10 Truths A PHD Supervisor Will Never Tell You

10 truths a PhD supervisor will never tell you | Times Higher Education (THE)
05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
10 truths a PhD supervisor will never tell you

There are some important dos and donts to bear in mind when choosing someone to oversee
your doctoral thesis, advises Tara Brabazon
July 11, 2013
"
By Tara Brabazon (/content/tara-brabazon)
Sponsored
Source: Katie Edwards

My father used to tell a joke, over and over again. It was a classic outback Australian, Slim Dusty
joke that like the best dad jokes I cant remember. But I do recall the punchline. Who called
the cook a bastard? To which the answer was, Who called the bastard a cook?
This riposte often comes to mind during discussions about doctoral supervision and candidature
management. Discussions go on (and on and on) about quality, rigour, ethics and preparedness.
Postgraduates are monitored, measured and ridiculed for their lack of readiness or their slow
progress towards completion. But inconsistencies and problems with supervisors and
supervision are marginalised. In response, I think of my fathers one-liner: Who called the
supervisor a bastard? Who called the bastard a supervisor?
To my mind, I never received any satisfactory, eective or useful supervision for my doctorate,
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research masters or two coursework masters that contained sizeable dissertation components.
I found the supervisors remote and odd. A couple of them tried to block the submission of the
theses to my institution. Indeed, on three separate occasions in my career, academics informed
me that if I submitted this thesis, it would fail. The results that followed these warnings were a
master of arts passed with distinction, a master of education with rst-class honours and a
deans award, and a PhD passed without correction. I was left with the impression that these
supervisors had no idea what they were doing. The worst supervisors share three unforgivable
characteristics:
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/10-truths-a-phd-supervisor-will-never-tell-you/2005513.article
Page 1 of 13
1. They do not read your writing

2. They never attend supervisory meetings
3. They are selsh, career-obsessed bastards
I am now an experienced supervisor and examiner, but I still remember my own
05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
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disappointments. For the doctoral students who follow, I want to activate and align these
personal events with the candidatures I have managed since that time. Particularly, I wish to
share with the next generation of academics some lessons that I have learned about
supervisors.
As a prospective PhD student, you are precious. Institutions want you they gain funding,
credibility and prole through your presence. Do not let them treat you like an inconvenient,
incompetent fool. Do your research. Ask questions. Use these 10 truths to assist your decision.
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1. The key predictor of a supervisors ability to guide a postgraduate to

completion is a good record of having done so
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Ensure that at least one member of your supervisory team is a very experienced supervisor.
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Anyone can be appointed to supervise. Very few have the ability, persistence, vision, respect and
doggedness to move a diversity of students through the examination process. Ensure that the
department and university you are considering assign supervisors on the basis of intellectual
ability rather than available workload. Supervising students to completion is incredibly dicult.
The nal few months require complete commitment from both supervisor and postgraduate.
Make sure that you are being guided by a supervisor who understands the nature of eective
supervision and has proved it through successful completions.
2. You choose the supervisor. Do not let the institution overrule your choice
As a postgraduate who is about to dedicate three or four years to an institution, you have the
right to select a supervisor with whom you feel comfortable. Yet increasingly, as the
postgraduate bureaucracy in universities increases, administrators and managers match a
prospective candidate with a supervisor. Do not let this happen. Do research on the available
sta. Talk directly with individual academics. Ascertain their willingness to supervise you, and
then inform the graduate centre or faculty graduate administrators of their commitment.
3. Stars are attractive but may be distant. Pick a well-regarded supervisor who
does not spend too much time away
It may seem a tough, unusual or impossible task to nd a supervisor who has a strong prole
Most Viewed
Multidisciplinary research
career suicide for junior
academics
(/news/multidisciplinaryresearch-career-suicide-junior(/news/multidisciplinaryacademics) !
researchcareer-
May 3, 2016
suicidejunioracademics)
but rarely goes away on research leave or disappears to attend conferences. Postgraduates need
This (un)certain life

(/blog/uncertain-life) !
to be supervised by people with an international reputation whose name carries weight when
May 3, 2016
they write references. But they must not be jet-setting professors, frequently leaving the campus
and missing supervisory meetings to advance their own career. They must be established and
(/blog/uncertain-
well known, but available to supervise you rather than continually declining your requests for
life)
meetings because they are travelling to Oslo, Luanda or Hong Kong.
4. Bureaucratic immunity is vital. Look for a supervisor who will protect you
from the system
University of Glasgow
economics lecturer move
sparks row (/news/universityof-glasgow-economics-lecturer-
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05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
There is an excessive amount of university doctoral administration. I understand and welcome
move-sparks-row) !
(/news/university-
the value in checking the ethical expenditure of public money; a programme of study submitted
of-glasgow-
in the rst year and an annual progress report through the candidature will accomplish this task.
economics-
But now we have to deliver milestone reports, public conrmations of candidature sessions,
lecturer-
biannual progress reports, annual oral presentations of research and in some universities
move-sparks-
complete a form that must be signed o at the conclusion of every supervisory meeting.
row)
Every moment a student is lling in a form is one less moment they are reading a book or article,
or writing a key page in their doctorate. Time is nite. Bureaucracy is innite. A good supervisor
will protect you from the excesses of supervisory administration.
The irony of many graduate centres is that they initiate incredibly high demands on students and
supervisors yet are incredibly lax during crucial periods of the candidature when a rapid
administrative response is required. One of my postgraduates had to wait 16 months for a
decision on her doctorate. Two examiners had returned timely reports and passed with minor
corrections. The third academic, however, did not examine the thesis, did not submit any
paperwork and did not respond to any communications. I sent email after email made phone
call after phone call to the graduate centre trying to facilitate a resolution to this examination.
Finally, after a rather intensive period of nagging, a decision was reached to accept the two
reports and no longer wait for the third. The question remains why did the graduate centre
take 16 months to make this decision? If I had not phoned and emailed administrators, would
they have forgotten about this student? A good supervisor must be an advocate for the
postgraduate through the increasingly bureaucratised doctoral candidature.
5. Byline bandits abound. Study a potential supervisors work

