Centre for

Criminology and Sociology

RESEARCH POSTGRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK

20010/11

Telephone (01784) 414085

Centre for Criminology & SociologyRoyal Holloway University of LondonEgham Hill, EghamSurrey TW20 OEX

The College switchboard number is (01784) 434455, but it is usually easier to contact individual staff or the Department by the direct line numbers shown in this handbook. You may have your post sent to the above address and it will be placed in the student pigeonholes in the department.

DisclaimerThis document was published in October 2010 and was correct at that time. The centre reserves the right to modify any statement if necessary, make variations to the content or methods of delivery of programmes of study, to discontinue programmes, or merge or combine programs if such actions are reasonably considered to be necessary by the College. Every effort will be made to keep disruption to a minimum, and to give as much notice as possible.

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ContentsINTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................. 5

INITIAL REGISTRATION AND PERIOD OF REGISTRATION.................................................................................6

USEFUL CONTACT DETAILS............................................................................................................................. 7

COLLEGE CONTACTS...................................................................................................................................... 7

HOW TO FIND US: THE DEPARTMENT...............................................................................................................8

YOUR CONTACT DETAILS – E-MAIL & POST.....................................................................................................9

RESEARCH DEGREES..................................................................................................................................... 10

TIMETABLE FOR A PHD (FULL TIME)............................................................................................................. 11

RESEARCH TRAINING AND SKILLS ACQUISITION...........................................................................................13

RESEARCH SKILLS PROGRAMME..............................................................................................................................13

STYLE OF THESIS PRESENTATION.................................................................................................................. 14

ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS.....................................................................................................................................15

THE ANNUAL REVIEW AND UPGRADE.......................................................................................................... 15

TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING........................................................................................................ 17

TRANSFER OF STATUS.................................................................................................................................. 17

PRESENTING YOUR RESEARCH..................................................................................................................... 20

SUBMISSION AND EXAMINATION OF THE THESIS.........................................................................................20

PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL EXAMINATION..............................................................................................21

PREPARATION FOR THE VIVA....................................................................................................................... 21

ILLNESS AND OTHER EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES..................................................................................22

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ANNUAL REVIEW, UPGRADE OR FINAL EXAMINATION...........................23

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.................................................................................................................. 23

COMMUNICATION AND STUDENT FEEDBACK...............................................................................................23

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTS.................................................................................................24

APPEALS PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTS........................................................................................................ 24

PLAGIARISM AND OTHER ACADEMIC OFFENCES...........................................................................................25

FACILITIES.................................................................................................................................................... 25

COMPUTERS........................................................................................................................................................25GRADUATE COMMON ROOMS................................................................................................................................25BEDFORD SQUARE................................................................................................................................................25COMMUNICATION................................................................................................................................................25

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LIBRARIES...........................................................................................................................................................26INTER-LIBRARY LOAN (ILL).....................................................................................................................................26

FUNDING..................................................................................................................................................... 28

RESEARCH EXPENSES................................................................................................................................... 28

PHOTOCOPYING.......................................................................................................................................... 29

PHOTOCOPYING CAN BE ARRANGED THROUGH THE ADMIN OFFICE. PLEASE DISCUSS WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR ANY REQUIREMENTS YOU HAVE AND TRY TO REFRAIN FROM USING THE PRINTERS ATTACHED TO THE COMPUTERS FOR LARGE PRINT JOBS..................................................................................................................................................................29STAFF RESEARCH INTERESTS............................................................................................................................30

CENTRE FOR CRIMINOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES STATEMENT....................................33

CONFERENCE/TRAINING FUNDING REQUEST FORM.....................................................................................34

FIELDWORK/INCIDENTAL EXPENDITURE REQUEST FORM....................................................................................35

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INTRODUCTIONIn pursuing a research degree in Centre for Criminology and Sociology at Royal Holloway, you have joined the largest and most diverse Centre for Criminology and Sociology Department in the University of London. You are in a community of scholars ranging in expertise from Social Work to Sociology, Psychology and Criminology.

Postgraduate research students pursue independent research in academic departments, leading to the award of the degree of MPhil or PhD. Successful progress depends primarily on their own efforts, supported by those of their supervisors, but also on the research environment in the department and on the quality of their research training.

However often you see your Supervisor or communicate with other scholars, graduate research can still be a lonely business: long and repetitive days in libraries, in the field, or in front of the computer screen. It is a three-sided tussle between yourself and your ideas, your evidence, and the technology through which your arguments and conclusions turn into an extended piece of prose. We would like to think that your membership of the Centre for Criminology and Sociology at Royal Holloway makes the struggle easier. The purpose of this Handbook is to show some of the ways in which the Department can mitigate the loneliness and hardship of the long-distance researcher.

The Handbook cannot cover everything. It deals only with aspects of postgraduate study that specifically relate to social research and to the Centre for Criminology and Sociology. Please therefore read it in conjunction with the following College documents:

1. The College’s Code of Practice for the Academic Welfare of Postgraduate Research Students(seehttp://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/PGR_Code_of_Practice.html) sets out the practices and procedures which underpin these efforts and outlines, amongst others, the responsibilities of student, supervisor, advisor and the student’s department(s).

As a research student of the College you should therefore ensure that you familiarize yourself with the content of the Code as well as with the:

2. College’s Research Degree Regulations (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Postgraduate_Research_Regulations.html), which set out the regulations governing all aspects of MPhil/ PhD study from admission to completion. A range of useful information is also available through the Graduate School website (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/).

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3. Funding for Postgraduate Studies, a booklet about all sources of funding:http://www.rhul.ac.uk/graduate-school/pages/funding.html

4. The package sent to all first year research students, of which further copies are available from the Graduate School Administrator

If you have difficulty obtaining or accessing any of the above, please contact the Director of Graduate Study.

