One of the most important decision students must make before writing their dissertation or thesis is: choosing the right supervisor to guide them through the dissertation writing process.
While many students simply choose their supervisors spontaneously, they might find out later on that their choice of supervisor was wrong.
In order to avoid cases of regret or disappointment- A-ZWriters UK presents you several crucial tips you might revisit before choosing your supervisor.
The right supervisor for your research topic
This might sound so obvious. But in the past we have witnessed students choose their supervisors based on: strong working relationship, the supervisors grading style, relationship with the supervisor (family friend, friend, and close relative), and supervisors past grades history, busy nature of the supervisor which allows him to delegate the work to doctoral students or assistants. Instead of following the trends mentioned above. Please do your research carefully and filter out which supervisor would best suit your research topic.
The easiest way to find this out is drafting a one-two page proposal and visit the supervisor. If he/she finds your topic relevant and suitable for supervision- you would have found your supervisor the right way.
Strong working relationship
Having a strong working relationship previously with your supervisor could be a bonus. One of the many qualities of a good supervisor remains flexibility, time for students, great communication skills, patience and ability to influence or mentor.
If you do have a previous working relationship with a professor or lecturer, you might want to exploit that to your advantage. Although, you must exercise caution here; please ensure that the professor in question or supervisor is capable of supervising your research topic.
Ask and consult past students
It won’t hurt anyone if you personally asked a professor or supervisor regarding his/her availability for supervision.
Another way to find a suitable supervisor is –asking past graduates or previous students. Though individual experiences may differ- A-Zwriters UK advices you to consider the suitability of the supervisor to your research topic before acting on other students past experiences.
Professors Home page or Online resume
Another mode of finding the best supervisor for your research topic is going online; this could be either on the university website, or personal homepage of the supervisor.
What you should be looking for online are: the research interests of your prospective supervisor, recent works and publication, hobbies and personal achievement.
You should be aware that learning something personal or not so obvious about your supervisor might be exploited during communication or meetings.
Though we are not talking about blackmailing your supervisor, bribing or turning to the dark side of cheating. Just a personal behaviour appraisal might help you recognize when he /she is in a bad mood or when best to approach your supervisor.
While we have mentioned some tips useful for choosing your dissertation supervisor. You can always be creative and flexible while hunting for your dissertation supervisor.