... education about the nature of the PhD by published work. One way of gaining greater commonality would be to strengthen the use of the critical appraisal as an academic text which also should be required to meet the admittedly problematical standards of publishability. Research limitations/implications...

... in context, knowledge, reflectiveness and helping others to contest academic writing. Findings The paper concludes with the view that all academic writing and concept‐mongering are properly open to rigorous challenge. Research limitations/implications The paper is limited by its presentation of one...

... for Animal Health (IAH) in collaboration with BBSRC. The other is a Web gateway on research supervision. The schemes provide advice, a forum for peer group discussion, training in specific aspects of supervision, recognition (accreditation) for the role and contribution of the supervisor and annotated links...

...Sue Wallace This paper is based on research into the conduct of PhD vivas, whose aim was to investigate how this examination is experienced by successful candidates, and specifically to address a question raised by previous researchers: Why does a successful viva outcome nevertheless leave some...

...Stuart Powell; Clare McCauley This paper reports the findings of a small survey of the views of individual academics in relation to four issues regarding research degree examiners: the use of their reports; the scope of criteria they use to make judgements and the assessment remit given to them...

...Pam Denicolo Research and informed debate reveals that institutional practices in relation to research degree examining vary considerably across the sector. Within a context of accountability and quality assurance/total quality management, the range and specificity of criteria that are used...

...; what is considered good (i.e. fit for purpose) PhD research training may be different for the student and the supervisor. Compares and contrasts the views of PhD students and PhD supervisors on a number of issues including reasons for doing a PhD, the purpose of PhD training and perceptions...

... about practice and research, and wide variations in requirements across universities. In the UK, design has a long tradition of vocational education arising from well respected art schools, which for the most part have been absorbed into the modern universities. Generally, the award of first degrees...

...D. Howard; Malcolm Shaw; Stuart Powell; Claire McCauley Reports on discussions that took place at a series of specialist seminars and workshops on research degree examining organised by the UK Council for Graduate Education during 2000/2001 at various venues in the UK. Debates the processes...

... up, and preparing for, the examination of the research PhD. Specifically, the ways in which the examination is organised and the ways in which candidates prepare for the viva are addressed. The discussion draws on three sets of data collected between 1999 and 2001: institutional policy data...

...D. Howard Green; Malcolm Shaw; Faye Hammill Reviews the origins of the MRes – the research masters programme developed in the mid‐1990s as a result of pressure to provide research students with a broader based training in research before embarking on a PhD or industrial research career. Notes...

...John Williams David   Kember . Action Learning and Action Research: Improving the Quality of Teaching and Learning . London, UK : Kogan Page 245 pages , ISBN: ISBN 0 7494 3113 X   £19.99 (softback) Teachers Quality Research Despite the generic title...

...Ruth J. Boaden; Jan J. Cilliers Investigates the ways in which the performance of academic research can be measured. In particular, it considers the role of quality as one aspect of performance. Focuses specifically on the case of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) carried out in all UK...

...Rhodri Thomas; Vicky Harris In recent years, much energy and finance has been expended by successive governments in monitoring teaching and – separately – research quality. Although official conceptions of quality have been challenged, there has been little serious questioning in the UK...

... and nature of student intake, range of courses and emphasis on research. This article questions whether the developing quality management approach based on standards and benchmarks can gauge accurately and fairly the quality of provision in such a variety of HEIs. Each of these dimensions will affect basic...

... described as “research drift” and “teaching drift”, which could, unless stemmed, lead to a fragmentation of higher education. Educational development is also promoted as a set of conditions and as a series of strategies which could help higher education institutions counter the deleterious effects...

... wish to make. The overall purpose of the research project seems relatively straightforward ‐ to discover how students spend their weekly study time. However it is important to define clearly what is considered to be study related (i.e. the business of the university) and what is nobody’s business...

...Antony Luby Investigates the process of strategic planning in a “new” university and addresses some key issues pertaining to this process, notably an understanding of the complex university environment. Sets the scene within the context of recent literature and, using the research method of semi...

...Alan Jenkins Argues that the funding arrangements for UK higher education and in particular the rules and rewards of the Research Assessment Exercise(RAE) have encouraged individuals, departments and institutions to prioritize research at the expense of teaching. Presents empirical evidence from...