Good Practices for Research Postgraduate Students

While as a research postgraduate student you have a right to expect adequate support for your work from the University you must also accept that the University has expectations of you too. The University expects its research postgraduate students:

a) To read these and other Guidelines so that you are aware of what you can expect of the University and what the University expects of research postgraduate students, supervisors and Departmental Research Postgraduate Committees.

It must be stressed, however, that these Guidelines refer to the University's minimum expectations and describe them only in the broadest terms. The relationship between you, your supervisor(s) and your department will be a very personal one which only you can fully understand and make successful.

b) To attend the Orientation Programme and any other relevant courses arranged for research postgraduate students.

At least once each year the Graduate School will organize an Orientation Programme designed to introduce newly-registered research postgraduate students to the University and the facilities that it offers for their work. Structured coursework is offered as a compulsory component of the MPhil programme to MPhil students enrolled from September 1, 1999 and the 4-year PhD programme to PhD students enrolled from September 1, 2001. Courses are intended to aid students’ research work and preparation for the writing of the thesis. Such courses are intended to enable you to commence and conduct your research more efficiently and effectively.

c) To conform with the University's regulations and any additional requirements imposed by your Faculty and Department.

It is your responsibility to be aware of these requirements. Read the Degree Regulations and Degree Procedures appended to this Handbook and seek any necessary advice from your supervisor(s), the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee or your Departmental or Faculty Office.

d) To observe the regulations governing residence in Hong Kong and seek the necessary permission to be absent from your studies or from Hong Kong whether for study purposes or for personal reasons.

MPhil and PhD students are expected to spend the whole study period in Hong Kong. Permission to be absent from your studies and/or from Hong Kong for up to one month, as well as any period of vacation for up to 14 days excluding Sundays and public holidays in each twelve-month period, may be granted by the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee, on the recommendation of your supervisor(s). You can be absent for reasons associated with your study if your supervisor(s), and the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee agree, in which case your period of study will not be changed and you will have to continue to pay fees. Applications for a period of absence for longer than one month, but not exceeding 12 months, will also need to be endorsed by the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee, on the recommendation of the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee. Under no circumstances shall leave of absence be granted for a cumulative period of more than twelve months for study and non-study purposes for the entire period of study. Period of absence exceeding the permitted period will normally necessitate the candidate withdrawing his or her candidature. But he or she will be allowed to apply fresh for admission subsequently.

e) To execute the research, associated writing and thesis production with sufficient diligence to ensure that your studies can be completed within the period of study specified for the degree and study mode.

The funding which the University receives to support your studies varies according to the programme you are registered for and, whether you are studying full-time or part-time. You should not therefore be surprised that there will be pressure on you to have submitted your thesis for examination within this time. However much you enjoy working in the University your studies should not be unduly prolonged.

The Supervisory Relationship

f) To establish an agreed manner of working with supervisors.

You will need to consider carefully at the outset of your studies whether you will be able to work over an extended period with your supervisor(s): the Degree Procedures make provision for you to agree to the supervisor(s) appointed. Different people interact in different ways that cannot be prescribed by regulation; learn the style of your supervisor(s) and, if in doubt, ask them what they expect. You will often be the one to initiate meetings and you should go to them well prepared with a clear idea of what needs to be discussed and what needs to be decided. Whatever style of supervision is adopted, the University believes that both students and supervisors have a mutual responsibility to maximize the effectiveness of their relationship in the interests of both scholarship and the timely completion and reporting of the research being undertaken.

g) To maintain contact with supervisors at sufficiently regular intervals to permit work to progress in a satisfactory and timely manner.

It is impossible to lay down precisely the frequency with which such contacts should occur since their necessity will depend on the academic discipline, the study mode, the nature of the research being undertaken and the personalities involved. However, for full-time students a meeting once a month on average would not be an unreasonable expectation; part-time students may expect to meet less frequently, on average. Meetings may need to be more frequent at the beginning and less frequent towards the end of your studies. Such contacts need not always be face-to-face. Telephone, facsimile or e-mail contacts can be equally effective in some circumstances for some people, and written work can sometimes be dealt with other than by recourse to a meeting.

h) To identify problems encountered in supervision and share them with supervisors and/or the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee so that they can be resolved before they develop into grievances.

It would be surprising if, in such a large community of students and supervisors as ours, personal relationships did not sometimes come under great strain. Problems should first be discussed openly, and tactfully, with your supervisor(s) and/or the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee Chairman. If however, you think that this is not possible, then approach your Faculty Higher Degrees Committee, or the Dean of the Graduate School for help. If you think that you have a grievance against a member of the University staff, i.e. a problem that has not been resolved, despite everyone's best efforts, then there are formal grievance procedures to which you can turn (see page 74 and Appendix XXVI of the Graduate School Handbook). However, the University will expect all parties concerned to have made every effort for conciliation before it invokes the procedures.

i) To give supervisors sufficient notice and sufficient time to comment on research findings or written work, including thesis drafts.