INITIAL REGISTRATION AND PERIOD OF REGISTRATION

All students, other than those granted exemption from part of their studies, are initially registered for an MPhil degree on either a full-time or part-time basis. Those wishing to submit a thesis for the award of PhD will be required to successfully upgrade to a PhD within the first 20 months of full-time study or the first 40 months of part-time study.

Section 2 of the College’s Research Degree Regulations (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Postgraduate_Research_Regulations.html) stipulates the maximum periods of registration permissible for MPhil and PhD study.

“Section 2Students first registered on Research Degree programmes in or after September 2006 must submit the thesis for examination within the following periods of study, otherwise their registration with the College may be terminated under the provisions of Section 10 of these regulations.

(a) For programmes of study leading to the award of MPhil, the thesis must be submitted within three years of full-time study, or five years of part-time study.

(b) For programmes of study leading to the award of PhD, the thesis must be submitted within four years of full-time study, or seven years of part-time study.”

For further details relating to the period of study, arrangements for admission, exemptions from part of the programme of study, interruptions of study, registration and enrolment, you should consult Sections 1 – 8 of the Research Degree Regulations(http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Postgraduate_Research_Regulations.html ).

Relevant forms for interruptions, change of mode of study (full-time to part-time or vice-versa), and withdrawal are available on the Graduate School website (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/Current-postgraduates/#changes

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USEFUL CONTACT DETAILSDirector of Centre:Professor David Denney 01784-443683 ABF027

d.denney@rhul.ac.uk

Academic Staff: Professor Ravinder Barn 01784-443678 ABF17Ar.barn@rhul.ac.uk

Professor Jonathan Gabe 01784- 276614ABS05j.gabe@rhul.ac.uk

Dr Vicki Harman 01784-443674 ABS04v.harman@rhul.ac.uk

Dr Sarah Moore 01784-276482 ABS07sarah.moore@rhul.ac.uk

Dr Alex Newbury 01784-414966 ABS06alex.newbury@rhul.ac.uk

Dr Richard Smith 01784-443689 ABS03r.smith@rhul.ac.uk

Administrator: Vanessa Law 01784-414085 ABF10vanessa.law@rhul.ac.uk

COLLEGE CONTACTSDean of the Graduate School:

Professor Robin Walker. robin.walker@rhul.ac.uk. The Dean may also be contacted through the Graduate School. Tel: 01784 443352.

Graduate School Administrator:Dr Francesca Chiarelli. Tel: 01784 443352; graduate-school@rhul.ac.uk

Graduate Training Administrator:Ms Marina Mohideen-Moore. Tel: 01784 414699; graduate-school@rhul.ac.uk

Liaison Librarian:Mr Paul Johnson. Tel: 01784 443332; paul.johnson@rhul.ac.uk

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HOW TO FIND US: THE DEPARTMENT

The Centre for Criminology and Sociology is located within the Arts building on the first and second floors. This can be found on the college campus map as building 16

Map of the Egham Campus

Student parking is limited and a parking permit is required. This can be obtained via Security. You will need proof of insurance and ID before a permit will be issued.

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YOUR CONTACT DETAILS – E-MAIL & POSTIt is essential that the Centre should be able to keep in touch with you on your College e-mail address. This is the only e-mail address that we shall use. You can access your College e-mail off campus at:http://owa.rhul.ac.uk/

If you wish to forward mail from your College address, go to the web site of the College Computer Centre:http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Information-Services/Computer-Centre/training/it-survive/email-forwarding.html

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RESEARCH DEGREESThe end product of your labours will be an extended piece of writing, either an M.Phil. or a Ph.D. thesis. All students register for the M.Phil degree to start with many, but not all, transfer to Ph.D. by the end of their fourth term (by the end of the eighth term for part-time students). The M.Phil is, however, a valued degree in its own right and should not be seen as a failed Ph.D.

In the research for your thesis, and in writing it up, your primary contact is your Supervisor. You will also have an Adviser. Please become thoroughly familiar with the sections in the Code of Practice for the welfare of postgraduate research students, on the responsibilities of the Supervisor and Adviser – and, not least, of you, the student (Sections 4-15). You have overall responsibility for the timely and successful completion of your thesis.

You should therefore also familiarise yourself with what the Code of Practice says abut the nature of the M.Phil. and Ph.D., the minimum periods for registration, and the scope and word length of each (all in the Introduction to the Code).

Those word lengths are: M.Phil. 60,000, Ph.D. 100,000. In each case the total includes footnotes, but excludes the bibliography and any factual appendices – supporting data, tables, transcriptions, prosopographies, etc. (Such factual appendices are the only ones allowed.)

When you are starting out, that will seem an impossibly large amount to write. When you are nearing completion it will seem much too short. Many students find that they cannot say all that they want to say in the space available. The final thesis is very much the ‘tip of the iceberg’ of what your research will have uncovered. And it does not need not be your final word on the subject.

Both the College and the Funding Councils agree that a Ph.D. thesis should represent what can reasonably be expected of three or at most four years of full-time study (or the part-time equivalent). For the M.Phil. it is two or at most three years. It is therefore expected that students will normally complete their writing within three years (Ph.D.) or two years (M.Phil.).

You should keep this timetable in mind as you plan your research. In consultation with your Supervisor, you will first have decided on a broad area of interest. You will then have narrowed it down to a particular aspect of your topic or a single research question. This focus of your work must be one that can be satisfactorily addressed (1) at the right word length, (2) from the evidence available to you, (3) within the University’s normal time limits. All three have to be right.

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The refinement of your topic so that it is manageable is your responsibility. Your Supervisor will offer plentiful advice about evidence and methods, whether anyone else is working on a similar theme, and so forth. But the Supervisor cannot guarantee the uniqueness or the viability of your project.

