Monash UniversityGraduate Research Program in Literary and

Cultural Studies

The Confirmation

Milestone Events in PhD and Research Masters Candidature

• Rationale:– Regular, formal monitoring and review helps ensure timely

completion of a candidate’s thesis and the acquisition of the appropriate research skills and experience.

• Objectives:– Confirm soundness of research direction and methods are

appropriate and quality of writing;– Give students experienced academics’ feedback on their

progress;– Give students advice on possible improvements;– Give students an opportunity to practice good presentation

skills; and– Identify difficulties and suggest solutions.

Milestones• Method:

– Review by a panel of scholars, some very familiar with the candidate’s work, others not, of a written report and an oral presentation by the candidate on her/his work thus far.

• See:– PhD handbook

• http://www.monash.edu.au/migr/research-degrees/handbook/chapter-three/3-9.html

– Masters handbook • http://

monash.edu.au/migr/research-degrees/handbook/masters/chapter-three/3-8.html

Confirmation: Time

• Full-time:– PhD candidates: 12 months after the start of candidature.– Two-year Research Masters candidates: 9-12 months after

the start of candidature.• Part-time:

– PhD candidates: 24 months after the start of candidature.– Two-year Research Masters candidates: 18-24 months

after the start of candidature.• Up to confirmation, the candidature is regarded as

provisional.

Confirmation

• Students need to demonstrate:– diligent and effective application;– initiative;– satisfactory progress in the research project; – satisfactory progress in the practicum or

performance components of the program, if applicable;

– satisfactory completion of all research coursework and/or research skills training components.

Confirmation procedure: form• 8 weeks prior to due date for confirmation MIGR forwards a

confirmation form, identical for PhD and Masters, also downloadable from– http://intranet.monash.edu.au/migr/candidates/manage/index.html

• Candidates complete Section 1:– Enter Personal details;– Tick confirmation of successful completion of research coursework units:

• Literary and Cultural Studies: – APR6724 Literary and Cultural Theory

• Translation Studies/Translation and Interpreting Studies: – APR6724– OR APR5876 Theoretical Issues in Literary and Cultural Translation– OR APR5021 Research design in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics

• Creative writing:– APG5272 Writers and the Creative Process

– Attach (preferably electronically) copy of Individual Research Skills Training plan: worked out at the beginning of candidature with the main supervisor. Available at http://www.monash.edu.au/migr/research-degrees/program-plans/

– Sign declaration.

Confirmation Procedure: Submission to Confirmation Panel

• Requirements for the candidate’s meeting with the Confirmation Panel– Oral presentation (20 minutes)– Progress report (sent by you to the Confirmation Panel and to

Sally.Riley@monash.edu at least one week, preferably two weeks, in advance of the panel date)• Literary and Cultural Studies

– PhD: 7000-10,000 words– Masters: 5000-6000 words

• Creative writing– PhD: c. 10,000 words– Masters: 5000-6000 words

• Translation Studies– PhD: c. 10,000 words– Masters: 5000-6000 words

Literary and Cultural Studies: Suggested Report Structure (PhD and Research Masters)

• Title of research report/thesis.• Statement of the research problem(s):

– Introduction;– research question or hypothesis;– subsidiary questions;– review of relevant research and theory.

• Statement about procedure:– theoretical and conceptual framework;– analytical techniques and research design.

• Timetable for completing the thesis and a detailed statement of progress to date.

• Brief bibliography.• List of publications produced during probationary candidature (if applicable).

Creative Writing: Suggested Report Structure (PhD)

• Length: c. 10,000 words, divided 50/50 (flexible; may be 60/40) into: – Creative (a segment of the creative component and/or work in progress

that focuses on the overall creative project).– Exegetical (“This section should engage with the creative and theoretical

context of the overall project and the relationship between the creative component and the exegesis”).

• Title of research report/thesis.• Statement of the research problem(s):

– Introduction;– research question or hypothesis;– subsidiary questions;– review of relevant research, theory and practice.

Creative Writing: Suggested Report Structure (PhD) Contd.

