There are so many ways you could encourage Ph.D students, but there are key ones that must be followed from commencement:. Most importantly, encourage them to choose research topics they are most passionate about and committed to. Keep abreast of their research topics, but encourage them to take ownership and control of their projects from commencement. Don't over control, give them room to demonstrate their own initiatives and abilities, use positive messages such as "well done" , "great idea", "awesome", etc often when they achieve positive outcomes or new initiatives/achievements; encourage them all to participate and present at monthly group meeting; have set individual date and time for each one for weekly meeting (if required); encourage them to attend and present at top national and international conferences; motivate them to aim to publish results in high impact international journals; read and return written reports promptly or let them know if you will be late; encourage them to get involved in professional association; let them know that you are always there on the journey with them to help if problem arises; socialise with them regularly (e.g. regular lunch, dinner, morning tea, etc). I am sure, there are many more.
Hi, make some meetings (f.g. every 2-3 months) to discuss the current situation and ask if there are problems etc. But you should also offer the students if there is a big problem that they can always come and ask for help. It also depends on personality if the students want more or less help! I think good supervision encourage the student more than anything else! Cheers, Nadine
Every student (including us in the past) is different and therefore need different encoragement and support actions. Some are good in the field but not in the analysis and viceversa. Some are lacy and others are hyperactive (you need to download their energy). Is not the same a single male that just finished his BSc thesis that a mature female with one child, regaining her academic career, etc. So, one of the biggest challenges of being an advisor is to estimate and give anyone what requires in terms of attention, information and criticism to successfully finish his or her degree program. To do that, I think you need three golden rules: 1) They are integral human beings, so postgraduate studies are only part (although should be the most important part, presently) of a whole life, and 2) they are students, so they are in process to learn and become proficient on what the society is expecting from them, but 3) to do this they need to go beyond his or her comfort zone and face the challenges that implies to get the new degree (either MSc or PhD) at is own level.
Regards
A PhD supervisor plays an important role, but really the key is self-motivation. Everone has to rely onself motivation, especially phd students who often face tuff situations.
Thank you for all this initial feedback. At the moment I have 7 PhD students who are all very different individuals and at different stages. Some starting some finishing.
As the PhD students are graduates with highest performance, they should play the key role them selves. However, as they are not experts in the field & they are having lack of experience in the research, the supervisor should be supportive. The supervisor can have regular meetings, can encourage & clarify unclear areas, etc.
Show them that they can be scientists, that tey can play their part in the construction of scientific knowledge. The best way to do this: make them publish articles. First time they open the pdf of their very first own article is unforgettable. And that gives them unlimited energy to work on the next ones. If they see the outputs they'll really believe that what they are doing leads to some place and doesn't end up as an unfinished manuscript in a cupboard...
Nice thought Mirco but not every student has some data for publishing!
There are so many ways you could encourage Ph.D students, but there are key ones that must be followed from commencement:. Most importantly, encourage them to choose research topics they are most passionate about and committed to. Keep abreast of their research topics, but encourage them to take ownership and control of their projects from commencement. Don't over control, give them room to demonstrate their own initiatives and abilities, use positive messages such as "well done" , "great idea", "awesome", etc often when they achieve positive outcomes or new initiatives/achievements; encourage them all to participate and present at monthly group meeting; have set individual date and time for each one for weekly meeting (if required); encourage them to attend and present at top national and international conferences; motivate them to aim to publish results in high impact international journals; read and return written reports promptly or let them know if you will be late; encourage them to get involved in professional association; let them know that you are always there on the journey with them to help if problem arises; socialise with them regularly (e.g. regular lunch, dinner, morning tea, etc). I am sure, there are many more.
I agree with Sam Adeljou. However, I think that students must be aware that if you are in the position to cheers his/her achievements, you also will be doing critics to their failures. They must recognize that this is not with the desire to be annoying or, even worst, degrading them in any way. The critic must be constructive and with the purpose of improve their performance as novel scientists.