With all this in mind, the Centre offers the following strategy for the normal production of a Ph.D. thesis by full-time students (an M.Phil. thesis is shorter, will have fewer chapters, and the timetable should be correspondingly condensed).

TIMETABLE for a PhD (full time)Timing Content Comment

Year 1 Survey of primary evidence and secondary literature,Theory/problems survey

On starting

On starting

Research training: skills acquisition

Attendance at compulsory College Research Development Course

Notional plan of thesis

Six months in

Introductory essay Early draft of Chapter 1Research chapter Assemble material for Transfer of StatusUpdated plan of thesis

Year 2 Transfer of Status First term of Year 2At least two research chaptersContinuing research trainingSeminar/conference paper

For outreach and c/v

Read Paper to Postgraduate Research Forum

Year 3 Completion of research chapters Revision of wholeRead a further conference/seminar paperApply for fourth year funding, if necessary

Apply for jobs/fellowships

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MAJOR VARIANTS:

Database ProjectsDatabase projects take longer to create: database in Years 1 + 2 with correspondingly higher-yield chapter writing in Year 3

Language AcquisitionIf language acquisition is needed in Year 1, with consolidation in Year 2, research normally in Year 1 will take correspondingly longer.

Part-time studentsStudents studying part-time can expect to submit their thesis in their sixth year.

Overseas TripsIf your research requires trips these – and applications for funding them –need to be planned carefully in advance and writing up research will be correspondingly more intense in Year 2 onwards.

Students in receipt of funding from bodies such as the AHRC and ESRC must submit within four years of registration – not a day longer.Check the regulations governing your award very carefully. See http://www.ahrc.ac.uk and follow links to postgraduate study and then to doctoral award holders.

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RESEARCH TRAINING AND SKILLS ACQUISITION

Research Skills ProgrammeIn 2002 the Roberts Report identified a need for skills training for all postgraduate researchers. Supported by funding from Research Councils UK and a concordat agreed by UK higher education institutions, universities across the UK are now required to provide a postgraduate skills training programme and ensure that postgraduate research students receive appropriate training. Research Skills training is therefore a mandatory part of any postgraduate research programme at Royal Holloway.

You should discuss your training needs with your supervisor(s) and adviser soon after you start your research programme and fill out the Research Student Training Log with details of courses that you should attend during the year (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/Current-postgraduates/RSP_Training_Log.doc ).

Although further discussions on your training may take place during the year during your supervisory meetings, at least once a year normally at the time of the annual review you, together with your supervisor(s) and adviser, should review the training completed in the previous year and draw up a plan for the following year. The training plan is likely to include both generic research skills courses and training which is specific to the research project. You should be fully engaged with the design of your training programme, as this is an important part of your personal development planning, and should be considering what will be of benefit to you in both the short and long term. Completion of the required training is a prerequisite for the upgrade from MPhil to PhD so will also be checked at the time of you upgrade

The College and the public funding bodies such as ESRC now see acquiring skills and undergoing research training not as something to be dealt with as quickly as possible at the start of your research, but as an aspect of the M.Phil/PhD programme that continues throughout your time as a student. The entire programme is thus training for the variety of careers that may succeed it, not all of them academic. Research and skills training is compulsory for all research students and the College provides a research and skills development programme intended to ensure that students acquire the skills appropriate to their research, to assist in timely completion of their theses, and to prepare them for employment. The skills and training requirements of research students are assessed at the Annual Review (see Section 6 below).

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For details of the College course contact the Graduate Training Administrator, or see: http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/Pages/rsp-details.html

Royal Holloway International (formerly known as the Language Centre) http://www.rhul.ac.uk/International/index.html offers courses in English for academic purposes, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Modern Greek.

Contact the Director, Sheryl Simon. Tel: 01784 443335; s.simon@rhul.ac.uk

Your supervisor will help you develop your own individual programme of skills acquisition. You will be required to keep a formal log of such activity and to report on it each year in your Annual Review.

The College’ s Code Of Practice for the Academic Welfare Of Postagraduate Research Students (http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/PGR_Code_of_Practice.html) stipulates the general research skills training requirements for MPhil/PhD students. Further details are provided on the Research Skills Programme webpage (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/Pages/rsp-details.html )

An average of 5 days of training per academic year for full-time self-funded students, with a total of 15 days across three years of study.

An average of 5 days of training per academic year for students funded by organisations other than UK Research Councils, such as Royal Holloway itself or a Research Group, with a total of 15 days across 3 years of study.

An average of 10 days per academic year for full-time students funded by UK Research Councils (AHRC, NERC, ESRC, EPSRC, STFC, BBSRC, MRC) with a total of 30 days across three years of study.

The training requirements are the same for part-time students, but operate on a pro-rata basis (minimum of 2.5 days per academic year)

Full details of the types of training which are available to students and which can be used to fulfil the research skills training requirements, as well as training opportunities available at other institutions are detailed on the Research Skills Programme webpage. This page also includes a guide to web registration, details on how to book, FAQs and a Research Skills Programme Handbook (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/Pages/rsp-details.html

STYLE OF THESIS PRESENTATIONThe basic requirements in a finished thesis, such as the precise wording of the title page, the length of the mandatory abstract, what should be included in the Table of Contents, the margins and font size of the text etc. can be found in the Instructions and Notes on Submissions on the graduate school web pages.

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As for the presentation of chapters, the University does not stipulate a particular style, but you must be clear and consistent.

In consultation with your Supervisor, you should select one of the leading style books available, for instance that of the Modern Humanities Research Association (http://mhra.org.uk, with link to Style Guide), and follow that in the lay-out of the footnotes, tables and bibliography as well as on such matters as dates, preferred spellings, and use of abbreviations.You may certainly modify an existing style sheet if you prefer to, so that it is tailored to your specific subject and type of footnote.

