foreign and local postgraduate students from diverse backgrounds and experiences must work closely with their supervisors to foster the bond’s growth. The mutual understanding and great faithfulness between them contribute to ensuring success until the end of the research journey. Clear and open communication on all aspects of the research can prevent students’ dissatisfaction with the progress of research work and their relationship with supervisors (Hemer, 2012). As a postgraduate student, you need to know how to get on with your supervisors by determining what you can reasonably expect and what potential issues may arise in the supervisory process (Singh & Kaur, 2022).

A. Working with Your Supervisor Solutions

a. Supervisions

How can students manage difficulties and maintain good relationships with supervisors? A poor supervisory relationship, such as neglect from a supervisor, may be caused by several factors. Problems often stem from personality clashes, communication barriers related to age, class, race, gender, and language, or differences in work styles. Beyond personality factors, professional challenges such as limited knowledge in the supervised area, mismatched or superficial research interests, or misinformed supervisory guidance can also arise (Wisker, 2012). Finally, organisational constraints such as supervisors having too many students, being overburdened with administrative duties, insufficient support services, or a lack of research equipment may contribute to strained supervision.

To avoid these problems, both postgraduate students and their supervisors need to communicate clearly and establish shared roles and responsibilities. Postgraduate students must develop autonomy and independence, rather than relying excessively on their supervisors. At the same time, students should take advantage of supportive resources such as postgraduate studies institutes, faculty postgraduate units, libraries, counselling services, research groups, and peer networks. Supervisors act as facilitators of the research process, while postgraduate students are expected to be proactive and well-informed about what to reasonably expect in supervision, including which questions to appropriately ask and which matters should not be directed to supervisors (Manathunga & Goozée, 2007).

b. Expectations

As a supervisee, you may expect your supervisors to offer the following aspects:

1. Having good knowledge and sufficient interest in your research area

2. Research and writing skills

3. Reporting and referencing skills

4. Determining the right direction of your research on the structure, scope, and methodology

5. Reading your work thoroughly and in advance

6. Clarifying the stages of the research constructively

7. Reviewing your proposal and thesis critically

8. Keeping you in touch with the latest updates

9. Sharing relevant resources to your research

10. Encouraging for publications in journals and presentations in conferences

However, do not expect or let your supervisors do these for you:

1. Knowing everything

2. Doing the research

3. Looking for articles

4. Collecting the data

5. Analysing the data

6. Editing the language of your proposal and thesis

7. Formatting the proposal and thesis

8. Reminding and pushing you always to complete the study

9. Being available anytime

10. Answering questions instantly

c. Preparations

Set a meeting schedule throughout your studies to get the most from supervision. Draw up an agenda for each meeting. You can consult your supervisor beforehand to determine what is on both agendas, particularly the current and long-term issues. This can help you concentrate on the work to be discussed in advance. Before the meeting, decide the following:

1. Most convenient communication platform or channel

2. Questions that you need to focus on for each stage

3. Problems encountered during your study

4. What you feel you can ask in relation to your study

d. Milestones

Every semester, there are certain milestones that each postgraduate student needs to achieve. To ensure the achievement of the milestones, each postgraduate student is recommended to follow a to-do list so that he or she can graduate on time (GOT). Below are the milestones for a full-time doctoral student (by research) to achieve within six semesters as a guideline proposed by the Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM).

1. Semester 1

   1. Research skills seminar organised by the Institute of Graduate Studies (IGS)

   2. Training in Innovation and Entrepreneur Exploration (TIE2) organised by Malaysian Academy of SME and Entrepreneurship Development (MASMED), UiTM

   3. Writing workshop using the UiTM template in Microsoft Word

   4. Research methodology coaching sessions

2. Semester 2

   1. Submission of the research proposal

   2. Defence of Research Proposal (DRP) presentation

   3. Academic writing series (to prepare for publications)

   4. Colloquium at the end of the semester (if necessary)

3. Semester 3

   1. Completion of the draft of Chapters 1, 2, and 3

   2. 1st concept paper publication

   3. Colloquium at the end of the semester (if necessary)

4. Semester 4

   1. Data collection and data analysis (throughout the semester)

   2. Colloquium at the end of the semester (if necessary)

5. Semester 5

   1. Thesis report (throughout the semester)

   2. 2nd paper publication

   3. Letter of Intent (LOI) submission

   4. Appointment of the internal and external examiners

   5. Colloquium at the end of the semester (if necessary)

6. Semester 6

   1. Thesis submission (within 3 months)

   2. Viva voce

Based on the guidelines provided by the Academy of Language Studies (APB), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), a full-time postgraduate student must sit for his or her Defence of Research Proposal (DRP) no later than 12 months of registration. To graduate, a student who is undertaking a PhD by research needs to have at least two indexed publications, at least one of which has been accepted or published. The journal must be an indexed journal (SCOPUS/WOS/MyCite) and other indexed journals recognised by APB as listed in the table below:

1. International Journal of Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics

2. Journal of Current practices in language learning and teaching (CPLT)

3. Asian Journal of English Language and Pedagogy

4. Asian Journal of Social Science Research

5. Asian People Journal

6. Attarbawiy: Malaysian Online Journal of Education (ATTARBAWIY)

7. International Journal of Language Education and Applied Linguistics

8. International Online Journal of Language, Communication and Humanities (INSANIAH)

9. Journal of Language and Communication

10. Journal of Social Science and Humanities

e. To-Do List

To achieve the milestones outlined above, here is a to-do list for a postgraduate student over six semesters.