[Agreeing much of the advices said before] tell them to follow (and read back*) of phdcomics.com (if they did not find it on their own). It tells them that their everyday/scientific/organizational problems (even with their supervisors...), reasons for frustration, etc. are common almost everywhere in the world, so they are not alone.
Jorge Cham tells in his presentation that the majority of the e-mails he is receiving are from PhD students who are thanking for that feeling, giving hope. Jorge also presents shocking statistics about the disappointment and frustration of the PhD students, results of surveys done at leading US universities. Consequently, raising this issue to encourage them is absolutely relevant, and there is much to improve by the supervisors.
Yes, Prof. Smith, I try to learn what not to do... :-)
* but not too much at once!
One important aspect is to have a mentorship approach to supervising PhD students. Mentorship being that the students do not only acquire academic knowledge but develop a creative approach to problem solving.
The fundamental building blocks for this mind formation and maturation will be gotten from observing and learning your ways.
The key word is 'mentoring' because by the time these students are groomed, a part of the supervisor will always be evident in their approach to things.
I generally take my gradute students to international acedemic meeting once per year. Some can be selected to go abroad if depended on the funding.
Hello Owen,
About your first question...well, if a student is pursuing a PhD, it means that she/he is really good and motivated. I have seen many students very enthusiastic at the beginning of their graduate school who get discouraged later on. A good mentor should be with them when those times hit. However, nowadays it is not enough. Apparently, it does not matter how good and productive they are, the reality of the lack of jobs and funding is hitting them hard. The best PIs are the ones who let them know the reality and help them as much as they can to be ready for that. Nowadays just only the best of the best are getting dream jobs but it does not mean that every student should not find her/ his own niche. We should let them discover what is best for them.
About your second question: how to make a student write...well, I would suggest, as a mentor, to have meetings weekly with them and stalking them until they develop the habit of writing everyday. It is not easy now, when they have a lot of things to do which is always the excuse.
I do agree with Maria, it is pertinent to note that a PhD aspirant has a certain level of motivation but once he is into the sadlles, he realizes the long gestation period and quality output out of the work. Here is the role of the Guide to encourage and make him feel the persistence of the continuous mentoring. To appreciate after accomplishing small -small breakthroughs and always ask him to summarize/ describe the results. Encourage him to go through recently published good quality work related to the work and show them the importance of such type of work.
Most of all, let him not feel, it is a burden but a way for enjoyment. A healthy relationship between the guide and researcher is a must, as then only we can expect outstanding outputs.
I think full engagement with he Supervisor in his/her reasearch field is always a PhD students dream. Ofcourse they need full credits for what they have done......
I agree with Sam, the student has to be passionate about the topic (ideally with work experience within the area) and that the supervisor also are interested in the topic so that you could have interesting discussions. The first year, I think it is important to encourage them to start writing asap and to give them interesting problems to solve so that they feel that the contribute within the group at an early state.
As a mentor, the best way to encourage a PhD student is to teach him/her how to be a self-reliant and independent researcher.
1. Leading by example.
2. Make them realize their true abilities.
3. Friendly at times.
These suggestions are good, but I would add that there may be precursors to the roles of a teacher -
The first step is recognition that it is far easier for a mentor/adviser to *dis*courage a student than the reverse.
The second is to understand why that particular student is working with *you* - they have some choice, is it personality, a publication, a common interest, a class that caught their attention ... or a combination of any one of these with no other choices in the faculty? Knowing the answer to this question should answer many questions about motivation.
Finally, to be sure that there are concrete, specific step to completing the degree, and the work at hand. Best if these are spelled out in writing to begin with. Is writing is a requirement? Identify a minimum bar for publication: so many posters, papers, refereed journal articles, beyond the dissertation. Work out a time line, so you and they know the expectations. Avoid goals which don't have specific deliverables: "Self-reliant", "independent" and "innovative" are difficult to measure, and impossible to complete. Graduate work should be a goal not a life style.
Beyond these basics - quality criticism. It is amazing how many get to the role of "teacher", never learning how to identify an issue with ongoing work succinctly, without contempt, and work *with* someone else to develop the next thing to do. The burden of finding the discipline to do, to follow the plan, is up to the student, but the instructor must have the insight to to set the proper hurdles, in the right manner to train to that discipline.
