THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS
How far into your doctorate are you and have you started the confirmation process yet?
This session is aimed at those nearing the end of their first year (or part-time equivalent)
By the end of the workshop you should:
• Be familiar with the purpose of the Confirmation
• Have a clear idea of the expectations of doctoral level work, and how these differ from masters level
• Be able to succinctly describe the distinctiveness of your research
• Have reflected on the skills you have gained through the first stage of your research degree and know how to update your training and development plan for the year ahead
• Be able to engage with the Confirmation process as a constructive learning experience
How does doctoral work differ from masters-level?
Doctoral degrees are awarded to students who have demonstrated: “the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline, and merit publication”
QAA, The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies (2014) https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/qualifications-frameworks.pdf
How is your research original? - (State in 1 sentence)
Perhaps it is a...
•New body of knowledge/discovery of new facts
OR
•Study of previously unpublished or newly discovered material
OR
•Fresh analysis application of existing knowledge to provide new insights into the subject, eg. through different approaches or methodology of existing knowledge
OR
•Section of a larger original project
•Change in the way the field is understood
OR
•Systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of an academic discipline or area of professional practice
OR
•General ability to conceptualize, design and implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of the discipline, and adjusts the project design in the light of unforeseen problems
OR
•Detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry.
QAA, The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies (2014) https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/qualifications-frameworks.pdf
Full details of Confirmation of Registration process, roles and timescales
FOR APS PGRs The Confirmation of Registration contains:
Detailed Research Report: normally a draft of work which will ultimately contribute to the final thesis. The content and length of the submission should reflect the normal expectations for your area of research, and should be around 6000 -10000 words in length, or 3,000-5,000 for practice-based PhDs, and normally includes:
Title
Abstract
Succinct review of literature- highlights:
Methodology discussion
Reference list
Training report: What qualities or skills have you gained getting to this stage of your PhD?
Vitae Researchers Development Framework General
Why did you decide on this particular research question?
What have you found the most interesting aspect of your research?
How did your thinking about this topic develop as you went through this research process?
How did doing this research change you as a researcher?
Research Context
You refer to this as a key influence on your research - can you summarise the particular relevance of their work?
What developments have there been in this field since you began your doctorate?
How have these changed the research context in which you are working?
You do not say much about the ... theory in your thesis - can you explain why you have not focused more on that?
Research Methods
Can you say why you chose your research method?
Did you have any problems with the data collection process?
What were the main ethical issues of conducting this research?
How did you establish the limits around the scope of your data collection?
Analysis, Discussion and Implications
Can you talk us through your methods of analysis?
In what way do you consider your thesis to be original?
How would you hope that this research could be followed up and taken further?
DoctoralAcademy@ljmu.ac.uk for any queries
https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/the-doctoral-academy/supporting-your-study for details of Confirmation stages
https://edoc.ljmu.ac.uk/do/phd-event-navigation/listing for forthcoming training and events.
RDP Canvas site includes ‘The Good Viva’ film https://canvas.ljmu.ac.uk/enroll/8FXP4Y
Canvas resources on Literature Reviews:
https://canvas.ljmu.ac.uk/courses/11092/pages/evaluating-and-synthesising-your-literature?module_item_id=572411
Academic Writing
https://canvas.ljmu.ac.uk/courses/11092/pages/academic-writing-for-your-phd?module_item_id=572416
Method and Methodology:
https://canvas.ljmu.ac.uk/courses/11092/pages/getting-to-grips-with-method-and-methodology?module_item_id=554242