Semester 1

1. Attend the following events:

   1. Research skills seminar organised by the Institute of Graduate Studies (IGS) based on its schedule

   2. Training in Innovation and Entrepreneur Exploration (TIE2) organised by the Malaysian Academy of SME and Entrepreneurship Development (MASMED) based on the IGS schedule

   3. Writing workshop using the UiTM template in Microsoft Word

   4. Research methodology coaching sessions such as statistical analysis using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)

   5. Referencing workshops such as Mendeley or Endnote

2. Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:

   1. Discuss the research proposal.

   2. Discuss the application for funding grants (optional).

3. Write the research proposal for Chapter 1.

4. Conduct a pilot test.

Semester 2

1. Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:

   1. Discuss the pilot test result.

   2. Discuss the research proposal.

   3. Write and finalise the research proposal.

   4. Discuss the 1st research paper (conceptual).

2. Write the research proposal for Chapters 1, 2, and 3.

3. Submit the research proposal.

4. Present in Defence of Research Proposal (DRP).

5. Apply research ethics clearance.

6. Attend academic writing or research-related workshops (to prepare for publications).

7. Attend/present in a colloquium/symposium/conference at the end of the semester (if necessary).

Semester 3

1. Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:

   1. Correct the research proposal based on the examiners' comments.

   2. Discuss and finalise the draft of Chapters 1, 2, and 3.

   3. Discuss the publication of the 1st research paper (conceptual).

2. Edit the thesis for Chapters 1, 2, and 3.

3. Receive the research ethics clearance approval.

4. Attend academic writing or research-related workshops (to prepare for publications).

5. Attend/present in a colloquium/symposium/conference at the end of the semester (if necessary).

6. Publish the 1st research paper (conceptual).

Semester 4

1. Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:

   1. Discuss the data collection.

   2. Discuss the data analysis.

   3. Discuss the 2nd research paper (pilot test).

2. Begin data collection and data analysis throughout the semester.

3. Edit the thesis of Chapters 1, 2, and 3.

4. Attend academic writing or research-related workshops (to prepare for publications).

5. Attend/present in a colloquium/symposium/conference at the end of the semester (if necessary).

Semester 5

1. Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:

   1. Discuss the draft of Chapters 4 and 5.

   2. Discuss the publication of the 2nd research paper (pilot test).

2. Write the thesis of Chapters 4 and 5.

3. Publish the 2nd research paper (pilot test).

4. Submit the Letter of Intent (LOI).

5. Attend/present in a colloquium/symposium/conference at the end of the semester (if necessary).

Semester 6

1. Make appointments and meet main and co-supervisors:

   1. Discuss the thesis in its final draft.

   2. Discuss the viva voce preparation.

2. Edit the whole thesis report.

3. Submit the thesis in its final draft within 3 months.

4. Present in viva voce.

5. Correct the thesis based on the examiners' comments.

6. Submit the hardbound and soft copies.

f. Resources

Below are the essential resources for postgraduate students, particularly those doing a PhD by research from the Academy of Language Studies, UiTM. Download the documents below as references for you and your supervisors.

1. Calendars

   1. Academic Calendar

   2. Defence of Research Proposal (DRP) Sessions Calendar

2. Guidelines

   1. Academic Rules & Regulations 2020 (PhD by Research)

   2. Process and Procedure for Research Postgraduate Programs

3. Supervision

   1. Supervision Form

   2. Log Book (PhD)

   3. Research Progress Report Form

4. Research Ethics

   1. 2021 UiTM-REC Guide for Applicants

   2. Checklist for REC Application

5. Publication

   1. Publication Funding

   2. Publication and Proofreading Fees Funding Application Form

6. Research Proposal

   1. Research Proposal Guidelines

   2. Guidelines to DRP

7. Thesis

   1. Guidelines for Dissertation & Thesis

   2. Thesis Template

References

• Hemer, S. R. (2012). Informality, power and relationships in postgraduate supervision: Supervising PhD candidates over coffee. Higher Education Research & Development, 31(6), 827–839. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2012.674011

• Manathunga, C., & Goozée, J. (2007). Challenging the dual assumption of the “always/already” autonomous student and effective supervisor. Teaching in Higher Education, 12(3), 309–322. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510701278658

• Singh, N., & Kaur, J. (2022). Sustainable supervisory relationships between postgraduate international students and supervisors: A qualitative exploration at a Malaysian research university. Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, 13(2), 188–204. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-03-2022-0047

• Wisker, G. (2012). The good supervisor: Supervising postgraduate and undergraduate research for doctoral theses and dissertations (2nd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.

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