In order to create a healthy research environment and overall academic advancement , it has to take steps in forming a research group. The group members will keep updating themselves and communicate their respective departments about recent trends/ innovative technologies/ conferences/ workshops/ seminars/ short term training program held in Educational and Research institutes of National and International repute in their fields.
Igniting Young Minds
The best research available workforce is our students. The teacher while delivering any topic in class must be able to ignite young minds and make every lecture a thought provoking. This allows the students to explore their own ideas and experiment it in the form of innovation.
The faculties of various departments have to explore the potential of research in their laboratories with the available resources and if required new equipments can be procured to facilitate the R & D activities. The faculty coordinator (R&D cell) will identify the best UG project in their department and will communicate to R&D Cell. UG students will be encouraged to perform good hardware/ software projects and write quality paper so that it can be submitted to the reputed international journals and conferences.
4) Including New Experiments
Faculties to think upon the inclusion of new experiments in the laboratory and add them as open ended experiments. The faculties will prepare the instruction manual mentioning aim of the experiment, apparatus required, theory, observation table, graphs, results and conclusion. This will enhance student’s thinking ability apart from regular studies and laboratory experiments.
6) Organizing Workshops/ Seminars/ Conferences
The R&D cell will organize the institute lectures on topics of general interest. It will arrange guest lectures by distinguished personnel with outstanding achievement. The workshops on research methodology/ technical writing will be arranged on regular basis to strengthen the basis for R&D activities.
7) Facilitates the interaction with external agencies both National and International
The students and faculties must enroll for the membership of professional bodies such as Institution of Engineers, IEEE, ISTE, SESI. This will increase the interaction of the officials from these external agencies. The Solar Energy Society of India under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy provide internship to the students during summer vacation. The institute can have tie ups with few industries to execute it. This will help our Engineering and Management students both.
Interest culturing is the first thing I want to say, and then let it go, following his interest and encourage him to achieve his goal.
A. Give the directions in practical work.
B. Correct their work plan.
C. Show the future prospects and need of research.
D. Helping out to publish a good research article.
The best way if you do homework and task in that topics he likes , prefers and do by himself. For example my doctorandus writes his PhD in topics how to build an experimental space probe, from the side of experiments. He built the Hunveyor-4, he developed mew experiments on it. He went to field work with the experimental space probe. All these works should be involved in physics teaching in Hungary.
Trust them, give them time, give them freedom. Do not control them. Also ask the progress time by time, but not intensively. Personal opinion.
I do believe there is a balance. Some (me for instance) could have made graduate school a home for a long time. There is a time and a place for an adviser to "kick ass".
Meetings one on one every two weeks, funding for a reasonable stipend, positive and timely feedback, criticism and correction when necessary, ensure part of an effective team, send to at least one conference but ideally two per year. Co-author at least one paper each year.
The question better to have both sides. Sometimes student have to wait so long until the supervisor give feedback for thesis chapters. It negatively affect on student's motivation for research as well.
How about my following question:
What is the best way to encourage your PhD supervisor to get your PhD done?
Unfortunately, while the professor has many ways to censure a student, the student's only true recourse is to find another adviser - if that happens often enough the adviser may have trouble. Patience is the only other option.
Firstly the supervisor have to show to his/her students that he/she is a PHD material. If student understand this yeah i have that capability, then automatically fruitful results will come.
To encourage aPhD students, I show them interest. I make them take part in the writing of a paper as soon as they arrive in the lab, I send them to prestigious conferences around the world. I have other students to work with them.
1.) Give them a good/interesting problem to work on.
2.) Work with them. I mean, do also some work personally.
3.) Read their papers & reports. Give them decent feedback.
4.) Involve them into the project they are working in. Let them see WHY they have to do what they do.
5.) Have a good grant that pays them well.
6.) Have a good grant that allows them to visit conferences and showcase their work.
7.) In case that their work is not successful: Have a plan B ready before they are frustrated.