Does your prospective supervisor write with PhD students? Good. Do they write almost
(/world-
April 29, 2016
Best universities in Europe 2016

(/world-universityrankings/best-universities-ineurope-2016) !
March 10, 2016
universityrankings/bestuniversitiesin-europe2016)
10 truths a PhD supervisor will
never tell you (/features/10truths-a-phd-supervisor-willnever-tell-you/2005513.article)
(/features/10- !
truths-a-phd-
July 11, 2013
supervisorwill-nevertellyou/2005513.article)
exclusively with their PhD students? Not so good in fact, alarm bells should start ringing.
Supervision is a partnership. If your prospective supervisor appears to be adding his or her
name to students publications and writing very little independently, be concerned. Some
Most Commented
Undergraduates 'poorly
prepared for PhDs'
(/news/undergraduates-poorlyprepared-for-phds) !
supervisors claim co-authorship of every publication written during the candidature. Do not
think that this is right, assumed, proper or the default setting. The authorship of papers should
be discussed. My rule is clear: if I write it, it is mine. If you write it, it is yours. If we write it
together, we share the authorship. It is important that every postgraduate nishes the
candidature with as many publications as possible. Ask supervisors how they will enhance and
facilitate your research and publishing career. Remember, you are a PhD student. Your
supervisor should assist you to become an independent scholar, not make you into their unpaid
(/news/undergraduatesLack of independent working
blamed for diculties making

the leap from undergraduate t
prepared-for- doctoral work
poorlyphds)
research assistant.
(/blog/our-
Our plans for quality

assessment have been
misunderstood (/blog/ourplans-quality-assessment-havebeen-misunderstood) !
plans-quality- Hefce's new standards regime

assessmenthave-been-
will enable universities to focus

on what matters to students,
says Susan Lapworth
misunderstood)
The dangers of character
education in universities
(/blog/dangers-charactereducation-universities) !
(/blog/dangers-Schools and universities are

character-
6. Be wary of co-supervisors
educationuniversities)
Most institutions insist on at least two supervisors for every student. This system was introduced
not for scholarly reasons but to allay administrative fears. There is a concern that a supervisor
might leave the institution, stranding the student, or that the supervisor and student might have
a disagreement, again leaving the student without support.
more-important-than-privacy)
Its time to use technology to
(/features/safetydetect potential threats and
These arguments are like grounding all aircraft because there are occasional crashes. Too often I
is-more-
see an academic added to the team to beef up his or her workload. I have been in a university
important-
meeting where research-active professors were added to a supervisory panel not because they
than-privacy)
increasingly looking at how

improving personalities can
boost social mobility. But in
doing so, they may be forced to
choose between teaching what is
helpful,isand
what
is true, says
Safety
more
important
than
David
Matthews
privacy
(/features/safety-is-
worry less about outdated idea

of privacy, says Ron Iphofen
Page 3 of 13
05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
were excellent supervisors (far from it) but rather because they needed to boost their prole for
the research assessment exercise.
Certainly there are many occasions where a cosupervisor is incredibly valuable, but this must be
determined by their research contribution to the topic rather than by institutional convenience.
(/blog/isnt-
I once supervised a ne thesis about Russian television. I had the expertise in television studies;
asking-
a colleague held expertise in Russian studies and the Russian language. It was a great team. We
alumni-
met weekly as a group, with specialist meetings held with either of us as required to complete
donations-
the doctorate. The candidate submitted in the minimum time.
well-just-
At times, an inexperienced co-supervisor is added to a team to gain experience. That is,
Isnt asking for alumni

donations, well, just weird?
(/blog/isnt-asking-alumnidonations-well-just-weird) !
Richard Budd mulls the logic of
giving money to your alma mater
weird)
perhaps, understandable. But damage can be done to students through bad advice. I know of a
disturbing case in which an inexperienced co-supervisor chose a relatively junior friend to
examine a doctorate. Before the senior co-supervisor had been informed, this prospective
external examiner had been approached and had agreed, and the paperwork had been
submitted. Two years later, the candidate is still progressing with corrections. Each time he
submits revisions that supposedly verify the concerns expressed during the oral examination, he
Tweets by @timeshighered
TimesHigherEducation @timeshighered
.@CAESummerskill on academia: 'There is no
way I could happily leave it behind'
bit.ly/1W4iH47
is presented with another list because the inexperienced supervisor agreed to corrections to
the satisfaction of the examiner. This problem was caused by an overcondent but
inexperienced co-supervisor being added to the team and then going on to appoint an
overcondent but inexperienced examiner.
Sometimes in fact frequently less is more. A strong relationship with a well-qualied,
experienced and committed supervisor will ensure that the postgraduate will produce a strong
thesis with minimum delay.
7. A supervisor who is active in the area of your doctorate can help to