• Statement about the method of Inquiry:– framework of creative component;– theoretical and conceptual framework;– analytical techniques;– creative and research approach/design;– the relationship between the practical and critical components within the

overall project.• Research plan and timetable for completing each component of the

thesis and a detailed statement of progress to date.• Brief bibliography.• List of publications produced during probationary candidature (if

applicable).

Creative Writing: Suggested Report Structure (Research Masters)

• Length: 5000-6000 words;• Handbook: “A detailed written document of

5000–6000 words focusing on two parts: the creative component and the exegetical”

• But – common sense suggests following the structure of the Creative Writing PhD.

Translation Studies/Translation and Interpreting Studies: Suggested Report Structure (PhD)

• Length: c. 10,000 words, divided into: – a segment of the translation component and/or work in progress that

focuses on the overall translation project (4000-6,000 words);– material that focuses on the exegesis (this section should engage with the

translation and theoretical context of the overall project and the relationship between the translation component and the exegesis) (4000-6,000 words

• Title of research report/thesis.• Statement of the research problem(s):

– Introduction;– Outline of translation component;– research question or hypothesis of the exegesis;– subsidiary questions;– review of relevant exegetical research, theory and practice.

Translation Studies/Translation and Interpreting Studies: Suggested Report Structure (PhD) contd.

• Statement about the method of Inquiry:– framework of the translation component;– theoretical and conceptual framework;– Translation strategy and approaches;– creative and research approach/design;– the relationship between the critical components and the overall

project.• Research plan and timetable for completing each component of

the thesis and a detailed statement of progress to date.• Brief bibliography.• List of publications produced during probationary candidature

(if applicable).

Translation and Interpreting Studies: Suggested Report Structure (Research Masters)

• Length: 5000-6000 words.• No specific instructions in the handbook, but

common sense suggests following the structure of the corresponding PhD.

Setting up the Confirmation Panel• The panel comprises:

– The LCS Co-ordinator (chairing) or nominee;– The main supervisor;– Associate supervisor(s);– The external specialist (normally invited by the main supervisor).

• Times available for the Confirmation Panel may be found through My Monash under the News tab through the AGRS booking system tab:– https://my.monash.edu.au/news-and-events/bookings/artsgradresearch/

• You and your supervisor need to find one of these times that suit your and the other panel members.

• You (the student) then enter the system and make the booking. (Write to everyone involved, including the LCS administrator Sally Riley, to say that you have done so.) Members of the public may attend.

• You circulate all the panel members with your confirmation report and confirmation form with Section 1 filled in about 2 weeks before the due date.

The Session of the Confirmation Panel

• You speak for 20 minutes, presenting a summary of your report.• The independent specialist responds, giving commentary and asking questions.• Other members of the panel may ask questions or enter into discussion with you.• Other people present have the opportunity to ask questions.• The chairperson asks all but the panel members to depart. The panel confers about its

recommendation and the advice it wishes to give you.• The panel may recommend:

– confirmation of candidature;– confirmation of candidature subject to minor amendments to the research proposal and/or

satisfactory completion of any coursework and/or training requirements;– extension of the probationary period and review of the confirmation of candidature within 12

weeks; or– Non-confirmation of candidature (this comes after the candidate has been given the

opportunity to revise the confirmation document).• The Panel chair invites you back into the room, tells you what the Panel’s

recommendation will be and summarises the advice that the Panel wants to give you.

Finalisation of the Confirmation process

• If the Panel believes your candidature should be confirmed:– The main supervisor and the panel chair fill their parts of the report and sign it.– The panel chair sends the report to you. If you accept its content, you sign it

(electronically if possible) and return it. – The report is sent to the Faculty for approval, then to MIGR.– MIGR notifies you that your candidature has been confirmed.

• If the Panel recommends extension of the probationary period:– The panel will give the candidate instructions to modify the confirmation report

and set a timeline for the implementation of the changes that it recommends.• If, after the extended probationary period, the Panel still does not

believe that the requirements for confirmation of candidature have been met:– It recommends non-confirmation.