8.) Help them to get many international collaborators.
9.) Help them to get known themselves in the community. They want to make themselves a name. Let them be first authors and showcase/present wherever possible.
10.) Kick their ass to publish in time and finish their studies in time to get their PhD finished.
Show him, that he can do anything everywhere. Tell him, that you was like him when you was a young researcher.
I think that I have one other experience that has not been mentioned by others here: an adviser has value and merit to a student because they contribute to the field. The surest sign of that merit is they have an existing group, a team which actively works together. To the prospective student this team and its work should be apparent. That team is the clearest advertisement that the adviser is successful at supporting the success of students.
That team is also the advisers surest tool in motivating and working with the candidates. There is more likely to be individuals working with closely related problems; there is more likely to be a large area of expertise to draw on. There is also a successive team of teachers and mentors to raise a candidate up, review and criticize, share in the effort of training a researcher.
I recall working in a graduate lab doing speech recognition research. We bought a speech analysis package, development tools and source, to support our ongoing work (from CMU). The package included a revision history that extended back over twenty years, and included contributions from graduate students that included many recognized contributors to the field. This was obviously a tremendous advantage and a incredible inspiration to students in the CMU lab. The success and reputation of the lab at CMU was built in part in being able to conserve the efforts of hundreds of graduate students over years.
May I add:
The personality of the adviser, therefore the relationship with the student, is important.
Also, it is important that the student has some admiration/confidence for the adviser, information should be coming from outside the lab or through other students.
Do hard work with your students and involve in various problems. Set an example by doing more hard work than your students.
for me a person going for PhD has to be fully flexible like a clay and the guide must have skills to mold the student as per his wish...but a guide experimenting ideas through student some time has backlash..student gets demoralized to see failures...but student must have the ability to sprout like seeds in fire ravaged forest..and must try again by changing line of action to see success..both ways..guide as well as a student have to work like a team
I do not think PhD students are clay. My experience, however biased because I somehow choose my students, is that PhD students are big birds with wings but with no where to go and no experience of long haul journeys. The adviser is there to show them the remote land to reach and give them confidence and the means to fly there.
I hope my student are not clay because I am an average potter.
I think those who believe that science and engineering are not romantic fields should read these boards - poetry abounds.
Seriously though, much of the practical aspects which address this question are readily available in management and education courses - Team Building 101 and Pedagogy 121. The heart of the problem is truly that a professor at a university may have reached their station never having managed another person or project, or having been taught how to teach; and a new PhD candidate is generally an adult person, probably with more than one person's pride and confidence in their own ability, likely without ever having designed and built any working thing (device or experiment).
How to induce empathy and humility to a relatively elite, pedantic, dogmatic, and isolated community seems a tough problem to solve on a discussion board.
Give them a free choice to select their own research problems,help them if they are not getting their research problems. Give them a vision and motivate them. you treat them as your friend so that they may not have any hesitation to discuss their problems.Remove their frustration if they are not getting data and other research material. you should be always available for them to solve their problems. Build self confidence in them and appreciate their achievement and results. Give them a opportunity to participate in your research project.
PhD students are research persons. They are conducting many experiments and surveys for their study, at all time the result may not come correctly, at that time they need a moral support. that is their guide, parents and friends. If they show their full support to him/her, He/She can do her research in a nice manner.
One more thing is the student is spending more money for his/her research. so we should award a fellowship (according to their knowledge or their work). We should allow them to think freely and encourage them to write their reports with a perfect discussion with the consultation of his/her guide.
Encourage the student during times of difficulty.
Let them know that you are there to help them - build trust.
Make it known that it is not easy but breath in challenge and make them see a clear vision.
Be a strong pillar in adversity, draw out pathways for them to tread and yet let them know that it is their choice.
Fire who? you maybe? I guess you dont understand the stress under which these guys are working. Respect them, criticize them, care for them but NOT FIRE THEM. It proves that you are a failure as a guide. I guess you are joking, you cannot be serious.