turbocharge your work
Occasionally students select a name rather than a name in the eld. The appropriateness of a
supervisors eld of research is critical because it can save you considerable time. Supervisors
who are reading, thinking and writing in the eld can locate a gap in your scholarly literature and
TimesHigherEducation @timeshighered
All the talents: @JG_THE on #THEAwards'
remit to recognise the rich diversity of UK HE
bit.ly/1NkvhtD
at speed provide you with ve names to lift that section. A generalist will not be able to
provide this service. As the length of candidatures or more precisely the nancial support for
candidatures shrinks and three years becomes the goal, your supervisor can save you time
through sharing not only their experience but also their expertise.
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View on Twitter
8. A candidature that involves teaching can help to get a career o the ground
In Australia, teaching with your supervisor is often the default pattern, and it is a good one. In
the UK, tutoring is less likely to emerge because of budgetary restraints. But a postgraduate who
does not teach through the candidature is unprepared to assume a full-time teaching post.
Many doctoral candidates are already academics and are returning to study. Others work in a
diversity of professions and have no intention of taking a job in a university. Therefore, this
truth is not relevant. But for those seeking a career in academia who intend to use the
doctorate as a springboard, teaching experience is crucial. A postgraduate may see themselves
as a serious researcher. But it is teaching that will get them their rst post (and probably their
second and third). The ultimate supervisor is also an outstanding teacher who will train their
postgraduates in writing curricula, managing assessment and creating innovative learning
moments in a classroom. None of these skills is required for or developed by a doctorate. You
can be supervised well without these teaching experiences. However, if you have a choice, select
the supervisor who can add value to your candidature.
One of my proudest moments emerged in a tutors meeting for my large rst-year course at
Murdoch University (https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-universityrankings/murdoch-university): creative industries. I apologised to my tutors for the hard work
and low pay that was a characteristic of sessional university employment. Mike Kent who is
now Dr Mike Kent and a tenured lecturer in internet studies at Curtin University
(https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/curtin-university) stated
that the pay was an extra. He was being trained to teach. That was the value from the process. I
still think tutors should be paid more, but I valued and value Mikes insight.
Page 4 of 13
9. Weekly supervisory meetings are the best pattern

There are two realities of candidature management. First, the longer the candidature, the less
05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
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likely you are to nish. Second, a postgraduate who suspends from a candidature is less likely to
submit a doctorate.
The key attribute of students who nish is that they are passionately connected to their thesis
and remain engaged with their research and their supervisor. I have always deployed weekly
meetings as the best pattern for supervision to nurture this connection.
There are reasons for this. Some postgraduates lack time-management skills and would prefer
to be partying, facebooking or tweeting, rather than reading, thinking and writing. If students
know that written work is expected each week, and they have to sit in an oce with a supervisor
(/blog/imuniversityclawing-myway-backmiddle-class)
is held on a Thursday, then on Tuesday a student panics and does some work. Yet if meetings
are fortnightly, this stress-based productivity is halved. It is better to provide a tight
10. Invest your trust only in decent and reliable people who will repay it,
not betray it
This truth may seem self-evident. But supervisors like all academics are people rst. If the
(/blog/think-
assist your project. But if there is a whi of social or sexual impropriety, or if there are challenges
with personal hygiene, back away in a hurry. At times during your candidature you will have to
April 18, 2016
and-youll-gofar-academia)
What I lost when I got my PhD
(/blog/what-i-lost-when-i-gotmy-phd) !
the supermarket or requires electronic tagging so that he (or she) does not sleep with the
They can be and should be quirky, imaginative and original. That non-standard thinking will
Think like an impostor, and

you'll go far in academia
(/blog/think-impostor-andyoull-go-far-academia) !
impostor-
prospective supervisor needs a personality replacement, lacks the life skills to manage a trip to
spouses of colleagues, then make another choice. Supervisors should be functional humans.
April 27, 2016
teacher-
who is evaluating their work, that stress creates productive writing and research. So if a meeting
accountability structure for students. Weekly meetings accomplish this task.
Im a university teacher clawing

my way back to the middle
class (/blog/im-universityteacher-clawing-my-way-backmiddle-class) !
(/blog/what-i-
April 15, 2016
lost-when-igot-my-phd)
rely on this person. You will be sobbing in their oce. You will need to lean on them. You must
have the belief that they can help you through a crisis and not manipulate you during a moment
of vulnerability.
I knew a supervisor whose idea of supervision was a once-a-semester meeting in a bar where he
(/news/xed-
would order three bottles of red wine and start drinking. The meeting ended when the wine
term-now-
nished. Another supervisor selected his postgraduates on the likelihood that the students
the-norm-for-
would sleep with him. Yet another was so completely xated by her version of feminism that all
early-career-
the doctorates completed under her supervision ended up looking incredibly similar. Any
academics-
deviation from a particular political perspective would result in screaming matches in her oce.
says-
This was not only unpleasant but destructive to the students careers.
university-
Fixed-term now the norm for

early career academics, says
UCU (/news/xed-term-nowthe-norm-for-early-careeracademics-says-university-andcollege-union-ucu) !
April 14, 2016
and-college-
The key truth and guiding principle is evident
union-ucu)
Do not select a supervisor who needs you more than you need him or her. Gather information
(https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/carousels/essential-phd-tips-10-articles-all-doctoralstudents-should-read). Arm yourself with these 10 truths. Ask questions. Make a choice with
insight, rather than respond with gratitude to the oer of a place or supervision.
Like what youre reading? Get 8 issues of THE free with our PhD student and
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Related content
Essential PhD tips: 10 articles all
doctoral students should read
(/carousels/essential-phd-tips-10articles-all-doctoral-studentsshould-read) !
(/carousels/essentialphd-tips-10articles-all-
September 8, 2015
doctoralstudentsshould-read)
Page 5 of 13
05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
Reader's comments (40)

