The Confirmation Process At QUT

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The Confirmation Process At QUT

• Dr Stephen Cox
• Faculty of Business Research Advisor
• sd.cox_at_qut.edu.au

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Elements of the Confirmation Process

• The aim of the Confirmation of Candidature
  process is to evaluate the capacity of the
  candidate to complete a PhD, and to assess that
  the proposed research program is suitable for a
  PhD.
• Evaluates the quality of the candidate
• Evaluates the quality of the proposed research
• Confirmation Document
• Seminar Presentation
• Panel Review and recommendation

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Confirmation Document

• Introduction
• State project objectives
• Brief outline of project
• Literature review
• Critical evaluation
• Integrative cf annotated bibliography forms an
  argument
• Identify research gap / leads to reasons for WHY
  do study
• So what?
• Research Questions
• Explicit statement of RQs, hypotheses,
  propositions (as appropriate)
• Constructs well established in lit review
• Are questions testable / able to be explored via
  methods to be used?

4
Overall evaluation of intro, lit review and RQs

• Thorough
• Clear
• Critical
• Linked
• Theoretical and practical implications identified

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Methods

• Data sources
• How many (sample size)
• Where from (source)
• Basis for selection (sampling strategy) and size
• Both qual and quant!
• Clearly linked back to RQs etc

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Methods

• Measures
• Quantitative operationalisation of constructs
• Qualitative nature of data being collected
  information about what?
• Clearly linked back to RQs, hypotheses etc.

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Methods

• Data collection techniques
• Description of how data to be collected
• Rationale for THAT technique(s)

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Methods

• Overall evaluation of Methods
• Appropriateness of method to answer RQ
• Quality / rigour of approach
• Sufficient detail

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Data analysis techniques

• Appropriateness for the data collected
• Clear link to the data collected (i.e. links to
  form of the data)
• Also need to include
• Limitations of proposed research
• Timetable of progress

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Presentation

• 40 minutes plus 20.
• Open to all.
• Balance between literature and methods.
• Substance Vs Form

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The Panel

• The aim of the Confirmation of Candidature
  process is to evaluate the capacity of the
  candidate to complete a PhD, and to assess that
  the proposed research program is suitable for a
  PhD.
• Evaluates the quality of the candidate
• Evaluates the quality of the proposed research.
• Aim is to prevent problems from occurring, not to
  attack the candidate or the research.
• Panel members consist of
• Principle Supervisor,
• Head of School or their nominee,
• Faculty representative.
• May be others.

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Recommendation of the Panel

• the research program is of the standard required
  for the PhD program yes/no/not yet
• enrolment be confirmed as the progress is
  satisfactory
• the candidate transfer into the PhD program
• the candidate be placed Under Review until
  _________________(The Review Period conditions
  are attached)
• PhD enrolment be terminated as progress continues
  to be unsatisfactory (only if the candidates
  Review Period has expired)
• the candidate be accepted for enrolment in a
  Masters (Research)
• Credit on Transfer/Articulation (Approved
  Equivalent Full time semesters _______________)