Supervisors have many other responsibilities in addition to you. It is unreasonable to present them with work without prior notice and then expect them to provide detailed comment and criticism ahead of all other demands upon their time. Part of the working agreement between you and your supervisor(s) should be a timetable for the presentation of your work and agreement on the period they have to deal with it.

j) To keep supervisors informed of any personal, social, medical or financial problems that might impede their progress so that appropriate solutions can be found.

You cannot expect to receive all the help that you need from your supervisor(s), the Department or the University if you do not identify and reveal your problems. Problems which are not dealt with promptly rarely resolve themselves - they grow in scale and may eventually become insoluble. If you think that your problems are too personal to be resolved in your Department, seek advice from the Dean of the Graduate School, the Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS), the University Health Service, or the Dean of Student Affairs. All will treat your approach in confidence and offer you counselling in their areas of expertise.

Progress and Reporting

k) To make sufficient progress in your work to enable supervisors and the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee to make definite recommendations on confirmation of candidature at the end of your probationary period.

Only by meeting the agenda of work agreed between you and your supervisor(s) can you avoid the danger of failing to be confirmed in your candidature. You should not expect your supervisor(s) or the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee to recommend your confirmation of candidature unless they are sure of your satisfactory progress. The Chairman of the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee is required to show you any adverse report which recommends extension of your probationary period or non-confirmation of your candidature.

l) To provide, on time, six-monthly progress reports to the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee or any other reports required of you by the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee or supervisors including the provision of a detailed scheme of research for approval at the end of your probationary period.

Before the end of your probationary period you must prepare a detailed scheme of research describing the work that you intend to undertake during the remainder of your candidature (and if you are an MPhil or a 4-year PhD candidate, you should also have completed the required proportion of coursework). The detailed scheme is taken into account by your supervisor(s) and the Faculty in deciding if your candidature is to be confirmed. You should then complete a six monthly progress report form provided to you on your supervision and progress enabling you to raise any problems with your supervision or with your research.

m) To seek sufficiently far in advance permission to extend candidature or change between full-time and part-time study modes.

It takes time to approve changes in your candidature. Do not expect decisions to be taken on such matters in just a few days (although in real emergencies the Chair of the Board of Graduate Studies and/or the Chair of the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee may be able to take action on behalf of the committee). You also have a responsibility to inform the University of changes in your circumstances which require you to change between full-time and part-time study as laid down in the Degree Procedures (see page of the Handbook and Appendices XII & XIII).

n) To complete any coursework and associated examinations requirements.

MPhil students enrolled on or after September 1, 1999 and 4-year PhD students are required to take coursework organized by the Graduate School and their faculties/ departments as part of their research training. Three-year PhD students may also be required to take some courses, if their supervisors think that this is beneficial to their training. If you register for such courses, then you have an obligation to complete them: if you do not then you will be wasting the University's resources and perhaps denying one of your fellow students the chance to benefit from courses where there is limited registration.

Ethics and Safety

o) To ensure that you conduct your research in a safe and ethical manner.

You should be familiar with what is considered to be good, ethical practice in your subject area - enquire of your supervisor(s) whether your Department has specific guidelines. Similarly, you should be aware of safe practices in laboratories and other workplaces in the University, not only for your own protection but also for that of others. Your Head of Department is required by the University to "draw up a detailed statement of policy ... as it pertains to his/her department and to establish, promote and administer safety procedures and standards". Your department may also have a Safety Manual - if so, read it! Further guidance on the University Safety Policy is outlined in another section of this Handbook (see page ). You should certainly take advantage of courses and seminars on various aspects of safety that are organized within the University.

p) To store your original research records and data in a manner that permits their examination by others for accuracy and authenticity.

You should keep your research records in a secure and orderly manner so that you and your supervisor(s) can examine them when necessary. The records should describe your work, data or findings in sufficient detail to allow others to examine or to repeat and replicate your work. Keep them safe since you may also need them later to prepare publications based on your research and even, in rare cases, to satisfy the University that you have actually conducted the work that you claim as your own.

Professional and Personal Development

q) To take advantage of those facilities and opportunities provided by the University and others that are intended to help students in the completion of their work and their own personal development.

The University, in particular the Graduate School, arranges courses which are intended to help you deal with various aspects of your work e.g. thesis production, academic writing, statistical analysis, personal development etc. Research can be a lonely undertaking and if you never venture out from your department, your laboratory or the library you cannot expect to benefit from those aspects of professional and personal development which should be as much a part of your research studies as your research project. The Postgraduate Student Association (PGSA) can be a source of advice and support from your fellow students.

r) To contribute to the general intellectual activity of the Department, Faculty and University including presenting and taking part in seminars and workshops.

Academic work is about discourse. You need to discuss your own work as well as take part in the discussion of others' work; only in this way will you benefit from the criticism of your student peers and academic mentors and learn the conventions of academic life. Effective presentation of your work is a skill to be learnt and perfected through practice; those who cannot communicate effectively are always at a disadvantage, throughout life.