#1 (/comment/573#comment-573) Submitted by roseleach on July 11, 2013 - 4:13pm
Mine's brilliant in all ways, so I am lucky!
#2 (/comment/576#comment-576) Submitted by Don on July 11, 2013 - 7:19pm
These "truths" are very helpful - thank you Dr. Brabazon! Have only just begun a professional doctorate but am
planning and thinking ahead regarding my dissertation.
#3 (/comment/579#comment-579) Submitted by touet on July 11, 2013 - 10:03pm
A bit of a counsel of perfection but useful insights. I don't think 'complete commitment' to a PhD student is
feasible or even desirable. Most supervisors have other things to do, teaching, admin., their own research and
that makes them a better supervisor
#4 (/comment/580#comment-580) Submitted by surajitdb on July 12, 2013 - 12:40am
Great insight
#5 (/comment/581#comment-581) Submitted by funnythat on July 12, 2013 - 10:24am
Truth number 1 would suggest that you should never be the rst PhD student of a researcher. This would mean
that no-one can ever start supervising PhDs.
Truth 2 only applies if the studentship is not a project for which the supervisor has generated the funds (this is
only true on the minority of cases).
Truth 3 and 4 are almost mutually exclusive. Administrative decisions are taken by multiple layers in the
University. If you want to be protected against administrative delays, you need a supervisor with enough "muscle"
in the University. These will be the stars, which are mostly absent. What you need is a star supervisor, who has a
good and permanent lab head who has all the technical knowledge and is usually present in the lab.
Truth 5 suggests that all PhD students can write up their own work for publication and get it published in a good
journal without the supervisor's input. Some exceptional PhD students may be able to do that, but they are few
and far between.
So I would suggest to take these "truths" with a pinch of salt.
#6 (/comment/584#comment-584) Submitted by Ben Saunders on July 12, 2013 - 11:31am
Many of these strike me as either banal or incorrect, at least in my eld/experience.
"Ensure that the department and university you are considering assign supervisors on the basis of intellectual
ability rather than available workload. Supervising students to completion is incredibly dicult. The nal few
months require complete commitment from both supervisor and postgraduate." (From 1.)
So you shouldn't accept a supervisor determined on basis of workload, because supervision is so demanding.
How is an overworked supervisor going to be able to dedicate so much time to helping you then?
#7 (/comment/589#comment-589) Submitted by Charles Knight on July 14, 2013 - 4:27pm

"But it is teaching that will get them their rst post (and probably their second and third)."
This is a half-truth at best from my experience of University recruitment (from both sides of the table management sciences) - teaching is a hygiene factor, once you have some it becomes irrelevant.
So yes pick up some but you that generally only puts you on par with candidates, income generation/paper
outputs will put you over the top - so if it is a choice between a little more teaching and turning out a paper, turn
out the paper.
#8 (/comment/590#comment-590) Submitted by zytec on July 14, 2013 - 5:04pm
Ah the market pressure of shopping for a Ph D and all because the lady wants to be an educated wage slave.
Page 6 of 13
05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
#9 (/comment/593#comment-593) Submitted by csadangi on July 14, 2013 - 9:47pm

