Information for research students

Higher Degree by Research - Confirmation of candidature process

All HDR candidates are admitted on a provisional candidature basis and must satisfy the requirements for transferring to full candidature, which is referred to as "confirmation".

Details of the Deakin University Guidelines for Confirmation, including the compulsory Research Integrity training component, are available on the Current Students HDR website

The confirmation of candidature process will normally take place within the following time frame:

The confirmation process consists of

• Completion of Deakin Research Integrity training.
• Completion of confirmation document, oral presentation and meeting as outlined below.

Research Integrity Training

All HDR candidates must complete the Deakin Research Integrity training workshop or online module as a condition of confirmation, prior to the confirmation meeting.

Confirmation Panel

The confirmation panel includes:

• the Principal Supervisor
• the Associate Supervisor(s)
• the Faculty HDR Co-ordinator or Associate Dean (Research) (or nominee)
• the Head of School or Associate Head of School (Research) (or nominee), who will chair the meeting and compile a report of the recommendation of the panel, and
• a Research Active member from another School within the Faculty or University, with subject expertise relevant to the candidature, to be invited by the Principal Supervisor.

It is desirable but not mandatory for an external member to be invited with academic and/or professional experience relevant to the project.

The specific duties of the chair include:

• chair the meeting
• inform the candidate of the outcome in writing
• provide a copy of the report and recommendation for Deakin Research

The candidate has the option of inviting additional interested staff and/or students to the confirmation meeting, although they would not be considered panel members.

Confirmation Document

Candidates will present a confirmation document, normally within the range of 10,000 to 15,000 words) for consideration by the confirmation panel.

The document will be forwarded three weeks in advance of the arranged confirmation meeting to the HDR Administrative Officer (eg. MS Word, 1.5 line spacing, 11 or 12 point Times New Roman).

The confirmation document should include:

• a brief statement of the research project/problem/question;
• the rationale for the proposed research and its significance;
• a discussion of relevant theoretical perspectives; and the disciplinary or intellectual context in which the research will be conducted;
• a critical analysis of the relevant literature;
• outline and justification of the proposed methodology and its appropriateness for the particular research topic;
• a statement about the status of any relevant ethics approvals and/or intellectual property agreements, including ownership, location and storage of data;
• a summary of work completed to date and a detailed timetable for completion of the thesis;
• a statement of the resources and facilities required to complete the project within the appropriate candidature period.

Confirmation Oral Presentation and Meeting

The date of the confirmation meeting is set approximately three months prior, as part of the nomination of the confirmation panel.

If the candidate wishes to raise any issues in connection with supervision or with the trajectory of the project during the first year, he or she should contact the chair of the confirmation panel or the Faculty HDR Coordinator at least one week prior to the confirmation hearing.

Confirmation panel members will read the written document provided in advance (at least three weeks) by the candidate and discuss the document during the confirmation meeting with the candidate and his or her supervisor(s) in order to confirm:

• whether the project is worthwhile,
• whether it needs modification,
• and whether it has the potential to be successful for the award in which the student is enrolled.

Candidates will deliver an oral presentation and verbal defence of the research proposal to the confirmation panel. The oral presentation should be between 20 - 30 minutes in length and be followed by 10-15 minutes for questions, comments and feedback from members of the panel.

The oral presentation serves the dual purpose of assessing the candidate's understanding of the research proposal while also giving them the opportunity to explain the rationale behind their study and to verbally defend their research plan.

It is recommended that any comments or questions from the panel be minimized during the presentation itself and that questions are limited to the question period. Also, comments from supervisors should be avoided during the presentation and question time to allow the candidate to demonstrate their understanding of the background literature, research methods and other aspects of the proposal.

Confirmation Oral Presentation and Meeting - cont'd

Once the presentation and questions have been completed, the confirmation panel will confer alone, in order to discuss the project or thesis and its supervision and to make its recommendations.

The chair person will inform the candidate in writing of the outcome of the confirmation meeting.

Although it is strongly preferred that the candidate attend the confirmation meeting in person, in exceptional circumstances, should he or she be unable to attend in person for reasons of distance (residence overseas) or disability, then a voice-point may be arranged.

Possible outcomes of the confirmation meeting process

There are three possible outcomes of the confirmation meeting process (subject to completion of the Research Integrity Training component):

1. Candidature is confirmed, and the candidate's enrolment is converted to full candidature.
2. The candidature is not confirmed, but candidates are given an opportunity to revise their work and submit to a second confirmation process. The Panel will document any aspects that it considers were inadequate, and the updated confirmation document should address these aspects. Details of the second-chance confirmation procedure will be determined by the Chair of the Panel and the candidate will be advised in writing. The candidate will normally be required to undergo the confirmation process again within three months. The Panel may appoint an Adviser to assist the candidate with preparation for the final submission to the Confirmation Panel.
3. The Confirmation Panel deems that confirmation has not been completed satisfactorily.

At the conclusion of a second-chance confirmation process following outcome 2 on the first confirmation, outcomes 1 or 3 would be the only options available.

For candidates who do not satisfactorily complete the confirmation process (outcome 3), possible options include:

• for provisional doctoral candidates, a transfer to masters by research candidature;
• withdrawal from HDR candidature (possibly accompanied by enrolment in another course such as a coursework masters or graduate diploma);
• exclusion from candidature.

If the recommendation is that candidature should not be confirmed, the Panel will discuss with the candidate the options available to them. If exclusion from candidature is recommended, the Panel will make that recommendation to the Research and Research Training Committee, providing copies of earlier documentation and all correspondence relating to the candidate's confirmation. Candidates may request a review of the Committee's decision and may also appeal. The review and appeal processes are outlined in the HDR Academic Progress Procedure.

It is important that candidates are aware of their rights and responsibilities under the HDR Procedures and that the process for confirmation is conducted in a fair and equitable manner. Details of the Faculty confirmation process are provided to all new HDR candidates and available on the Faculty Research website.

The confirmation panel's decision will be conveyed to Deakin Research, for reporting to the Research and Research Training Committee of the Academic Board, and will be recorded on the Research Master database.

Confirmation Checklist:

HDR Administrative Officer

• Provide details of the HDR confirmation process to new candidates.
• Set date for confirmation meeting.
• Book suitable room for confirmation meeting.
• Advise HDR candidate of the confirmation panel membership, date and venue of meeting.
• Receive confirmation documents from the candidate and distribute to panel members.
• Check that the candidate has completed Research Integrity training and advise Chair accordingly, prior to Confirmation meeting.
• Provide a copy of the panel report and recommendation to Deakin Research.
• Record the outcome of the confirmation meeting on Research Master.
• Include a copy of the confirmation documentation and report, and the candidate's acknowledgement of receipt, in the candidate's file held in the Faculty.

HDR Supervisor

• Advise HDR candidate in regard to the confirmation process.
• Provide guidance in regard to preparation of the confirmation document and oral presentation.
• Attend the confirmation meeting.

HDR Candidate

• Complete Research Integrity training component.
• Prepare for the confirmation process in close consultation with the Supervisor(s).
• Submit confirmation document at least three weeks (15 working days) prior to scheduled confirmation meeting date (as MS Word email attachment), to the HDR Administrative Officer.
• Attend confirmation panel meeting.
• Acknowledge receipt of panel report and notification of outcome, to the HDR Administrative Officer.

Confirmation Panel Chair

• Chair the confirmation panel meeting.
• Complete the panel report and recommendation.
• Inform the candidate in writing of the outcome of the confirmation meeting, and provide a copy of the panel report.
• Provide a copy of the panel report to the HDR Administrative Officer, for submission to Deakin Research.