The goals must, however, always be: CLARITY SIMPLICITY ABSOLUTE CONSISTENCY

Academic writing skills The College’s Graduate School offers a number of courses on academic writing, which can count towards your annual research skills training requirement. Royal Holloway International (RHI) offers additional support for research students whose first language is not English. These courses do not, however, count towards your training requirements. Details of these courses and additional support are available on the Research Skills Programme webpage (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/Pages/rsp-details.html ).

THE ANNUAL REVIEW AND UPGRADEAlthough you will meet regularly with your supervisor during the academic year, your academic progress is formally reviewed at least once every 12 months, unless you have interrupted your studies, in which case the review will take place not more than two months after you have formally resumed your studies.

Annual reviews and upgrades are conducted in a face-to face meeting between you and a panel consisting of your supervisor(s), adviser and at least one other academic from outside the supervisory team.

Towards the end of each year of study, you will be required to produce a short written report (about 500 words) on the research that you have done during the year, the research training that you have undertaken, seminars you have attended, conferences you have read a paper to, etc., as well as your plans for the coming year. This report will be discussed orally at a meeting that your Supervisor will arrange. Your Supervisor will be present, as will your Adviser and perhaps another member of staff, who will collectively pronounce your progress during the year either ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory’ (if the latter, they will specify what remedial action you

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need to take). This meeting is also an opportunity for you to discuss any anxieties you may have about the progress of your thesis (see also the section: Communication and Student Feedback).

Please note that the review of Ph.D. students who should be nearing completion – i.e. approaching the end of the third year of work for a Ph.D. (fifth year for part-timers) – will be especially searching.

The deadline by which students should submit any extenuating circumstances that may be affecting their performance more generally is two weeks before the arranged meeting date and in particular at the upgrade meeting within two weeks after the meeting.

At the end of the annual review/ upgrade meeting the panel will fill in a Research Degree Student Review Form, which will be signed by panel members present at the review/upgrade, and will provide details of the outcome of this meeting (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/Current-postgraduates/#arf). You will be given an opportunity to fill in comments at the end of the form, should you so wish.

In most cases the panel will indicate that they are satisfied with a student’s progress and may also confirm that the student has successfully upgraded from MPhil to PhD, where relevant. However, in some cases the panel may feel that the work presented is not of the required standard. In the case of an upgrade, the panel may decide not to permit the student to upgrade at that time. Where work presented is unsatisfactory, details of the problems and the course of action to be taken will be noted in the Research Degree Student Review Form. Additionally, the panel may decide that it is necessary to issue a formal warning. Details of the formal warning process, which could lead to termination of registration, are outlined in Section 10 of the Research Degree Regulations.

If you fail to upgrade from MPhil to PhD on the first attempt, the panel may permit you to have a second and final attempt, which must take place at the end of 24 months for full-time study or 48 months of part-time study. In the Centre of Criminology the first attempt at an upgrade must take place within the first 20 months of FT study and the first 40 months of PT study.

Full details of the regulations governing the annual review and upgrade process are outlined in Section 9 of the Research Degree Regulations (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Postgraduate_Research_Regulations.html).

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TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND TRAININGThe Centre may sometimes be in a position to offer research students teaching and/or demonstrating opportunities. Research students who are employed in a lead teaching role are required to register for the College’s inSTIL programme (Programme in Skills of Teaching to Inspire Learning). Those who are teaching as part of a team may choose to do this programme, but are not required to do so. Students must be teaching at the time they are participating in inSTIL, as teaching observations are an important part of the programme. The inSTIL programme is worth 15 M level credits and counts five days towards a student’s annual research skills training requirements. Further details about the programme can be obtained from the inSTIL Programme Director by emailing edc@rhul.ac.uk

Those not teaching, but with an interest in teaching in higher education, are encouraged to attend the ‘Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Higher Education’ workshops held each year as part of the College’s Research Skills Programme (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/Pages/rsp-details.html).

For details on how much teaching and other work is permitted during MPhil/ PhD studies, students should read Section 8 of the College’s Research Degree Regulations and the Section on ‘Teaching and other paid work’ in the Code of Practice for the Academic Welfare of Postgraduate Research Students (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Postgraduate_Research_Regulations.html and http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/PGR_Code_of_Practice.html

TRANSFER OF STATUSM.Phil. to Ph.D. (See Code of Practice, Sections 24-27)All postgraduates beginning doctoral work in the Department register first for an M.Phil. Some intend from the start to submit their work for the award of an M.Phil. while others plan, in due course, to transfer their registration to that for a Ph.D.

Research students wishing to transfer their registration from M.Phil. to Ph.D. are expected to do so before the end of their fourth term (in the case of part-time students before the end of their eighth term). The Supervisor will, or course, advise about this.

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In order to transfer registration you will be interviewed by a small committee consisting of your Adviser (who will chair the meeting) and another member of the Department. The Supervisor may think it helpful to seek the advice also of another member of the Department, or of an outsider who has particular and relevant expertise. No one who may, in the future, be involved with the examination of the thesis can, however, take part in this interview. The Supervisor will be present but will not speak unless asked to do so by the interviewers. In many respects this meeting will serve as practice for your real Ph.D. viva and you may expect probing questions on the material you have submitted.

In preparation for the interview you will normally be asked to supply (in hard copy) the following material:(i) An outline of the thesis, describing the different chapters (about a

paragraph for each) and the material that will be used to write them(ii) A brief introduction setting out the purpose of the thesis, previous

work on the topic, material to be used etc. (3–6 pages)(iii) A working bibliography of primary and secondary material(iv) A timetable for completing the thesis(v) A draft chapter of the thesis which should not be a background

chapterHowever, examiners may want to vary this according to the nature of the topic, especially in the cases of databases or editions of texts. It is the responsibility of the Supervisor to arrange the interview, invite colleagues to take part, and book a room. Immediately after the interview the Supervisor will ask the members of the upgrade committee to complete and sign the Centre for Criminology and Sociology’s upgrade viva form. The Supervisor must also complete a separate transfer form for the College Registry. Copies of both forms will be placed in your file in the Department Graduate Office. At the discretion of the committee, a copy of the report on the interview may be given to you, the student.It is your responsibility to ensure that the required material has been handed to the Supervisor in good time (i.e. at least two weeks before the interview) to be duplicated and circulated to the members of the interview panel.