Thanks a lot for the valuable suggestions. I started my PhD about one month ago but i have decided to change
groups now. I know 1 month is too early to decide if i want to stay with this group but seeing the circumstances i
decided to change. I had arguments over non-sense things with the PI and then he threatened me to destroy my
career (by saying he won't write a good recommendation at the end) and he said leave if you want to leave. Then i
said to him last week i am stressed out due to family problems and need 2 days o and he answered me keep
stress at home, you just come here to work so work. And there were many more issues which led to the decision of
quiting and moving over to some other place.
#10 (/comment/598#comment-598) Submitted by harrowagenda21 on July 17, 2013 - 4:15am
It is particularly helpful if supervisors maintain information about present students and past ones. They way you
can see if they publish and get jobs. Also, the sheer numbers that a supervisor has are important. In our university
7 is the max allowed and I am always at that, because at a top Australian university and in an area that is in
demand. More than that number and I could not do the job eectively. Students are not often aware that we do
other things with our time, too.
Weekly supervisor meetings may be a good idea if you have 1-2-3 students. Otherwise I am afraid they have to be
less frequent.
Co-supervisors are absolutely mandatory in many Australian universities. Generally I have found them helpful,
and have been one. They temper the ego or the cussedness of some main supervisors. What is annoying is
Advisory Panels, which are on top of the 1-2 supervisors and who turn out for key moments like conrmation of
candidature. They are too big and can produce conicting advice when you have 4 -5 people in the room.
#11 (/comment/606#comment-606) Submitted by MichaelWhitworth on July 18, 2013 - 4:50pm
While there's some good advice here there are also contradictions, as noted by Funny That. The presentation from
the point of view of the prospective PhD student shopping around fails to acknowledge institutional constraints
(most obviously, there being a limit to the number of individuals one person can supervise). Moreover, much of
this advice feels like it's specic to certain kinds of institution and/or certain subjects.
#12 (/comment/614#comment-614) Submitted by alvin on July 20, 2013 - 5:30am
There are also few scientic search engines which they use for their PhD research work and they dont even tell..
essay writing services
#13 (/comment/624#comment-624) Submitted by micronaut on July 26, 2013 - 10:39am
I nished a PhD at a large UK institution about a year ago. It was a shocking experience that has left me with
nothing but poor health and a worthless qualication. I was part of a well funded post graduate studentship
program in an emergent eld, with all the potential of being a "next big thing". I took on a project in a lab where I
knew the supervisor was not an easy person to work with, but the lab was well funded and equipped. I thought
that as long as I had the raw materials I could just live with whatever the personality was like. I was wrong.
My supervisor enforced the project be completed to his design, but provided no support or training towards
achieving this. There was no publication strategy or, from what I know now, any pre-reading of any kind before I
started. None of the projects submitted to the program where ever assessed by anybody on the program, who it
turned out had disengaged from any commitments once the funding was approved. The project was a vehicle for
the supervisor to tap into the research fund that came with the program and get a free student for their lab. My
colleagues began to experience the same situation and we were cash cows ripe for plundering, working on
pointless projects. There was on update to the funding bodies, no reports, and no accountability for anybody
involved.
Over 3 years I was psychologically and emotionally abused. Experimental problems resulted in demoralizing
meetings with blame attributed to technical incompetence, threats of failure, and bullying to just work more
hours until it worked. Progress meetings with internal examiners were used to belittle and berate me. I raised
issues with student services and was told that there was little they could do within the framework of academia.
Other supervisors would also not intervene as it is bad form to advise on another supervisor's student. An
inappropriate working environment resulted in my rupturing two inter-vertebral discs. I was oered no support
and told that time o showed a lack of commitment to my work, and any lost hours would result in failure.
Subsequently I worked for 6 months relying on Tramadol to function.
In the nal year my supervisor left the lab for a promotion in another university. I was told to move or leave and
the program would not intervene with any alternative project or facilities to continue the project. I was forced to
stop work and pack up the lab, organizing the logistics of the move as well as the construction of the new lab
which was not t for purpose upon arrival. I was intimidated into working on this under the false promise of an
Page 7 of 13
05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
extension, spending 6 months working on equipment purchasing, installation, lab infrastructure designs, and
cleaning. The extension was denied and my appeals to the university resulted in clandestine phone calls and back
room chats where I was told to simply shut up and get on with it or my PhD would be burned. The extension
application would invoke an enquiry by the funding body, exposing the problems with the program and it would
be easier to blame it on a bad student. My supervisor abandoned me in the nal year and told me to expect to
fail. I worked the remainder of my time living in the lab, without sleep during the week, eating pro-plus and
whatever was in the vending machines, away from home with no nancial, pastoral, or technical support. I
became depressed and exhausted, but I managed to cobble together a thesis and submitted on time. I organized
my own examiners and the viva was the most constructive and supportive experience of my PhD, resulting in a
pass with minor corrections. Some of this I attribute to my work, the rest to back room dealings to ensure no
further problems.
Due to the nature of the experience I gained no publications from my work. I am now left in a position where my
chances at a career of any kind in science were over before the training ended. Many of my friends from the
program are in a similar position, but are scared to come forward and raise a complaint for fear of retribution
should they ever be able to interview for a post doctoral research position. Some of the students had good
supervisors and have done well from the program, however these were a minority, and for those that had a bad
experience, it was very bad indeed.
While I must simply pick up the pieces and move on, I am saddened that the awareness of the culture of PhD
training is largely unknown outside of academia. It is an antiquated medieval system that is too insular and
protects those in positions of responsibility. Provided that supervisors are bringing regular funding into their
institution they are often able to behave however they like, with total impunity. Employment laws and even human
rights can be violated and the university with seldom intervene if they can avoid it. These programs are also
enjoying large sums of tax payer funding which in my case was entirely wasted. Provided with the most minimal
of organization and management these projects could have been very successful and impacting, however they
didn't have to be because payment was up-front, and consequently they were not.
I hope that in future this "industry" can be cleaned up through proper regulation by the funding bodies. But until
then I fear the medieval guild system will persist, and students will suer in silence.
#14 (/comment/627#comment-627) Submitted by ket_DCN-Corp-UK on July 27, 2013 - 6:07pm
Interesting commentary. However, from those in the know, is it not believed that the "10 truths" describe what has
been known for years / decades?
In fact my former Ph.D supervisor has taken to highlight the article in his Twitter feed. I found such a highlight
extremely ironic, because I felt it described him to a 'tune'.
Unfortunately, neither the article nor the comments subsequently - explain what happens to non-registered Ph.D
students upon discovery of commercially insightful data / information. Though I was royally booted-o my Ph.D
(along with some highly derogatory comments) - a few years down the line I am still being heavily harassed,
threatened, etc. by my so called 'friends' at an UK university. Frankly it is damn right disgusting, that personnel
whom describe themselves as 'looking-out' for the wider public via tax payers monies - are involving themselves in
such activities.
Finally, as stated by the last comment - until Ph.D program's, studentships, supervisors, etc. are heavily regulated
(as similar to the nancial services sector), then such unfortunate practices will continue on. Nothing will change...
#15 (/comment/628#comment-628) Submitted by tollyho on July 29, 2013 - 3:25am
Here's another truth: The 3-year PhD is based on an outdated model, from times when there was no lightning fast
access to research or information. One could spend 8 hours in a day looking for one or two articles, but not have
energy after that to read them. Now everything is at our ngertips. It takes 30 seconds to nd most relevant
articles, leaving many 8-hour workdays unencumbered by wild goose chases. There's really no excuse for a PhD to
take so long.
Unless a person works in a eld requiring experimentation and lab work, the PhD project should take no longer
than 6-10 months, start to nish -- that's if a candidate comes in with a solid background knowledge (preferably a
taught MA -- yes, a TAUGHT MA, since a BA doesn't really even scratch the surface of any subject).
I know people will hate me for saying this, or nd me stupid, but I've yet to meet a successful doctoral candidate
who took longer than 6-10 months of full-time work to do a PhD, whether they did it in one fell swoop or broke
those hours up over the course of a 3- or 4-year candidacy. We could drastically shorten the length of candidacies
if we would only recognize new realities of access to information and research.
#16 (/comment/646#comment-646) Submitted by Buttey on August 1, 2013 - 11:35pm
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05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
This article just emphasises to me the divergence between Arts and Humanities PhDs an those in STEM subjects.
Some elements of the criticism of co-supervisors are valid, but really, if you plan to do original research in science
it will often be across subject areas. You will need expert input from supervisors in dierent areas to make your
project even feasible, let alone succesful. I'm involved on projects that involve physics, molecular biology and
geochemistry ... None of us could supervise the whole shooting match individually. Science students beware of
paying too much attention to articles like this one which has a very limited viewpoint.
I welcome the idea that weekly meetings are the ideal, and in my ln own institution I don't know any colleagues
who don't maintain this method. As for the idea of 6 month PhDs as proposed by another responder ... A failure
to understand the depth of thought, investigation and scholarly activity involved in a real phd project. It certainly
ignores any idea of practical development of skills during a phd ... Crass, stupid and ill thought out.
#17 (/comment/670#comment-670) Submitted by TheProf on August 14, 2013 - 5:24am
As with all "10 things", these ones are at best half truths and tend to draw on hyperbole and anecdote to attract
interest (eg her assertion in several secrets that it is an us and them game between students and
supervisors/institutions. And the use of I once did this or I know of a disturbing case etc). But what the good
Professor doesnt tell you is that a PhD requires four years of hard work. Perhaps this is something potential PhD
students would rather not hear.
#18 (/comment/677#comment-677) Submitted by Paul Gill on August 15, 2013 - 2:20pm
