PhD dissertation advisor plays a pivotal role in your dissertation. A good supervisor helps students every step of the way. He or she makes sure that the student is not facing any difficulties while writing the dissertation. A good PhD dissertation advisor communicates properly with the student and provides guidelines and feedback. On the other hand, if the PhD dissertation advisor is difficult to deal with, it impacts your dissertation negatively.
You can always choose more than one supervisor to monitor your dissertation, but only one of them will be the official supervisor who will be responsible for grading your research. But how can you find a good PhD dissertation advisor? This article will tell you how you can find a good PhD dissertation advisor.
What are the important things to look for in a PhD dissertation advisor?
Research Expertise
Research expertise is an important criterion to evaluate the trustworthiness of a PhD dissertation advisor. The supervisor must have research expertise in your chosen area of the subject. He or she must have a good command of the subject knowledge. PhD dissertation advisor must be familiar with the research methodology process and he or she must have expertise in the research process. It is important to align your interests with your researcher because, otherwise, it leads to confusion.
A PhD dissertation advisor must have similar research interests that you have. You can go to the university website and look at the publication profile of the supervisor. A publication profile will help you know the research interests of the supervisor.
Shortlist the best faculty members and meet them
When you are looking for a PhD dissertation supervisor you can shortlist the best faculty members based on their research expertise and your relationship with them. A personal relationship is important to develop with your supervisor because then you will be comfortable working with the supervisor. So, after shortlisting the best faculty members, schedule a meeting with them.
Talk to them about your dissertation topic and what the research problem is that you want to address. Being comfortable does not mean that you chose a supervisor who does not have a critical opinion. A good supervisor provides constructive criticism that helps you develop coherent ideas for your dissertation. So, meet with the shortlisted members and compare who showed interest and provided critical feedback. Ask the following questions during the meeting with your future supervisor:
- What are your research interests?
- What can I do to further refine my topic?
- What are the effective research methods for addressing the research problem?
- How can I collect relevant data for the chosen topic?
In your opinion, what will be the valuable contribution of my research? This is a rhetorical question to know whether your supervisor is staying updated on the latest developments in your field.
Communicate Properly
Communication is the key criterion to evaluate a PhD dissertation advisor. It is because for a significant portion of your dissertation you will have to communicate with the supervisor. Check his or her available timings and, based on your past interaction with the professor while studying a course, assess whether he or she replies on time. Email is the preferred communication medium that many professors use to avoid giving their contact numbers to students.
But then it depends on how promptly the professor replies to the emails. So, it is important to make sure that the PhD supervisor uses modern communication mediums, such as WhatsApp, because it makes communication easier. You will be able to get the feedback of your supervisor every step of the way.
Ask your Seniors or friends
You can also ask your seniors or friends who have already completed their dissertations. You can ask them who the best dissertation supervisor is in your relevant department. Experienced advice is vital in finding a good PhD dissertation advisor.
Assess the professionalism of your future supervisor
A good PhD dissertation advisor leads by example and possesses excellent professional skills. A supervisor who is not committed to the task of monitoring a PhD dissertation is a bad choice. It is because the supervisor will supervise your research half-heartedly. It will become difficult for you to communicate with the supervisor and get feedback on time. It is important to ensure that your future research supervisor has the following attributes.
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Ability to delegate tasks
A good PhD dissertation advisor trusts his or her students and lets them explore things on their own. They relinquish control not because they do not care but because they want students to use their critical faculties. The supervisor guides the student and facilitates him or her when he is unable to overcome any obstacle.
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Expert Guidance
Another thing to look for in a PhD dissertation advisor is the expert guide. An expert guide knows how to tackle the problems that emerge during the research. He or she will provide you with the instruction to overcome those problems.
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Quality Assessment
A good supervisor monitors the quality of the dissertation. The purpose of a PhD dissertation is to produce quality work instead of churning out research for the sake of it. A supervisor who can help you maintain the quality of your research ideas and arguments is perfect for your research.
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Backup Plan
It is always a good strategy to have a backup plan in case the first plan does not work out. A backup plan means consulting a second supervisor for your research. The second supervisor can be a faculty member who has similar research interests. It is always good to have a second opinion, so you must choose a second supervisor unofficially because you get to know about a person when you start working with them.
So, there are some chances that even after doing your research on selecting the best supervisor, you might select the wrong person. Now, you cannot even change him or her during the research. But a second supervisor can assist you during the research process and help you complete the dissertation.
Conclusion
You can find a professional Dissertation Help advisor by following the above-mentioned steps. It is important to do some research before choosing the supervisor. A supervisor who can guide you like a friend and help you overcome obstacles is valuable for your research.
