Welcome to students embarking on a research graduate degree in Social Sciences and Humanities

1. Welcome to students embarking on a research graduate degree in Social Sciences and Humanities Ingrid Lunt, DGS Education Martina Kirchberger, DPhil student Economics

2. Outline • Oxford system and academic calendar • What is expected of you / support system • Structure of your DPhil and GSS reporting • Academic Integrity • Some more terminology • Supervision and Exams • Work/Life Balance

3. Oxford University • 38 colleges, of them 8 are graduate colleges • Every student a member of a college • 4 academic Divisions (Humanities, Medical Sciences, MPLS, Social Sciences) • Administrative and increasingly supportive functions • Each Division has a number of (around 14) Departments/Faculties • For graduate students, department is your main academic ‘home’: use it and get involved!

4. Oxford University academic year • Three academic terms, 8 weeks each • Michaelmas (autumn), Hilary (spring), Trinity (summer) • Weeks are frequently referred to as Week 1, Week 2 etc. • College and Department/Faculty Induction in “week 0” • Postgraduate students normally in Oxford most of the year, including vacations

5. Social Sciences Induction: date for your diary! • Thursday October 21, 2010, 4.00 to 6.15 p.m. • Here in Examination Schools • Network with students from other Social Science departments • Welcome from Head of Division of Social Sciences • Poster conference and social event • Hear about other support such as computing, library etc.

6. As a research student, you….. • Are learning to be a critical thinker • Are learning to become an independent researcher • Are a member of a scholarly and academic community • Are gaining confidence and competence in a range of academic and professional skills • Will gain a ‘license to practise research’

7. Who will support you? • Your supervisor (department) • Your colleagues/peers on the programme (other students and researchers) • Other staff in your department • Individual interactions, seminars, lectures • Your college adviser (NB a very different role from your supervisor) • The wider academic community • Conferences, symposia, colloquia • Published and unpublished literature

8. The DPhil • ‘what may reasonably be expected of a capable and diligent student after three or at most four years of full-time study’ (Regs. p. 847) • Overview of your research, your thesis and your 3-4 years • Stages and milestones: • PRS (Probationer Research Student) • Transfer of Status • Confirmation of Status • Thesis viva voce examination

9. Termly GSS reporting • The Graduate Supervision System (GSS) is used by Supervisors each term to review, monitor and comment on their student's academic progress and performance and to assess skills and training needs. Students are strongly recommended to contribute to their termly supervision reports by reviewing and commenting on their own academic progress.

10. Embarking on your DPhil • Managing time • Start writing early • Reading • Referencing (EndNote, RefWorks systems) • Avoidance of plagiarism • Plagiarism is the copying or paraphrasing of other people’s work or ideas without appropriate acknowledgement’ • Obtaining feedback on your work • Formative, summative, informal, formal

11. Academic integrity or how to avoid plagiarism • Learn good habits right from the start • Referencing conventions (acknowledgement of all sources) • Direct quotation, paraphrase, use of ideas • Be careful: the penalties are harsh • Good practice in Citation and the avoidance of plagiarism: http://weblearn.ox.ac.uk

12. Some suggestions • Meet your supervisor early on and regularly (be proactive) • Develop a plan for your 3-4 years (and revisit this regularly), gradually adding more detail and linking it to your overall thesis • Keep track of your own progress, and discuss this with your supervisor and others: are you happy with your progress? If not, what can you do about this? • Get involved and use the resources of Oxford, share ideas, discuss with colleagues, present your work, seek feedback • Don’t be afraid to ask

13. Outline • Oxford system and academic calendar • What is expected of you / support system • Structure of your DPhil and GSS reporting • Academic Integrity • Some more terminology • Supervision and Exams • Work/Life Balance

14. What do we mean by... • Colleges & Departments • Lectures & Classes • Collections & Exams (Subfusc)

15. Taking Exams in Oxford For those of you who have to take exams... • work hard, work with your friends • be critical, think on your own feet • develop your own views and defend them with literature • look at material that hasn't been covered in lectures

16. Supervision • hands-off approach • independent research environment Some advice • be pro-active • talk to people, approach them • "manage your supervisor"

17. Work/Life Balance • Make sure to take time off • Take advantage of being in an environment of very interesting and bright people • Meet students from other departments • Department, Sports Clubs, College, Societies • University Club • Bops

18. Some Random (but possibly useful) Information • For social sciences most library needs catered for by Social Science Library but Bodleian has everything • Get all books delivered to the Social Science Library • Phone signal in the Social Science Building • Living out of college/fieldwork: VPN set up, google scholar to access journals from outside

19. Thank you