Please note that transfer of status is by no means a formality. It is for you, the student, to demonstrate that you have the capacity to complete a successful Ph.D. thesis within a reasonable time (normally three years from registration for full-time students). That is, the burden of proving that you have a viable doctoral thesis topic and a realistic timetable for completion, and are thus ready to transfer, rests with you. If the Committee is uncertain about your prospects it may impose strict conditions on your transfer, or require you to resubmit.

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PRESENTING YOUR RESEARCH

It is essential to your intellectual development (enhancing your ‘transferable skills’) and to the progress of your research that you should, in consultation with your Supervisor, seize every chance of attending seminars or lectures on the area of your research very broadly defined, to gain an overview of current developments and the experience of participation in discussion. Your Supervisor will suggest which seminars or lectures are most appropriate. You should also seize every chance of reading a paper to an academic audience. This enables you to try out your conclusions on critical but friendly fellow scholars, gaining useful feedback. You will also pick up references and ideas from both specialists in your field and those working in related areas.

There are several ways by which you can gain this valuable experience of presenting papers:

1. At seminars in the College.

2. At Conferences. Your Supervisor will suggest the most appropriate, and the Department may be able to help with registration and travel expenses (see Section on Research Expenses).

3. The monthly Research Student Seminar is facilitated by the Director of Graduate Studies (DoGs) and will consist of papers given by research students and specialists in areas relating to social research. The focus of the seminar is on the research process and practical and ethical as well as cognitive problems of social research. The seminar is oriented towards preparing students for the various stages in the PhD process, including the upgrade and the viva.

SUBMISSION AND EXAMINATION OF THE THESIS

As the thesis is nearing completion you will need to submit a formal entry to the final examination to the Examinations and Research Degrees Office. Full details on entry for the examination (or re-entry in the case of resubmissions), submission and examination of the thesis are available on MPhil/ PhD Examinations (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/registry/researchdegrees/). Students should also consult the Research Degree Regulations for further details about, for example, the requirements of the thesis (word length), the conduct of the final examination, and possible outcomes of the examination (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Postgraduate_Research_Regulations.html

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Your Supervisor will offer guidance, discuss with you the nomination of your examiners, and will arrange your viva. But it is your responsibility to obtain entry forms and associated documentation from the Examinations Office in the College’s Registry, Huntersdale. The completed forms should be returned to the Registry at least four months before you expect to submit your thesis.

PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL EXAMINATION The Graduate School offers viva training for research student’s final examination as part of the Research Skills training programme, with sessions run for students in Arts, History and Social Sciences, Science and Economics and Management. Full details of dates and times of such courses are available on the Research Skills Programme webpage (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate-School/Pages/rsp-details.html).This training is compulsory for students.

PREPARATION FOR THE VIVA ask your Supervisor to arrange a mock viva plan concise (2–3 minute) answers to all the obvious general questions

you may be asked:– How did you select your subject?– What overall contribution to scholarship does your thesis make?

– What is the state of the secondary literature on and around your subject?– What important topics did you omit for lack of space?– What are the weaknesses of the thesis and how can they be remedied?

re-read your thesis carefully, noting with ruthless honesty all the points at which it might be vulnerable:

– gaps in the argument– inadequate supporting references– obvious objections not considered, etc.

take an annotated copy of the thesis to the viva! carefully read any important contributions to your field that have been

published since you submitted. read your two examiners’ published work to anticipate how they might

approach your subject, where your conclusions conflict or chime with their arguments, and so forth.

ask your Supervisor to try to arrange a venue for the viva that you find congenial. A small windowless basement room may for example have an unpleasant atmosphere – in more senses than one.

talk to recently ‘viva’d’ former students about their experiences.

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you may also care to sample the self-help literature such as Rowena Murray, How to Survive your Viva (Open University, 2003).

A more detailed advice sheet on how to prepare for your viva is available from the Graduate Administrator.

ILLNESS AND OTHER EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES

These should be read in conjunction with the Instructions to Candidates issued by the Examinations and Research Degrees Office and Sections 9 and 16 of the Research Degree Regulations (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/registry/Examinations/Essential-info.html and http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Postgraduate_Research_Regulations.html) .

If you are a Research Degree student, you may want the annual review or upgrade panel to be made aware of how your academic performance over the year has been affected by illness or extenuating circumstances. In such cases you should submit your statement and supporting evidence to the panel chair within the deadline set by the Centre for the submission of material for the upgrade or review. Ideally you should have discussed any such issues with your supervisor or the Director of Graduate Studies before the meeting. The Centre may recommend that you interrupt your studies until your personal circumstances are such that you are in a position to take up your studies again. A form requesting permission for an interruption of studies is available at:http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Graduate%2DSchool/Current%2Dpostgraduates/#changes .

In the case of circumstances relating only to your performance at an upgrade or review meeting, you should inform the panel members or examiners of the circumstances no later than the start of the upgrade/ review and submit the statement and supporting evidence not more than seven days later to your department.

If you feel that your academic performance on the date of the oral examination may be substantially affected by unexpected medical or other personal circumstances, you should inform the examiners of your situation no later than the start of the oral examination so that they can make a decision on whether or not to proceed. The examiners may require you to submit evidence of these circumstances to the Examinations and Research Degrees Office within seven days.

