Slides from the IMPDET-LE workshop, January 2014

1. Jarkko Suhonen
IMPDET-LE Preparatory Workshop, January 2014
EXPECTIONS AND COMPETENCES
OF DOCTORAL STUDENTS

2. Initiation
•You need to be pro-active, not waiting for the
supervisor(s) to take contact or give tasks to do
– Explore the IMPDET website, Wiki and other available
resources
– Find information, create contacts
•You should be in-charge and master of the progress of
the studies
– Supervisors’ role is to act as a quality assurance and to give
ideas, advices and suggestions

3. About the study requirements
• You need to find out about different aspects related to the PhD studies
– Literature & Background
– Research methodologies
– Ethical issues
• You are expected to initiative possible collaboration with other
doctoral and master students, as well as seniors in our research
group or other research groups
– Start building up a research network early on
• Doctoral studies require you to deal with uncertainty and open
situations
– Different from master studies
– flexibility and ability to deal with uncertainty is required => The
process can not be predicted before hand

4. Balance: Independency vs. supervisors’
suggestions
•Any major decision regarding the research topic and
content of the studies need to be discussed with the
supervisor
– Some of the supervisors might also want to be kept in loop
with minor issues
– Find out from the supervisor what is major and minor
•You should be able to be self-organising and taking
initiative, but at the same time respect and follow the
recommendations given by the supervisor

5. Be active in finding funding
• It is expected that you are active in applying research funding
– Personal grants
– R&D collaboration with companies
– Resources
• Local Finnish funding agencies
• EU
• African Union, African Development Bank
• The aim: each student writes at least one research funding
application & proposal during the studies
• IMPDET-LE Wiki; Funding sources for PhD students https://wiki.uef.fi/x/jgi9AQ

6. Plagiarism & Technical matters
• Plagiarism is not tolerated
– Serious problems with continuing of studies
– Including also self-plagiarism
• Each paper needs to have an own message
– UEF will have Turnitin license in use starting from Spring 2014
• Supervisor should not be responsible for language and technical formatting of
the research papers
– check the language carefully by yourself or find help from friends => When the
paper is accepted, department might be able to provide support for getting language
check
– check the list of references and references in the text carefully before giving the paper
for commenting (instructions from the publication forum) + also figures and tables
• Create a research website
– Disseminate articles you have published
– Write about the progress of the studies, keep a research diary or blog

7. Communication
• Find out the main communication channel for supervisors
– Erkki; mobile phone/SMS => suggest time for Skype or ask to check
the email
– Jarkko; email, Skype
– Calkin; email, Skype
– Give a suggestion of how the organise the communication
• Monthly meetings?
• Online collaboration platform to share documents and maybe even have
some discussions (?)
– UEF Wiki, Edmodo, Trello, Google Tools (??)
• Always take notes when you have a meeting with the supervisor
– Do not expect him/her to remember what you have discussed and
agreed in the meetings
– A good strategy is to share the notes via net or online collaboration
platform