The main supevisor has the main academic responsibility for the candidate. The co-supervisor(s) must provide supervision and share the academic responsibility for the candidate with the main supervisor. The candidate must be given 90 hours of supervision per year (given a 3-year study period), divided among the supervisors..
Content of the supervision
The candidate and supervisors should maintain regular contact. The supervisors are responsible for monitoring the candidate's academic progress. The frequency of contact should be reflected in the reports to the faculty.
The supervisors are obligated to stay informed about the progress of the candidate's work and to evaluate it against the project plan's timeline.
The supervisors are also required to address academic issues that may delay the completion of the education, ensuring it can be finished within the standard timeframe.
The supervisors should provide advice on formulating and defining the topic and research questions, discuss and evaluate hypotheses and methods, analyze results and their interpretations, and discuss the organization and execution of the work, including structure, language, documentation, etc. Furthermore, they should assist the candidate in navigating academic literature and data sources, such as libraries, archives, etc. Additionally, the supervisors should offer guidance on research ethics related to the dissertation.
Clarification of expectations
Different candidates and supervisors may have varying expectations and preferences for how guidance should be conducted. A mutual understanding of how to work together is a crucial foundation for a productive supervisory relationship. We encourage the supervisor to take the initiative in having a conversation about expectations early in the candidate’s Ph.D. journey and to actively seek clarifications throughout the process.
Feel free to use a conversation and reflection form (PDF) to support the discussion.
The Ph.D. regulations and supplementary rules
The PhD regulations and supplementary rules outline the formal framework for the PhD programme. The documents regulate the admission process, supervision, the instruction component, reporting and mid-term evaluation, thesis, submission, the doctoral examination etc.
We recommmend supervisors familiarize themselves with the PhD regulations and supplementary rules (pdf).
Ethical guidelines for supervision
The University of Stavanger will provide doctoral candidates high quality supervision.
The ethical guidelines for supervisors and employees at the University of Stavanger (pdf) consist of eight sections with examples: respect for the student's personal and academic integrity, balance of power, dual role, confidence and trust, professional integrity, gifts and payments, involvement of third parties in case of conflicts. The faculty is responsible for informing the doctoral candidate about these guidelines when a supervisor is appointed, and the supervisor is responsible for managing and carrying out the candidate's supervision following the guidelines.
Research ethics
Supervisors act as important role models of research ethics and integrity in research environments, and are responsible for guiding and teaching candidates on these topics.
We recommend that our supervisors follow the guidelines given by the National Research Ethics Committee's resource page on the role of supervisors.
Progress report
Each year, both the candidate and the main supervisor must submit their own progress report. The supervisor's report consists of 12 questions regarding the candidate's progress in the program. The form is sent by the Ph.D. administration around the turn of the year. The candidate and the supervisor are to complete the progress reports separately.
Midterm evaluation and pre-submission seminar (50% and 90% seminars)
he main supervisor is responsible for initiating and organizing the midway evaluation and the pre-submission seminar. The main supervisor arranges the participation of an external commentator prior to the seminar and is responsible for ensuring that the candidate follows up on the input and feedback provided during the seminar. After the midway evaluation, a brief report (docx) must be sent to the Ph.D. administration.
For more information, see the faculty's guidelines for the 50% and 90% seminars (pdf).
Propose an assessment committee
The main supervisor is responsible for submitting a proposal for the assessment committee on behalf of the academic unit. The proposal is reviewed by the doctoral committee, which appoints the assessment committee. The committee should typically be appointed before the thesis is submitted. Further information about the process can be found further down on this page under the Completion section.
Change of supervisor
The candidate and supervisor may jointly or separately request the faculty to appoint a new supervisor for the candidate. The current supervisor cannot step down until a new supervisor has been appointed. The appointment of a supervisor is handled by the doctoral committee.
Mobility
According to the regulations, Ph.D. candidates should normally spend at least three months of their study period at a recognized foreign educational or research institution where they can work on issues related to their dissertation. A stay at a comparable Norwegian educational or research institution may substitute for the time abroad if it is deemed academically relevant.
The supervisor plays an important role in helping the candidate by sharing their network and advising on the choice of institution.