Studentships and Other Employment

s) To conform with the regulations governing postgraduate studentships, in particular the requirement that the holders are in full-time study and have no other employment.

Postgraduate studentships are awarded on an annual basis, renewable upon satisfactory academic progress having been demonstrated, and upon funds for the studentship continuing to be available. The maximum period of award is, in the case of MPhil candidature, two years, and in the case of PhD candidature, the first three years or four years, this being the specified period of study. Postgraduate studentship holders must be resident in Hong Kong (unless permission has been granted for temporary absence for study purposes) and working full-time on their studies. If the University discovers that you are not fulfilling your obligations in this regard it may withdraw the studentship. If the termination of your studentship, or any other financial support that you receive, creates financial difficulties for you, discuss them with your supervisor(s) and the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee in the first instance or approach the Dean of Student Affairs or the Graduate School for advice.

t) To discharge the teaching duties that may be required of you if you hold a postgraduate studentship.

If you hold a postgraduate studentship your Head of Department may require you to undertake teaching assistance or associated duties up to a maximum of 100 to 250 hours each year, depending on the level of postgraduate studentship you receive. This maximum is intended to include sufficient time for teaching preparation, assignment marking etc. If you think that your workload is unreasonable, or if you cannot meet these obligations, then you should discuss the matter with your Head of Department.

Thesis Submission and Examination

u) To prepare and submit for approval a Notice of Intention to Submit Thesis not later than three months before the intended date of submission of the thesis.

As soon as you are about to be ready to submit your thesis, you should submit a Notice of Intention to Submit Thesis via the Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee to your Faculty Office. The notice shall be accompanied by a provisional thesis title. This can be done at any time after your candidature is confirmed, i.e. at the end of your probationary period, and no later than three months before you intend to submit your thesis. The Departmental Research Postgraduate Committee and the Faculty can identify and appoint your examiners who can then examine your thesis with the minimum of delay. It is helpful, though not mandatory, to prepare an abstract of the content of your thesis to accompany the thesis title.

v) To produce a thesis which is free of plagiarism and which contains no unauthorized or copyrighted material.

The University defines plagiarism as "the unacknowledged use, as one's own, of work of another person, whether or not such work has been published."; make sure that you acknowledge unequivocally, or otherwise identify, the work of others. You should also be aware of the existence of copyright, both your own and that of others. Your thesis should contain no copyrighted material other than with the express permission of the copyright holder, as explained in detail in the University's Notes for Guidance of Candidates (see Appendix XIV and ”Copyright and Plagiarism” section of the Handbook.)

The Policy Board of Postgraduate Education has approved that all MPhil and PhD theses submitted from January 1, 2011 and thereafter are required to go through a compulsory plagiarism check via the software Turnitin before submission for examination. Students should submit their draft theses to Turnitin for self-checking, and refinement where appropriate, in consultation with their supervisor(s) if necessary, before a formal submission for examination.

w) To submit four copies of a thesis and three further copies of the thesis abstract prepared in accordance with the regulations for examination.

The Regulations Governing the Format, Binding and Presentation of Theses for Higher Degrees by Research are published annually in the University Calendar and are reproduced in Appendix XX of the Handbook. They are also included in a booklet prepared by the Graduate School entitled Preparing and Submitting Your Thesis which contains a great deal of additional, practical advice. This booklet is available in Departmental and Faculty Offices and further copies can be obtained free from the Graduate School Office. After receiving notification that all formal requirements for conferment of the degree have been satisfied, you should submit to the Faculty Office four hard copies of the finalized bound thesis, one extra unbound copy of the finalized abstract and one soft copy of the thesis for digitization and storage in the University's own on-line database of HKU theses.

x) To refrain from contacting the External Examiner during the examination process.

In order not to compromise the examination process and to enable it to be conducted in a fair manner, you should not contact the External Examiner during the examination process until the Board of Graduate Studies has made a final decision on the examination result.

y) To complete promptly any corrections required by the Board of Examiners in accordance with the specific instructions contained in its recommendation.

If the outcome of your examination is a recommendation for the award of the degree subject to certain corrections being made to your thesis, then you should carry out these corrections promptly since the more time that elapses the more difficulty you will have complying with them - you may have embarked upon further study or a new job which requires most of your attention. The University expects these corrections to be completed within the period specified by the Board of Graduate Studies and approved to the satisfaction of a designated person/person(s) who may or may not be your supervisor. If the outcome of your examination is that the thesis must be revised and re-submitted for a new examination then you should seek advice on how to meet these requirements: your supervisor(s) will usually be the most appropriate source of this advice.

z) To complete the questionnaire about the University, its facilities and your candidature which is sent to all students leaving the University.

It would be surprising indeed if all research students were fully satisfied with every aspect of their time in the University. By completing this questionnaire you can help the University in considering how its support for research students can be improved in the future. The University likes to hear from satisfied students too!

 

September 2010