A supervisor has a crucial role in progress of doctoral research. According to scientific studies:
- Satisfaction of the doctoral students increases if the supervisor and the doctoral student have a mutual understanding on the supervisor’s duties, and the contents and frequency of supervision (Pyhältö et al. 2015)
- Support from the supervisor and research community decreases the risk of drop-outs and burn-outs (Peltonen et al. 2017)
- Sense of belonging, competence, contribution, and autonomy enhance engagement to doctoral studies (Virtanen & Pyhältö, 2012, Veikkaila et al. 2013 ja Vekkaila et al. 2014). The struggles and disagreements in research community decrease engagement more than problems in actual research (Vekkaila et al. 2013).
- Perceived active relational agency in the research community (vs. being a passive object) increases interest in doctoral studies and diminishes negative emotions and thoughts about abandoning the doctoral studies (Pyhältö & Keskinen, 2012)
- Awareness of the meaningfulness of the doctoral studies to the career prospects enhances engagement to doctoral studies (Sakurai ym. 2017)
Read also
- Shared rules vitally important in the doctoral researcher-supervisor relationship by Tieteentekijät.
- Recommendations to universities by the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity and Universities Finland UNIFI: Supervision of doctoral dissertations and their review process in Finland with a special emphasis on research integrity.
Toolkit for supervisors
Toolkit for supervisors in Moodle contains three video lectures from professor Sanna Vehviläinen
- Key elements of successful supervision,
- Elements of good supervision interaction ja
- Groups and communities in academic supervision),
as well as a references to literature and assignments to deepen your knowledge on the topic.
Guidance for career and review discussion
Guidance for career and review discussion created by the University of Turku.
Tips for supervisors and doctoral students
Summary of the Seminar for Doctoral Students and Their Supervisors that took place in spring 2018.