RDGQs and Reviews of Progress

Academic regulations for higher degrees by research state that students 'must make satisfactory progress in the research to remain enrolled in the program'. The formal planning and review documents monitor and report this progress to the Research Degrees Committee and therefore must be completed by all HDR students, their supervisor/s and coordinator. More information about the planning and review process (includes reporting forms)

This resource focuses on those sections of the Planning and Review of Progress reports that relate to achieving the Research Degree Graduate Qualities

Research training activities

In the Planning and Review of Progress Report, students are asked to list research training and activities tied to Research Degree Graduate Qualities for a specific time period.

Research training refers to all those activities that students undertake during their research degree that contribute to their development as researchers within their field of research. Research training includes but is not limited to:

• supervision
• independent research
• participation in:
  • school seminars
  • divisional conferences and colloquiums
• participation in local, national and international conferences
• scholarly publications (conference proceedings, journal articles, book chapters and reviews)
• participation in scholarly networks (discipline, professional, industry and peer-based)
• preparing funding applications
• attending formal workshops, workshop series, and courses both face to face and online
• teaching in the field of research.

The planning and review process aims to ensure that research degree students have an agreed plan of activities designed and completed to support their research project.

Reviews of Progress enable students, supervisors and Research Degree Coordinators/Research Education Portfolio Leaders to decide what needs to be done to ensure that:

• the student's research is on track
• their development needs are being met
• they develop the full range of RDGQs by the time they graduate.

The planning and review process also articulates, elaborates and records demonstrable skills and achievements in the research degree. This process aims to:

• prompt students to reflect upon, identify and articulate research skills and achievements so that they can be used when applying for employment
• act as a useful memory aid when a student is putting together a Curriculum Vitae (CV).

In the annual Review of Progress form, you are required to report on your achievement of specific RDGQs. For more information see How to complete the RDGQ sections in the planning and review documentation

The following tips will help you determine what should be included and how to complete the relevant sections of your planning and review reports

	List measurable, observable and demonstrable quantities – avoid making statements of belief or opinion.(This rule also applies to professional development plans and job applications.)
	Provide accurate information about: dates places names or titles/job descriptions of persons, journals, publishers, awards, grants, laboratories and organisations the nature of activities undertaken (what you did, when, where, outcomes, documents developed, planning, reviews, follow ups).

You may find it helpful to think about measurable, observable and demonstrable quantities. Categories and examples are provided below. You might add these points in the planning sections of the bi-annual Reviews of Progress.

• Research activities
• Achievements or outcomes
• Recognition or acknowledgement of achievement from others

Research activities

• Supervision (list specific knowledge sharing or other planned activities undertaken with supervisors, their purpose, topics covered and questions discussed)
• Information searches (list databases, keywords, appointments with academic librarians, software used, folder systems developed, alerts set up)
• Literature reviews (list disciplines, fields, themes reviewed)
• Research writing (list type of text: proposal, thesis chapter, publication, and draft: first, second, third)
• Ethics processes (list preparation of documents including protocols, information sheets, consent forms etc)
• Developing research experiments, protocols, surveys, interview schedules (list room bookings, equipment assembly, development of experimental protocols, communication undertaken to access protocols, running of experiments, follow up etc)
• Data gathering (list number, location, dates, how many, when, where, who)
• Data analysis (software used, literature reviews undertaken, themes, data set analysed, time taken)
• Participation in research networks (who, when, where, what did you do)
• Formal research education (list Research Education Support Activities and other workshops attended, online resources accessed, ongoing peer research activities)
• Publishing (full citation information)
• Presentations (who, when, where, what)
• Teaching (subject content, relationship to research field)
• Project management (list activities, what, where, when)

Achievements or outcomes

• Meeting planned supervision goals
• Completed information searches
• Mastery of soft ware and information search processes
• Completed drafts of writing (note word lengths)
• Ethics clearance
• Gathering of data
• Analysis of data
• Entry into active research networks (list serves, collective emails, sharing papers with other scholars in the field)
• Publications (conference abstracts, proceedings papers, reports, journal articles, book chapters, reviews)
• Presentations (in the school or division, at conferences or other universities, professional, industry or community settings)
• Commercialisation of research (contracts, patents)
• Winning scholarship or other funding
• Winning academic employment in the field
• Awards, prizes and formal commendations
• Conferral of degree

Recognition or acknowledgement of achievement from others

• Positive written comments from reviewers, editors, examiners, grant bodies, industry partners, professional stakeholders (including research proposal reviewers)
• Feedback about your research from employers, professional or industry bodies, or students you have taught in your subject area (formally recorded in writing)
• Unsolicited invitations to attend or present at conferences, professional or industry gatherings
• Being listed in someone else's acknowledgements