Micronaut, your experience sounds like an unacceptable nightmare. were there no opportunities for you to
complain formally? for example, postgrad tutor, head of research etc? in terms of publications, can you not start
to publish now? Most of my publications came post PhD, not during it (I simply didnt have the time).
Most students put up with bad supervision because they think complaining will amount to career suicide.
However, such students often drop out, fail or end up traumatised by the whole experience, which IMO is far
worse.
as for the comment about completing a PhD in 6-10 months - get real. A PhD in one of the health disciplines that
involves recruiting NHS patients usually takes at least 6 months just to navigate NHS ethic and R&D approval.
nding evidence is also only part of the PhD. I could probably count on one hand the number of FT PhD
completions I've seen in 3 years. I'd imagine Marty McFly would struggle to complete in 6 months...
#19 (/comment/691#comment-691) Submitted by askhan111 on August 18, 2013 - 5:08pm
I think these truths are more suitable for guidance of supervisors. As far as the phd students are concerned they
have to compromise on many issues, specially for choosing the supervisor mainly due to competition and very
limited opportunities of phd funding.
#20 (/comment/693#comment-693) Submitted by capepoint on August 20, 2013 - 2:59am
Thanks for the advice on the authorship. Any suggestions on the source code? If the supervisor is a co-author,
should a PhD student hands over all the codes he or she coded alone?
#21 (/comment/710#comment-710) Submitted by Gary on August 27, 2013 - 10:22am
Some of these need to be taken with a pinch of salt, particularly the idea that only having one supervisor is some
kind of ideal but the general themes are pretty true.
I would really enforce the idea that your supervisor needs to be a decent human being. Whilst an expert in your
eld is great a PhD student should be capable of doing a lot of work by themselves, after all you should be aiming
to know a lot more than your supervisor by the end of your work. What you will need is mentoring and
administrative help, where is this? What form do I ll in? Who do I need to speak to about XYZ? A supervisor who
is on top of these little issues is invaluable in the long run.
I know students with supervisors who are actually mean, rude and even spiteful. I have no idea how they cope, I
would gladly have a supervisor from an entirely dierent subject eld who was supportive than one who was very
knowledgeable but hostile.
#22 (/comment/763#comment-763) Submitted by KMThorpe on September 13, 2013 - 10:03am
Just as some institutions now have teaching fellows who teach but do not research, there may be a role for
supervisory fellows to be a title. These people will naturally research because without that contact many of the
gains noted here will be lost, but it would distinguish them from the star researchers who are very poor at
supervising.
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05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
I have seen some institutions quietly discourage an academic from taking on any more PhD students because it is
known that they lack the skills to really help the student. As not everyone can teach successfully, not every
academic can supervise well. We need to recognise this and have some good researching academics who are not
permitted to supervise, rather than allowing all of them to do it.
I have seen a number of training courses which help PhD students get 'the most' out of their supervisors and I
certainly encourage students to expect and demand good quality supervision and to complain if it is not
forthcoming. I have known at least two cases of people changing supervisor and it was the best outcome for
them; the original supervisors got over it without a problem, but it could have meant failure for the student.
I had a wonderful single supervisor, but the age of the apprenticeship model is over. It is better for there to be a
supervisory team, not simply to cover absences of the prime supervisor. Taking a PhD these days is about so much
more than just research skills and the subject matter. The second and in some cases the third supervisor, can be
invaluable focusing on the other skills such as writing articles, getting to conferences, getting the skills for a job;
indeed as another article in THE this week shows, also thinking about options outside academia. You need to have
everyone in the supervisory team working for you in a range of ways. If they cannot do that, then they should be
o the list of supervisors.
#23 (/comment/846#comment-846) Submitted by Gsinc on October 3, 2013 - 7:25pm
I nd these views rather pompous, and I feel that many of them are open to question. I also feel it is quite
inappropriate to use language such as 'They are selsh, career-obsessed bastards'. I am very glad that my
supervisor did not use language like this - it is not clever.
#24 (/comment/858#comment-858) Submitted by vedvyasdwivedi on October 7, 2013 - 10:34am
supervisors must have super-vision not narrow or ying vision!!!!
#25 (/comment/883#comment-883) Submitted by Dawnbazely on October 12, 2013 - 3:44pm
Thank you, Tara: I will share this with my current doctoral student. It's an excellent discussion paper.
You make many excellent points that every student needs to think about them seriously, regardless of whether
they are in STEM or social sciences, liberal arts and humanities. In the last 7 years, as director of a pan-university,
inter-disciplinary research inst. I have had the chance to interact with grad students from diverse disciplines (every
now and then, retreating to my lab, to breathe), and at the end of the day, it's all about 2 individuals interacting,
and each supervision experience is unique.
#26 (/comment/1003#comment-1003) Submitted by Joankethly on November 19, 2013 - 9:41am
Indeed, a great act of informing common issues among supervisors. This would surely attract the attention of our
next generation and present employees. Thumbs up :)
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#27 (/comment/1004#comment-1004) Submitted by yunvag on November 19, 2013 - 11:01am
Hi, Prof. Tara.
Spot on. I must say I experienced almost everything you did, with my PhD. I had to suer through supervisors in
dierent camps, a topic change, 2 supervisor changes, the dormant and last minute waiting supervisors, failing to
read and the works including the failed attempt to ruin me. Finally, with the decency of the last principal, I
managedto complete. It was not just a journey, it was a battle. Maybe, at the end supervisors should also be given
a progress mark with some impact on their careers when it is negative.
#28 (/comment/1102#comment-1102) Submitted by StevenG on December 23, 2013 - 11:40am
Hello!
I'm still thinking about my career, but for now have this question.
I have just began PhD studies and I dont want to spend the rest of my life writing the thesis... Can you
recommend a book that says how to write a PhD eectively? I mean, in a productive way that would not decrease
the quality...
Thanks a lot!
Stev
#29 (/comment/1173#comment-1173) Submitted by weir.Jennifer2 on January 20, 2014 - 8:26am
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05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
Personal experience rather than evidence-based research - and from an experienced supervisor? How can these
be 'truths'?
While some points are useful (but not new), I question the wisdom of other 'advice'.
#30 (/comment/2451#comment-2451) Submitted by JonHead on November 5, 2014 - 1:48pm
I very strongly disagree with number 9, 'Weekly supervisory meetings are the best pattern". This will certainly not
be the case for many people, and it certainly wouldn't be for me. I do not lack time-management skills, and
neither would I rather be partying (seriously, who on earth does a PhD if they would rather be partying or on
facebook to the extent that they constantly need their supervisor checking up on them?!). Given all this, I have
settled on meeting once a month with my supervisor for the last two years, and we have found that is what suits
us. Desperately trying to write something every week just for the sake of it sounds exhausting (after all, some
weeks are needed to perhaps work on other things, or just catch up on the literature), and could certainly be
detrimental to some people.
#31 (/comment/2523#comment-2523) Submitted by Apis on November 25, 2014 - 3:03pm
I think these 10 ideas are worthy of debate. They would make an excellent discussion point for current
supervisors. Personally, I think they range from the sensible to the banal, and even irritating. I am sorry that the
writer has had such bad experiences. Of course, teaching on a 'professional doctorate' as I do I nd we couldn't
manage without co-supervisors - and many's the time that the complementary skills of two supervisors have
helped a student out of trouble in my experience. The suggestion of a weekly supervision session might work for
full-time doctoral students but I suspect that full-time doctoral students are in the minority.
#32 (/comment/3713#comment-3713) Submitted by LisaB15 on August 25, 2015 - 5:09am
The dependency of PhD students on their supervisors is like apprenticeship in the middle ages - being subject to
the arbitrary whims of a certain individual. Doesn't say much for progress... This <a
href='http://www.widiem.com/view/videos.php#02'>video</a> is a humorous take on it..
#33 (/comment/3714#comment-3714) Submitted by LisaB15 on August 25, 2015 - 5:12am
This is the correct link: http://www.widiem.com/view/videos.php#02 (see previous comment)
#34 (/comment/4759#comment-4759) Submitted by vainaelisabeth_240631 on October 25, 2015 - 7:11pm
I would like to embark on a Ph.D. in the Uk, where I am moving in a few weeks. I have been working on a proposal
for a month now, but I have read so many emails from Ph.D. students being ignored by prospective supervisors,
that I feel stied and frustrated. I have already sent one e-mail, just to show my interest in commencing with a
Ph.D.(not sending a Proposal or a CV, and haven't received any response yet. What do you think is the best way to
approach a prospective Ph.D. supervisor? Face-to-face or by e-mail? Should I be brief or elaborate on my
proposed study? Furthermore I wanted to ask the following: If I nd a Ph.D. with no funding attached to it, can I
still expect that in the case of fruitful discussion with a potential supervisor he/she could guide towards the
process of funding? Thank you in advance
#35 (/comment/5734#comment-5734) Submitted by mmusinga_252484 on December 18, 2015 - 1:07pm
insightful observations especially for postgraduate students, however subject to debate
#36 (/comment/5860#comment-5860) Submitted by bello.okojie_254587 on January 2, 2016 - 8:25am
What can one say when a man is pointing a gun at you at a range of 10 feet? One thing i now know, is that, the so
called Professors have already made name and hence, do not care that much for others (most of them). I nished
from the University of Gent in Belgium with a Master's degree. After the approval from my supervisor to come and
defend my thesis,i defended in 9 minutes of the 15 minutes allocated and praise was poured out in the hall, but
guess what? One of the examiners refused giving me even a pass mark, saying the text i have to edit and this that
blah blah blah. The consequences is that i lost another 1yr 3mths before i could nish and get a masters
certicate.But why didn't they indict my my supervisor? Meaning my Prof never even take a critical look at my
work. Asides, he is their colleague and would never make a fool of him before me, making me a scape goat.
My advice is; the ultimate goal in life is, the end that matters and, if you chose to carve a niche for yourself
whether in the academia or otherwise, shut up and try and navigate your way towards getting your PhD and fuck
those shylocks. Sadly, most Profs forgot they were once below the ladder, but do they really care? Sorry they
don't!!! Your thesis, PhD certicate is your own, your life and your future. Whether straight or crook, your
approach towards getting it without probs depends on you.
Oh, it was a nice piece from you Katie. Love your write up and keep it up!
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05/05/2016, 5:41 PM
#37 (/comment/5920#comment-5920) Submitted by Anonymouse on January 5, 2016 - 12:47pm