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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ANNUAL REVIEW, UPGRADE OR FINAL EXAMINATION

If you have a disability or impairment and wish to ask for reasonable adjustments to be made to the conduct of the final examination (viva) you should consult Section 16 of the Research Degree Regulations (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Postgraduate_Research_Regulations.html )for details of how to make such a request. Should you need similar adjustments for your annual review/ upgrade meeting, these should be discussed with your supervisor ahead of the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDSIf you have a disability or special educational need, it is important that you bring it to the Centres’ attention as soon as possible. You should alert you supervisor, who can put you in touch with the departmental Educational Support Office (ESO) representative, Dr Alex Newbury . You must also contact the ESO (Founders East 151; tel: 01784 443966; email: educational-support@rhul.ac.uk) who will arrange for an assessment of needs to be carried out and will advise on appropriate sources of help. Further information is available in the Handbook for Students with Special Needs and the Guidelines for Assessment of PhD Students with Specific Learning Difficulties (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/for-students/Disabled-Students/ ). You should also read the section on Special Arrangements for the annual review, upgrade or final examination in this handbook.

COMMUNICATION AND STUDENT FEEDBACKIt is vital that the Department should know of any concerns you have about the progress of your work or of any suggestions for improving the research environment.

You have several ways of making your views known:1. by talking to your Supervisor, and perhaps by following up your

discussion with a letter or e-mail, so that your comments can be forwarded if appropriate.

2. by contacting the Director of Centre or the Head of Department, either to arrange a meeting or again by putting your ideas in writing.

3. through the Department Postgraduate Student-Staff Committee. This meets at least once a term, under the auspices of the Director of Graduate Study, and includes representatives of all the various postgraduate constituencies (MA, first-year research, part-time, etc.). You are warmly invited to serve on this committee and so

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convey your views to the Department. You may also, of course, propose agenda items for its meetings. The student officers of the Committee are listed above under Contacts (inside front cover). The Minutes of the Committee’s meetings are published by e-mail to all postgraduate students.

4. in the feedback forms that you send to the Director of Graduate Study as part of the Annual Review (see Section on Annual Review and upgrade).

5. through the Students’ Union if your concerns or ideas relate to the College rather than to the Department or by contacting the Dean of the Graduate School.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTSIf you have a complaint relating to any aspect of the Department or its staff or to any academic or College matter, you should first discuss it informally with your Supervisor(s), Advisor, Director of Graduate Studies or another member of staff in the Department as soon as possible. You may also choose to raise the issue with the Dean of the Graduate School. In the majority of cases complaints can be resolved through such an informal route. In those cases where the complaint cannot be resolved in this way, you may want to submit a formal complaint. Full details of how to pursues complaints through both informal and formal routes are set out in the College’s Complaints Procedures for Students (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/For-Students/complaints.html).

APPEALS PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTSIf you wish to appeal against an academic decision, that is, the outcome of an upgrade or final (oral) examination, there is an academic appeals process. Please note that an academic appeal can only be submitted once you have received the result of your upgrade or final examination and your complaint must fall within the grounds for appeal to be considered. Details of the grounds on which you may appeal, the process to be followed to request an appeal pack, amongst others, can be found on the Academic Appeals website (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_appeals/Index.html) or in Section 21 and 22 the Research Degree Regulations (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Postgraduate_Research_Regulations.html )

PLAGIARISM AND OTHER ACADEMIC OFFENCES

The College takes the issue of plagiarism and other assessment offences very seriously. Details of what constitutes an assessment offence (eg.

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plagiarism, collusion, falsification) as well as the procedures to be followed for the investigation of an alleged assessment offence and possible outcomes, etc. are outlined in the College’s Regulations on Assessment Offences (see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Examination_Assessment_Offences.html)

If an assessment offence is detected in a draft then a first formal warning may be issued in line with college regulations relating to Termination of Registrationhttp://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/academic_regulations/Postgraduate_Research_Regulations.html#Termination

FACILITIESComputersPG students have access to the computers in the Computer Centre, the library, at other sites on the Egham campus such as the Postgraduate Computer lab in the basement of the International Building and at 11 Bedford Square in London. On your registration, the College will supply a user identity number and an e-mail address. 24-hour access to the Computer Centre can be arranged by obtaining a card from the Centre. A computer advisor is available on 01784 443240.

Graduate Common RoomsThe College Common Room is located in the Founder’s Building on the second floor of the east wing: Room 241. To access the room you will need to show your postgraduate student card at Security in Founder’s and they will tell you the access code for the room.

Bedford SquareThe college has a central London base for the use of postgraduates at 11 Bedford Square, Bloomsbury, WC1B 3RA (entrance at corner of the Square and Montague Place). Tel: 020 7307 8604 (Reception); 8600 (Administrator). It is open Mon.–Fri. 9.00am–9.00pm, and Sats. in term time 10.00am–5.00pm. The house has a computer room where you can read your college e-mail and print out documents. An adviser is on hand three times a week to help with any computer problems. There is a common room with a kitchen in the basement.

Communication Pigeon Holes are located opposite room ABS3 and a post graduate notice board outside room ABS4 in the Arts Building. Post Graduate students are also encouraged to communicate with each other and with staff by college e-mail.

