Responsible supervision

The quality of PhD supervision is thought to have a big impact on the subsequent responsible research practices of PhD students and is one of the pillars behind successful progression through the PhD programme. One of the main conclusions at the KUFUR (Academic Board on PhD Education) PhD committee seminar in March 2009 was that good PhD supervision is a fundamental element of a successful PhD trajectory. Poor supervision can affect the mental health of students as well as programme outcomes, with a national study carried out in Sweden in 2008 amongst 6700 former PhD students confirming that 60% felt that poor supervision had delayed their completion of the programme. These guidelines are aimed at improving the skills of the individual PhD supervisor in order to boost the quality of the PhD programme, as well as maintaining and improving the PhD-trajectory. This guideline provides a set of competencies for PhD supervisors and has established a framework that supports faculties in improving their PhD supervision.