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Tutorial 6: Managing supervisor

relations

Professor Mark Palmer

Queens University Belfast

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Tutorial aim

to provide students with role plays of doingresearch within the rubric of supervisor-studentsupervision in practice.

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Im sure glad the holeisnt in our end

Things go wrong!

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The Human Side of Academic Leadership: Finding

out what stage an academic supervisor is at

The Academic Blues Entry. A lot of experimentation takes place for academics in theentry stage. Very involved in tackling and mastering fresh

challenges and thus feel fully alive.

Consolidation. As new academics start to produce results, they

gradually gain a sense of control. This feeling of mastery is thehallmark of the consolidation stage.

Decline. Eventually unless academics are able to reinvent

and reenergize themselves their performance peaks and they

enter a plateau. As they run out of new ideas and start to rely on

formulaic solutions, that plateau becomes a decline.

Dont generally like the prospect of decline

Prefer action (doing) put things down on paper

to communicate with them

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Find a mentor

A trusted colleague

When the going gets tough

Someone to moan to and who will listen

Keep active

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Supervisor feedback

(s)he doesnt know everything about every

sector, every firm, every country in the world!

(s)he doesnt know you maybe supervising 5

UG dissertations, 20 MSc students, 5 PhDstudents and 15 research projects.

Dont take it personally

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Supervisor Feedback

Initial shock or reading the feedback

comments/criticisms

Attempt to understand and address criticisms

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Say it 3 times, say it 3 times

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Me Inc.

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Keeping a bibliography

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If in doubt, kick it out

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This is NOT Creative Writing!

Being creative is not an imperative for academicresearch

Stick to the academic conventions for now!

It is hard to define what creativity is. People know whenthey see it, but find it difficult to spell it out beforehand

How do you react, respond and cope with this writingapproach to business? How can you best translate thiswork?

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Arguing to Learn and Learning to Argue

The term argument (singular) is defined as a

meaningful expression (e.g. an utterance) that is

meant to support another (and converse with a

counter-argument) in the context of thisresearch.

The supporting process may include proving it

to be true, defend from attack or render it more

plausible, acceptable or believable.

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Types of Argumentation

Table 1.0: Types of Argumentation

Dialogue

(Argument)

Initial Situation

(Activity)

Method

(Reasoning)

Goal

Quarrel

Debate

Persuasion (critical discussion)

Inquiry

Negotiation

Information-seeking

Action-seeking

Educational

Emotional disquiet

Forensic contest

Difference of opinion

Lack of proof

Difference of interests

Lacking information

Need for action

Ignorance

Personal attack

Verbal victory

Internal and external proof

Knowledge-based argumentation

Bargaining

Questioning

Issue Imperatives

Teaching

hit out at other

Impress audience

Persuade other

Establish proof

Personal gain

Find information

Produce action

Imparting knowledge

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Reflection Question

Are there any parts of the tutorial you would like

me to say a bit more about?