For me, the PhD was a strange experience. In some respects, the PhD itself was far too easy. In my opinion, over
the three years, I got very limited feedback on my research or writing (that's when I managed to get feedback) and
my work wasn't subject to any real challenges or criticisms. In truth, I don't believe my thesis was read in any
detail before submission. These reasons were the source of stress for me and I felt the viva would be very tough (I
know I was convinced I was going to fail and debated whether or not to actually attend the viva).
The viva was a horrible experience and very, very challenging but I could not fault the examiners as they did a
superb job (in my opinion, they provided much more feedback on my work than my supervisors did over the
course of three years).
Post viva was even stranger. In brief, the supervisor who sat in on the viva must have got unnerved because, from
what I can gather, this supervisor asked for the corrections from the internal and although the supervisor passed
a copy of the corrections to me, it was the supervisor who, in my opinion, started doing them, passing some of the
corrected corrections to me and would happily have done the lot - had I not eventually asserted myself and taken
control of the situation. It's not good being placed in a situation where you have to challenge a superior and I feel
I was placed in a no-win situation. On a positive note, although I've suered and am still uptight about it all, I
don't feel this supervisor will attempt to do this again.
#38 (/comment/6159#comment-6159) Submitted by Ed Rybicki on January 18, 2016 - 12:05pm
OK, this article needs to come with a content warning:
"Most of this content does not apply or is irrelevant for laboratory-based science PhDs".
Seriously - take this bit for example:
"Some supervisors claim co-authorship of every publication written during the candidature. Do not think that this
is right, assumed, proper or the default setting"
Really? When I as supervisor may have (a) had the research idea and posed the questions; (b) come up with the
money to support the student and the work; (c) supervised the project work closely and aided in the
interpretation? Sorry - this may work in social sciences or humanities, but not in wet/hard science!
#39 (/comment/8529#comment-8529) Submitted by charlesoppenheim on May 2, 2016 - 7:43pm
It's a long time since I've read such a pompous yet awed essay.
#40 (/comment/8547#comment-8547) Submitted by chi8319_297687 on May 3, 2016 - 4:12pm
The 10 truths are quite helpful in that it is an insight to some of the things to expect during your program.
However, i am currently a doctoral student and have been under a supervisor who is so nasty to her students. My
case is very similar to that of the poster (csadangi) where the supervisor doesn't care about your health but
expects a doctoral student to be in school daily from 8 am - 4 pm either busy or not without any nancial
support. I have being under supervision for 2 years researching on things that most of the masters and doctoral
students have being doing for years. I spoke to her about creating my own research niche but she refused and
threatened to write a bad recommendation letter for my postdoc in future. well, i have decided to get a new
supervisor and complete my doctoral program in with a specialist in my eld of study.
This system should be looked into because most of these supervisors use the students as money making machine
like my former supervisor will always say to the PG students.
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10 Truths A PHD Supervisor Will Never Tell You - Times Higher Education (THE)