@Raha S.: "Good" solution. Who is motivated if a collegue is fired??? Sorry, but you comment or your thought is daffy! Cheers, Nadine
Fire them? I thought this webpage was formed by scientist to help scientist.....I can't believe it.
From my perspective as a young PhD student there are several comments whit which I’ve been identified, except the guy who said fire them, so senseless.
The confidence you bring them is very important for gaining trust in their own person. Working side-by-side led them to learn by the best: YOU. When you feel they are fall down for (as example) an experiment that doesn’t result as expected, you have to encourage; sometimes this is for best: a result unexpected brings you an opportunity to discuss or to discover something new.
Also, criticism is very important. The scientific criticism confers to a PhD student a way to success, to be better; and, in the end, it is always appreciative.
Who made the 'fire them' comment?
Couldnt find it. Its really surprising that one can think like that.
Do people meet with PhD students always separately or as a group sometimes?
Meeting regularly and been accessible to Ph.D students is crucial for a successful Ph.D research experience for students. I meet my Ph.D students separately at a set time every week and we all have monthly group meeting with a research presentation by one of the students or other researchers. followed by a social (lunch, morning tea, etc). In addition, my students are free to contact me anytime if there is an issue or problem to resolve, including personal issues/problems if they wish to discuss/share. In this instance, if I am not available immediately, I usually ask them to come back later at an appropriate time and they always understand.
Ya, perhaps its been deleted. Good that it was retracted or else the person who made that comment would have been in 'fire'ing line.
I think that the best way to encourage your PHD students is to take their hands step by step and show them how they are a great part in the world that means they are alive forever.
Guide should involves in his work and should give valuable suggestions to the students.If any difficulties come then also he or she has to encourage his/her scholar to overcome that one.He has to motivate them to aim to publish results in high impact international journals and helps to choose some research topic which has some real application i.e. not only in academic purpose.
Encouraging PhD Students The Best Way is to give the Necessary Equipment what they need .Show them the Problems in the research , Tell them the benefits that they can ripe when they have solve the Puzzle. Show them their Future for After completion of the Doctoral studies, beyond All these Interest towards the Ambition makes a Key Role In Solving The Success !
I am meeting with my Ph.D. students regularly, discussing their results weekly and accessible to them easily if they need anytime. I praise them on getting good results and encourage them even on failure. I give them space to develop and explore their intelligence and potentialities. I also take personnel care for their health, food and family to develop a harmonious environment in the lab. But I feel disappointment to observe their need of ‘spoon feeding’. I always motivate them to be in touch of recent research news and discuss with me but they avoid to discuss even they are reading a lot.
Always appreciate for new ideas and select interesting topic for them. Just encourage , do not force for the results. I think this one of the better idea.
Motivating students to work in teams, recommending new content, present challenges and praise when they achieve good results.
Yes, be available to give advice and guidance; don't get them astray. Remind them, no pain, no gain.
Give them problems at the upper range of the limits of their competency and then show they are appreciated for having done them well.
There is a Neil Young album called "Are you passionate ?". For a PhD advisor, the answer should be YES ! Then, show your PhD student(s) that you are passionate !
In my case, I try to show that I am with them to work together and to make up a small team to progress together.
And you ?
As a graduate student, my opinion is that the best thing a PI can do to support and encourage their students is to LISTEN to their students. By this I mean that PIs should know what that student wants to achieve and help them get there. This is in part choosing the correct project that the student can be interested and motivated to work on, but also the types of techniques they enjoy and their areas of expertise. But moreover I think PIs need to be in tune with the career aspirations of their graduate students and guide them in a way that will get them there... allow them to build their skill set in a way that will be beneficial for the rest of their lives. Overall, however, I think giving a student the most broad range of education (i.e. different techniques, different model systems, encouraging attendance at conferences, presentation skills, writing manuscripts/grants, reviewing manuscripts, attending workshops, mentoring younger graduate students, etc) is the best thing a PI can do. A PhD should not just be all about research, as there are many more skills we need to make it in the world as a scientist in any discipline or career path.
Admire their skills.
Criticize them, but constructive.
Help them to be an independent researcher.
