A Checklist for Monitoring Progress

The previous section made recommendations for some of the practices which if generally adopted should lead to many more students completing their PhD in three years. The following check list, in question form, is intended to highlight the main points made.

1. Is there a departmental document available to students and supervisors, laying out the department's view on good supervisory practice?
2. What steps are taken to try to make a good match between a supervisor and the prospective student?
3. Is the student given a reading guide for the summer vacation after graduation?
4. Does the student present a report in the first year which is assessed by people other than the supervisor?
5. Does the student see the supervisor often enough?
6. Are there regular occasions when the student's progress and background knowledge of the subject are both assessed?
7. Is the first year assessment procedure seen as satisfactory by both supervisor and student?
8. Are there occasions when the student has to make a public presentation and are these presentations satisfactory?
9. How is the topic of research refined in the first year?
10. When is a long term programme of research laid out and has a critical path been defined?
11. Is there a point where the supervisor checks the student's record keeping to see whether it is systematic?
12. Is it clear by half-way into the second year that it is possible to finish the project in the three years?
13. Does the student get a mock viva between six and twelve months before the submission date is due?

The above questions are largely aimed at the supervisor and department, though some of them apply equally to the student. There are a few more questions specifically directed to the student, as follows:

1. Have you tried to plan your work satisfactorily?
2. Have you identified the major difficulties?
3. Do you understand the relevant references?
4. Are your records in good order and could you answer a question on something you did six months ago?
5. Have you drafted the first version of any portion of the work that has been completed?
6. Do other people find your written English difficult to understand?
7. Are there any tables, figures or other matter which could usefully be prepared at an early stage?