LibrariesAll Royal Holloway research students have access to the unrivalled library facilities of the University of London. Among the most important are:

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SENATE HOUSE LIBRARY, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU (020 7862 8462) http://www.ull.ac.uk. This is the central library of the University of London with a useful Social Sciences collection. Up to six books can be borrowed. To be issued with a library ticket you will need to take with you proof of your home address and your RHUL library card to the Registration Desk outside the lift on the fourth floor of Senate House.INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL. Tel: 020 7612 6000; http://www.ioe.ac.uk. Has good runs of ‘childhood’ periodicals. You cannot borrow books, but you can take photocopies, which are comparatively cheap here. Bring your Royal Holloway card to obtain a visitor’s ticket.THE BRITISH LIBRARY, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB. Tel: 020 7412 7000; http://www.bl.uk. Because it is the national collection, the British library possesses copies of all books published in the UK and Ireland, and many from other countries too. It also has an impressive collection of medieval and modern manuscripts. Books must be ordered at least an hour in advance and cannot be borrowed. A reader’s ticket can be obtained on production of proof that you are registered for a postgraduate degree, along with proof of current address.The London School of Economics and Political Science Library. 10 Portugal Street, London WC2A HD Tel: 020 7955 7229Inter-Library Loan (ILL)

It is possible for students to borrow books relevant to their research from other university libraries via the Inter Library Loan system (ILL). For this vouchers must be obtained from the Graduate Administrator. For the photocopy of an article, one voucher is required for a British item, but SEVEN for anything applied for outside the UK. Similarly for the loan of a thesis, TWO vouchers for a British item, or SEVEN for anything outside the UK.

When requesting ILL vouchers, please bear the following in mind:

1. Since each ILL voucher costs the college £7, it is often cheaper to ask the Library if a copy of the thesis can be bought on microfilm: this is better value since thereafter the item can be available in the library for others to use.

2. ILL vouchers will not be issued for a non-UK article that is obtainable in other libraries of the University of London, i.e. in college libraries, Senate House, the Institute of Historical Research, the Warburg Institute etc).

3. You will need to obtain your supervisor’s agreement that a non-UK thesis, again costing £49 in vouchers, really is vital for the research project. Bear in mind too that if a PhD thesis has had a restraint order placed on it by the author or the university at which it is held it will not be available under ILL.

4. Finally, for ILL, it is vital that the reference you give is detailed and accurate so that the item can be traced.

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FUNDINGThe College booklet, Funding for Postgraduate Studies, of which a revised edition appears each year, remains relevant after your arrival at Royal Holloway. Students eligible for ESRC funding can apply for it in their second and third years of research as well as before they begin, and overseas students can compete for Overseas Research Student Awards. For these see http://www.rhul.ac.uk/graduate-school/pages/funding.html

For information about the student hardship fund information can be found on the student support webpage’s http://www.rhul.ac.uk/for-students/student-support/financial-counselling/index-1.html

Council Tax: Full-time research students are eligible for exemption and must obtain the necessary letter from the Student Administration Centre (opposite the Windsor Building) http://www.rhul.ac.uk/Registry/sac/index.htmlFor part-time students exemption is at the discretion of the local authority.

RESEARCH EXPENSESAll research students in the Department are entitled to apply for small grants as a contribution to research expenses. These can include travel to and registration at academic conferences (when giving a paper), travel to work in libraries or archives outside the London area, and the cost of a language or other skills course.

Please note that:

1. These departmental grants are awarded at the discretion of the Director of the Centre. There is very heavy competition for the limited funds available. Not all applications will be successful and even successful applicants may not be awarded the full sum they requested. The maximum that will be granted is £200 in any one year (over two years for part-time students). Awards are made in the interests of furthering research and will not be made following submission of theses.

2. Travel to Egham, Central London or within Greater London (i.e. the area inside the M25) is considered an everyday expense and cannot be applied for.

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3. When claiming for travel, the amount awarded will be limited to the standard fare by train or other public transport or a cheaper alternative.

4. In the case of conference attendance, claims for subsistence and accommodation will not be considered.

5. All applicants must also apply to other funding bodies (see below) where appropriate and keep the Director of Centre informed of the success of these applications.

6. Preference will be given to students in Y1, Y2, Y3 (full-time) or Y1-Y6 (part-time). Progression and achievement will be taken into consideration.

Applications must always be made in advance of the expense being incurred: retrospective applications will not be considered. Applicants should complete the form at the back of this handbook and submit it to the Director of Centre. Applications will not be considered during the summer vacation (15 June – 30 September).

If an award is made, you must keep receipts for all expenditure and submit them along with a completed expenses form (also available from the admin office) to the Director of Centre who will arrange for you to be reimbursed.

PHOTOCOPYINGPhotocopying can be arranged through the admin office. Please discuss with the administrator any requirements you have and try to refrain from using the printers attached to the computers for large print jobs.

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STAFF RESEARCH INTERESTS

Ravinder Barn, Professor of Social Policy

Professor Barn is an experienced empirical mixed-methods researcher with a particular interest in migration, multiculturalism, social justice and human rights. She has over 60 publications which includes 7 books. As Principal Investigator, she has successfully led on a number of externally funded research studies for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the former Commission for Racial Equality, The Canadian High Commission, and the Department of Health. Her research is empirically and theoretically grounded and key findings are disseminated to a wide variety of potential beneficiaries ranging from academic researchers, central and local government, international organizations including the Council of Europe and the European Union, and third sector organizations.

David Denney, Professor of Social and Public Policy, Director of CentreProfessor Denney has conducted research in a number of areas related to the workings of the criminal justice system, violence and risk. This includes work on differential sentencing and ‘race’ in the UK and Canada. He has also worked on the ESRC Violence Research Programme. He has written extensively in international journals and is the author of a number of books including ‘Race and AntiRacism in Probation (Routledge, 1992), Social Policy and Social Work (1998) Oxford University Press,Risk and Society (2005) Sage, and Living in Dangerous Times (2009) (ed) Wiley Blackwell. He also has wide experience of outside policy related consultancy including the National Task Force on Violence against Social Care Staff. He is currently Chair of the Editorial Board of Social Policy and Administration. Jonathan Gabe, Professor of SociologyProfessor Gabe has interests in health and illness, health care organisation, and health policy. Recent and current research includes studies of asthma in young people, violence against professionals in the community, managing medical regulation and performance and the use of medicines in everyday life. He has published 15 monographs and edited books, the latest of which are: The New Sociology of the Health Service (Routledge 2009) (edited with Mike Calnan) Pharmaceuticals and Society: Critical Discources and Debates (Wiley Blackwell 2009) (edited with Simon Williams and Peter Davis) Challenging Medicine Second edition (Routledge 2006) (edited with David Kelleher and Gareth Willilams) Key Concepts in Medical Sociology (Sage 2004)