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10 truths a PhD supervisor will never tell you | Times Higher Education (THE)

By Tara Brabazon (/content/tara-brabazon)

Source: Katie Edwards

1. They do not read your writing

1. The key predictor of a supervisors ability to guide a postgraduate to

You've enjoyed reading five THE articles this

This (un)certain life

meetings because they are travelling to Oslo, Luanda or Hong Kong.

There is an excessive amount of university doctoral administration. I understand and welcome

5. Byline bandits abound. Study a potential supervisors work

April 29, 2016

Best universities in Europe 2016

July 11, 2013

(/news/undergraduatesLack of independent working

blamed for diculties making

Our plans for quality

plans-quality- Hefce's new standards regime

will enable universities to focus

(/blog/dangers-Schools and universities are

(/features/safetydetect potential threats and

increasingly looking at how

worry less about outdated idea

the doctorate. The candidate submitted in the minimum time.

At times, an inexperienced co-supervisor is added to a team to gain experience. That is,

Isnt asking for alumni

7. A supervisor who is active in the area of your doctorate can help to

9. Weekly supervisory meetings are the best pattern

You might also like

April 18, 2016

Think like an impostor, and

April 27, 2016

accountability structure for students. Weekly meetings accomplish this task.

Im a university teacher clawing

April 15, 2016

Fixed-term now the norm for

The key truth and guiding principle is evident

Reader's comments (40)

#7 (/comment/589#comment-589) Submitted by Charles Knight on July 14, 2013 - 4:27pm

#9 (/comment/593#comment-593) Submitted by csadangi on July 14, 2013 - 9:47pm

#37 (/comment/5920#comment-5920) Submitted by Anonymouse on January 5, 2016 - 12:47pm

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