PREPARING FOR CONFIRMATION OF CANDIDATURE 2014

PREPARING FOR
CONFIRMATION OF
CANDIDATURE
2014
School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences
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OUTLINE
 Confirmation of candidature process:

Why you need to undergo a confirmation of candidature

Structure of the confirmation and composition of the panel
 Preparing the written report
 Preparing the oral presentation
 Panel discussions
 Possible outcomes
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WHY UNDERGO CONFIRMATION OF
CANDIDATURE?
 There is an expectation by the University that the School and
Faculty monitors the progress of candidature.
 Masters by Research: by 6 months of full-time study, or 18 months
of part-time study
 PhD: by 12 months of full-time study, or 18 months of part-time
study
 Confirmations scheduled at approximately 1-3 months
BEFORE so that the process can be completed ‘on time’.
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WHY UNDERGO CONFIRMATION OF
CANDIDATURE?
 For assurance that the proposed research is sound and represents
a substantial original contribution to knowledge
 Opportunity for feedback to help strengthen the study design or
identify potential opportunities
 To identify any potential difficulties early
 To encourage early progress in writing
 To show that progress is reasonable and that the PhD can be
completed on time
 To develop presentation skills
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STRUCTURE OF THE CONFIRMATION
 There are three components to confirmation:
1. A written document summarising your research plan
2. Oral presentation
3. Discussion with the confirmation panel
In addition:
 Research Integrity training must be completed prior
to the confirmation
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PREPARING THE WRITTEN REPORT

Length



Formatting requirements




5,000 – 10,000 words for Masters
10,000 – 15,000 words for PhD
Main text should be size 12 font, Times New Roman
Use 1.5 line spacing
Minimum 2cm margins
Due 2 weeks before the oral presentation, 4 hard copies and an
electronic copy (pdf) should be submitted to Joan Dooley
(joan.dooley@deakin.edu.au)
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STRUCTURE OF THE WRITTEN REPORT
1)
Title page (include student’s name, thesis title, degree, part-time/full-time
status, names of all supervisors)
2)
Table of contents
3)
List of abbreviations
4)
Critical review of the literature
5)
Research Plan
6)
Ethics and intellectual property agreements
7)
Compliance with Victorian & Commonwealth privacy law (human research
only)
8)
Progress and timelines
9)
References
10) Appendices (optional)
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WRITTEN REPORT: CRITICAL REVIEW
OF LITERATURE
– Most students will have completed a literature review in the first six
months of candidature
– Establishes the context for the research and a rationale for the overall
aims of the thesis, drawing on international literature.
– The candidate is expected to demonstrate an ability to effectively critique
the existing literature and identify major gaps in knowledge to justify the
thesis aims.
– If abbreviation of the existing literature review is necessary, the emphasis
in this section should be on critiquing the existing literature relevant to
your thesis aims, rather than setting the scene
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WRITTEN REPORT: RESEARCH PLAN

Provide as much detail about your studies as possible. The panel will be
looking to see that the study design(s) address the aims and that the
research is sound and feasible.

Justify your methodological decisions (eg. why particular measures have
been chosen) – don’t forget to reference existing measures.

Make it easy to identify the links between the rationale,
research questions and methodology for each of your studies –
ensure that your methods address your aims.
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WRITTEN REPORT: ETHICS/
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & PRIVACY
Ethics &/or Intellectual Property
 Statement on status of ethics approvals
•
Include details on location and storage of data
 Statement on any intellectual property agreements
• Eg. data ownership, any restrictions on publication, etc)
Privacy Law
If your research involves human participants, include a
statement on compliance with Victorian & Commonwealth
privacy laws (includes management of identifiable information)
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WRITTEN REPORT: PROGRESS &
TIMELINES

Outcomes/achievements to date
Eg. ethics approval, conference presentations, article submissions, skills obtained.

Skills to be attained
Describe how you will obtain the skills needed to complete the thesis

Timeline
Start from the date your candidature commenced and include changes to or interruptions to your
candidature (eg. changes from full-time to part-time) and work to be completed before
submission. Be as detailed as possible.

Resources
Provide details of how your studies will be funded and other resources/facilities
required to complete the project. Document any plans to access essential resources
not available to you at Deakin University
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PREPARING FOR THE PRESENTATION
 ~20 minute presentation, followed by questions from the audience
 Example structure

1 slide per minute (i.e. ~ 20 slides maximum)

Background – review of evidence/rationale for your work (~6 slides)

Aims/hypotheses (1 – 2 slides) and significance

Methods (4-6 slides)

Progress to date (including any findings if available) (4-6 slides)

Timelines/future studies (1 – 2 slides)

List any conference presentations, papers, etc. (1 slide)
 Attend other confirmation presentations to see examples
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PREPARING FOR THE PRESENTATION
 You need to demonstrate you possess skills to
complete a PhD

By showing you know the literature and where your
research fits

By presenting a clear research plan that addresses your
aims

By completing a draft of thesis structure/outline

By answering questions from the audience about your
PhD
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CONFIRMATION PANEL MEETING
 Panel composition:




Associate Head of School – Research (or nominee)
HDR Coordinator (or nominee)
External examiner (not involved with the project)
Supervisors
 The panel reviews the written report, attends the oral presentation
and participates in the panel discussion
 Role of supervisors


Supervisors MUST NOT respond to questions/issues raised by the
panel on behalf of the student
Supervisors will take notes during the meeting and will submit a report
documenting the discussion
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CONFIRMATION PANEL MEETING
 After the presentation, the candidate and panel members meet
to discuss progress and any issues arising (30-45 mins)
 The external examiner is invited first to comment and ask
questions of the student, then the HDR coordinator and A-HOS
(Research) may also ask questions
 The student is then asked to leave the room while the panel
finalises a recommendation
 Supervisor will submit a report documenting the discussion and
any issues raised. This report is counter-signed by the Chair of
the panel and provided to the Faculty. The report contains an
overview of the advice, comments and recommendations of the
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panel
POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
1. Candidature is confirmed
•
This can be ‘on the day’ or after changes are made
to the document to the satisfaction of the panel
2. Candidate’s enrolment is maintained and
extended for a maximum period of 3 months (FTE
enrolment) at which time a re-review will occur
3. Candidature has not been completed satisfactorily
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WHAT HAPPENS THEN?

If recommendation 1 or 2, a written confirmation report is
passed on to the student and Faculty (the Faculty is also
given a copy of the confirmation document you submitted)

If recommendation 2, the candidate is given clear guidelines
detailing requirements to be completed and the format of the
second review. The candidate is usually required to revise
their written report and may need to meet with panel
members again. The candidate is not required to do another
presentation. The main focus is on the resolution of issues
identified in initial confirmation attempt

If recommendation 3, the panel will discuss the options
available with the student (eg. transfer to Masters by
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IMPORTANT
• Students should discuss and prepare for confirmation in
consultation with their supervisors
• Try to view the confirmation process as an opportunity
– Aids planning – clear articulation of PhD plans
– Access to an ‘expert’ in your field (i.e., build your network)
– Early identification of potential issues & possible solutions
– Reassurance regarding study design/plans
– Additional and relevant ideas/opportunities/
viewpoints may arise that can be used to strengthen your
research/thesis
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FURTHER INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS
http://www.deakin.edu.au/students/research-degreesdoctoral-and-masters/what-is-confirmation
Deakin University CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B