Postgraduate researcher responsibilities

Undertaking a research degree is both an exciting and challenging experience. In order to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible during your time as a postgraduate researcher at Kent, you have a range of specific responsibilities which are outlined in the Supervision section of the University’s Code of Practice for the Quality Assurance for Research Programmes of Study.

How is postgraduate research managed at Kent?

There is a network of staff members and committees at Kent dedicated to the management of postgraduate education within the University and the safeguarding of the interests of our postgraduate researchers. All the committees include elected postgraduate student members.

Each academic Division has a Director of Graduate Studies and Student Experience who will be responsible for research programmes of study within that Division.  Each Division will have a Graduate Studies Committee which is responsible for the quality management of research programmes of study and monitoring the progress of research students within each Division, as essential platforms for feedback and support. More information about the role of the Divisional Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Studies Committees can be found in the University’s Code of Practice for Quality Assurance for Research Programmes of Study at: https://www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/qa/codes/index.html?tab=research-programmes

Intermission, transfer of registration, change of status and withdrawal from the University

If you are considering intermitting, transferring your registration to another programme of study, changing from full-time to part-time (or vice-versa) or withdrawing from the University, you should first discuss this with your supervisor who will be able to provide you with advice. Postgraduate administrators within your academic schools will be able to direct and advise you on the administrative procedures involved with such changes. The procedures are available for consideration at: www.kent.ac.uk/fso/procedures/pg/pg-research.

Fieldwork and absence from the University

Permission to be absent from the University for fieldwork should be sought from the Division Director of Graduate Studies (Research Programmes), who should be satisfied that the appropriate facilities for research are available and arrangements for supervision are satisfactory. Requests for a reduction in fees for periods spent away from the University must gain the approval of the University Finance Committee. Information on procedures is available at: www.kent.ac.uk/fso/procedures/pg/pg-research.

Please check with your school about arrangements which should be put in place prior to a period of fieldwork. Information on student fieldwork insurance cover can be found at: www.kent.ac.uk/fso/procedures/pg/pg-research/registration.html?tab=fieldwork-and-off-campus-study.

Thesis completion, submission and examination

Information about the procedures surrounding the completion, submission and examination of your research thesis is available in:

External examiners’ reports

It is now a QAA requirement that institutions make external examiners’ annual reports available in full to all students. In order to address this the Quality Assurance Office has made reports accessible at www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/qa/extexaminers/eers. External examiners’ reports for the most recent year will be available to all Kent-registered students, who need a Kent login to access the information.

Academic complaints and appeals

An academic complaint is any specific concern about the provision of a programme of study or related academic service. An academic appeal is a request for a review of a decision of an academic body charged with making decisions on student progression, assessment and awards.

The complaints procedure is outlined at: www.kent.ac.uk/guides/student-conduct-complaints

Academic appeals

The procedures for appeals brought by postgraduate research students are outlined in the Standing Orders Governing Research Appeals available at: www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/qa/regulations/research/documents/stand-orders-res-app-sept2020.pdf. Postgraduate research students should read these procedures carefully to find out in what circumstances and on what grounds they may submit an appeal. If they wish to pursue an appeal, they should complete a research appeal form to accompany their letter of appeal and submit this to the Quality Assurance and Compliance Office in the Marlowe Building. The research appeal form is available under appeals procedures at: www.kent.ac.uk/teaching/qa/regulations/?tab=research-programmes.

Postgraduate researchers should note that they may not submit an academic appeal:

  • Against academic judgement or;
  • On the grounds of poor or inadequate research supervision. Such a matter would be the subject of an academic complaint, which should have been raised and resolved at the earliest opportunity through the academic complaints procedure.

 

Plagiarism and duplication of material

Plagiarism is the act of presenting the ideas or discoveries of another as one’s own. To copy sentences, phrases or even striking expressions without acknowledgment in a manner which may deceive the reader as to the source is plagiarism; to paraphrase in a manner which deceives the reader is likewise plagiarism.

A student must not reproduce any work previously submitted for assessment (for example, examination answers, essays, project reports, dissertations or theses) or any material derived from work authored by another without clearly acknowledging the source.

Duplication of material means the inclusion in coursework (including extended essays, projects and dissertations) of a significant amount of material which is identical or substantially similar to material which has already been submitted for the same or any other course at this University or elsewhere, without acknowledging that such work has been so submitted.

The University does not accept plagiarism or duplication of material and imposes severe penalties if it occurs in coursework, dissertations, projects, examinations and theses. If you need guidance on the correct use and presentation of quotations and source material, you should consult your supervisor.

Further university guidance on plagiarism, academic integrity and good practice is available at: www.kent.ac.uk/uelt/ai.

Ethics

The University of Kent expects that all research carried out by postgraduate researchers is conducted to the highest level of ethical standards and in accordance with current legislation and policy requirements. The University’s Code of Ethical Practice for Research (https://research.kent.ac.uk/ris-research-policy-support/wp-content/uploads/sites/2326/2021/03/Research-Integrity-Code-of-Ethical-Practice-in-Research.pdf) sets out the required standards of researcher integrity and also explains the appropriate routes for ethical review for different types of research. Advice and guidance in all aspects of research integrity and governance is available from the University’s Research Ethics and Governance Officer.

The Concordat to Support Research Integrity (2012) emphasises the importance of training in the work universities must do to embed their commitment to research integrity within institutional processes and the conduct of their researchers. The Graduate and Researcher College supports this training by providing workshops covering research integrity in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences as part of the Researcher Development Programme (see www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/skills/pgrd.html).

Intellectual property rights

All ideas, material, or work produced and submitted as part of the requirements of a programme of study or research, and all Intellectual Property (IP) within, belongs to the University, who may pass these on to third parties, such as, for example, funders. Please refer to section 7 (Intellectual Property Rights) of the General Regulations at www.kent.ac.uk/regulations/general.html.

Student contributions are acknowledged and, as part of the IP Policy, students are entitled to a share of the financial benefits that the University may receive arising from the exploitation of this IP.

In order to familiarise yourself with IP and the University’s approach to IP, you are encouraged to read the University’s IP policy, which is available at: https://www.kent.ac.uk/governance/policies-and-procedures/Intellectual%20Property%20Policy.pdf

Anti-bribery and corruption policy

The University’s Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy applies to all students in their activities as students of the University and to the full range of the University’s activities, both in the UK and overseas. The University is committed to conducting its business fairly, honestly and openly, to the highest standards of integrity and in accordance with all legal requirements. The Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy provides a clear statement that the University will not permit any form of bribery and outlines the procedures to prevent employees or students from engaging with bribery. The full policy can be found on the University’s Governance website at www.kent.ac.uk/governance/policies-and-procedures/bribery.html