Thesis Advisory Panel (TAP)

The Panel

Your Thesis Advisory Panel (TAP) consists of your supervisor(s) and at least one other member of academic staff from your department. Full-time students meet with their TAP at least once every six months. The purpose of TAP meetings is to discuss your progress and training needs and to give advice on the direction of your research and your professional development.

You and your TAP will document your meeting on the TAP meeting form in SkillsForge, highlighting your progress and any goals that you should be working towards for the next meeting. This record of your TAP meeting must be signed by you and your TAP members. You will also complete the Review of Supervision report (a paper document, not online), which is confidential and held securely in the department.

Schedule of TAP meetings for MA (research) students

Two TAP meetings are required over the course of this programme. While there is some flexibility, there are hard deadlines, as indicated on SkillsForge (at 6 and 12 months).

Meeting 1

Held: towards the end of the Autumn term or the start of the Spring term.

Purpose: To review progress of research and confirm project plan.

Submission: 3,000-5,000 word writing sample and plan for dissertation.

Meeting 2

Held: Month 10 or 11.

Purpose: to assess readiness to submit, not to give detailed comments on the whole draft.

Submission: draft of the dissertation and timetable for submission.

Schedule of TAP meetings for MPhil/PhD students

The TAP meets twice a year for full-time students. (Part-time students: one TAP per year, towards the end of the first year. All timings below are for full time students.) During a typical PhD programme, there will be six meetings. These should follow a set pattern, as set out below. While there is some flexibility, there are hard deadlines, as indicated on SkillsForge (at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months).

Meeting 1

Held: within six months of registration, ideally December or January.

Purpose: to enable the panel to become familiar with your work.

Submission: writing sample of up to 5,000 words.

Meeting 2

Held: in Month 9-10, after the Progression Day and integrated with the Progression Panel meeting.

Purpose: to confirm thesis topic and provisional title, and to progress to Year 2.

Submission: annotated bibliography; a written plan for Year 2; training record; all submitted 14 calendar days prior to the meeting.

Meeting 3

Held: in Spring term (or mid-way) of the second year.

Purpose: to evaluate what needs to be done before Year 2 Progression Panel.

Submission: one substantive chapter of thesis (i.e. not literature survey); chapter-by-chapter thesis outline; research plan with milestones.

Meeting 4

Held: in Month 24 and integrated with the Progression Panel meeting.

Purpose: review progress on research plan, and to progress to Year 3.

Submission: substantive chapter of thesis; written plan for Year 3 including research questions; draft bibliography for thesis; training record. All submitted 14 calendar days prior to the meeting.

Meeting 5

Held: Spring term of third year.

Purpose: to evaluate standard of ongoing thesis and consider external examiners.

Submission: one substantive chapter (not same as for meeting 3); revised thesis outline; dissemination plans.

Meeting 6

Held: towards end of third year.

Purpose: to agree completion dates and external examiners.

Submission: table of contents with breakdown of work already complete; timetable for completion.