Involve them in the process of education, editing, presentation.
Ask the other students to talk about their scientific issues with them.
Make them familiar with the techniques of scientific advices.
Learn time management techniques to them.
I leave them fre to organize their own work, suggest new ideas,go to conferences and present papers. In other words, I encourage them to become responsible - little by little- of the research activity they are conducting
I would strech one point: transmit your passion, and do it with enthusiasm.
- invite them to present their work to the scientific community, e.g. by actively participating in conferences. Judging from my own experience, it is truely motivating to exchange ideas with colleagues and experts and to receive inspiration and appreciation for your work from them.
- let them figure out the solution to their scientific challenges by themselves as far as they can get, discuss with them and inspire solutions once they get get stuck, and see to have them finish landmarks of their project in time --> achieving a goal (even a preliminary one) is highly motivating
Hi Owen, from my own experiences, the best way to motivate PhD students or people in general is to do the following:
1. Challenge them to achieve a worthy goal which is just beyond their reach - e.g. a journal publication, attendance at an international symposium or even a best paper award at a conference.
2. Take their interests and personal ambitions into account - e.g. by encouraging them to do things like publish or learn additional skills which will be beneficial to their career goals, nominate them for awards (if they deserve it), expose them to proposal/grant writing - build their human capacity!
3. Make them feel appreciated when they achieve a worthy goal. The worse thing as a student is to work hard towards meeting a project or paper deadline and then feel under appreciated or ignored. This will demoralize a student in the long run and will stifle any future attempts at motivating them to do good work.
4. Provide clear and straightforward communication and guidance. The worse thing as a student is to be told to perform a task while being given unclear or conflicting objectives. This typically causes students to experience confusion, time wastage and frustration, which will ultimately kill their motivation.
I also highly recommend watching and sharing Randy Paucsh's 'Last Lecture' with your students: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
A PhD course is still a process of education and personal formation. Therefore, advisors must be good examples of professionalism and responsibility.
1. The supervisor should be Friendly, Firm and Fair.
2. The supervisor should follow the student and meet him every week
3. The student should do presentation every month.
4. The supervisor should be help and involved with the student during any scientific problems
I think that a simple, easy and effective model is to begin ALWAYS each sentece with "Well done, but...." and then to teach how to do better....
until you arrive to "Well done, great!".
I usually encourage my masters and PhD students them telling that in very close future they will be my colegues and that in order to this happen they have to study, work and publish the most they can.
You can encourage PhD student through:
1. Putting him in the right way of research.
2. Allowing him to do everything by himself under your close follow up and instruction.
3. Create more fields in your domain to be endorsed for him.
4. Improve his soft skills as well as the technical skills.
5. Try solving all obstacles that may meet him even on personal basis.
Just MONEY is enough。That matters a lot! As a Phd candidate, I think so. So do most of colleages.
They should be guided to walk through a definite path to achieve the desired goals.
Show them vision.
Put them on the right track.
Cultivate them with professional ethics
Dear Zhai Cheng: I do not think that "just money is enough". Money is an accompanying parameter of activities. Money does not give your idea, will, effort and endeavour, and other characteristics, all important to a ballanced life, and so important to do a good PhD work.
This is a very reliable method, which has been effective from time immemorial!!
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=221
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=222
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=223
Appreciating the effort and guiding on how to improve on it with the most important aspect being making sure that the student is enjoying his/her research.
Informal weekly meetings or taking out time for coffee can be very useful to check on motivation and progress.
1. Discuss well with them
2. Appreciate their ideas
3. Encourage them to think in different angles
4. Work with them
5. More over think that future is in their hands.
Over the traditional ways to encourge at work, let's say monetary, free days, social activities in group, go to conferences, trips, etc. I think that A GOOD SUPERVISION of the Thesis is one of the critical issues. Being a good supervisor is difficult, it takes time, it needs vision to find the needs of every PhD student, but it is the CRITICAL FACTOR.
It has been said already by many of you (support, encouragement, appreciate their ideas, discuss with them, etc.) but I wanted to emphasize it.
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