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(edited with Mike Bury and Mary ann Elston). Professor Gabe is currently a co-editor of the international journal Sociology of Health and Illness

Dr Vicki HarmanDr Harman’s research interests include family life, ethnicity and racism, gender and inequality. Her PhD (awarded in 2007) explored the experiences and support networks of lone white mothers of mixed-parentage children. This resulted in a number of journal articles and book chapters including: ‘Experiences of Racism and the Changing Nature of White Privilege Among Lone White Mothers of Mixed-Parentage Children’, Ethnic and Racial Studies (advanced access online, 2009); ‘Social Work Practice and Lone White Mothers of Mixed-Parentage Children’, British Journal of Social Work  (advanced access online, 2009) and with Professor Ravinder Barn (2006) ‘A Contested Identity: An Exploration of the Competing Social and Political Discourse Concerning the Identification and Positioning of Young People of Inter-Racial Parentage’, British Journal of Social Work, 36 (8): pp.1309-1324. Dr Harman’s current research explores ethnic and racial socialisation among white British families living in mainly white and ethnically diverse neighbourhoods.Dr Sarah MooreDr Sarah Moore’s principal research areas are gender and risk, fear of crime, and crime and the media. A core theme in her research is the cultural construction of threats to our health and personal safety, particularly as these representations relate to gender norms. Previous projects have explored the ‘feminisation’ of breast cancer, the relationship between fear of crime and the built environment, and the media representation of drink-spiking. Her most recent work seeks to establish the ‘cautionary tale’ as a new model for understanding the media representation of risk; she gave a workshop on her work in this area during a stint as Visiting Fellow at Yale’s Center for Cultural Sociology in 2009. She has published articles in a number of international journals, including Crime, Media, Culture and the British Journal of Criminology. She is also the author of Ribbon Culture: Charity, Compassion, and Public Awareness (2008), which was awarded the 2009 Philip Abrams Memorial Prize for best first book in Sociology.Dr Alex NewburyDr Alex Newbury’s research to date has focused on the causes and impact of youth crime, youth justice, restorative justice and social policy. She has expertise in liaising and working with Youth Offending Teams, and skills in interviewing young offenders, including those with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Her doctoral research analysed empirical findings undertaken over eighteen months, observing forty-

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one youth offender panel meetings and conducting fifty-five semi-structured interviews with young offenders. The research was informed by discussion with service providers (YOT workers, Victim Liaison Officers, community volunteers), plus academic theory, government policy and Home Office research, and evaluated the impact and success of referral orders as a restorative approach in youth justice. She has published on youth crime and responsibility, and given papers at the British Society of Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conferences. She is also a member of both the BSC and SLSA.

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CENTRE FOR CRIMINOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY: EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES STATEMENTThe University of London was established to provide education on the basis of merit above and without regard to race, creed or political belief and was the first university in the United Kingdom to admit women to its degrees.

Royal Holloway, University of London (hereafter ‘the College’) is proud to continue this tradition, and to commit itself to equality of opportunity in employment and admissions and in its teaching, learning and research activities.

The College is committed to ensuring that: all staff, students, applicants for employment or study, visitors and

other persons in contact with the College are treated fairly and have equality of opportunity, without regard to race, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, age, marital or parental status, dependants, disability, sexual orientation, religion, political belief or social origins

both existing staff and students, as well as applicants for employment or admission, are treated fairly, and individuals are judged solely on merit and by reference to their skills, abilities, qualifications, aptitude and potential

it puts in place appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity

teaching, learning and research are free from all forms of discrimination and continually provide equality of opportunity

all staff, students and visitors are aware of the Equal Opportunities Statement through College publicity material

it creates a positive, inclusive atmosphere, based on respect for diversity within the College

it conforms to all provisions as laid out in legislation promoting equality of opportunity

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CENTRE FOR CRIMINOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGYCONFERENCE/TRAINING FUNDING REQUEST

FORMName …………………………………………………………………………………………Subject of Conference ………………………………………………………………….....

Place (where held) …………………………………………………………………………

Dates …………………………………………………………………………………………..

Title of Conference Paper …………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Steps Taken to Obtain Grants from External Sources:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Supporting Statement: ………………………………………………………………...…………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Expected Expenses:Conference Registration ………………………………………………………..£_ _:_ _Travel ………………………………………………………………………………..£_ _:_ _Other ………………………………………………………………………………..£_ _:_ _Total ……………………………………………………………………………..... £_ _:_ _Agreed Total………………………………………………………………………. £_ _:_ _

Applicant Signed……………………………………………………….. Dated………….

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Agreed by Supervisor……………………………………………………Dated…………

Agreed by Director of Graduate Studies…………………………………………………………

Dated……...

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CENTRE FOR CRIMINOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGYFIELDWORK/INCIDENTAL EXPENDITURE

REQUEST FORMName: …………………………………………………………………………………………

Fieldwork: ……………………………………………………………………………………..

Travel …………………………………………………………………………………..

Accommodation ……………………………………………………………………

Photocopying ……………………………………………………………………………….

Inter-Library Loans …………………………………………………………………………..

Minor Equipment …………………………………………………………………………….

Thesis Binding ………………………………………………………………………………...

Other …………………………………………………………………………………………..

......................................................................................................................

..................

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Supporting Statement:

......................................................................................................................

..................

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Applicant Signed ……………………………………………………………………………

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Dated ………………………………………………………………………………………….

Agreed by Supervisor ………………………………………………………………………

Dated …………………………………………………………………………………………

Agreed by Director of ……………………………………………………………………..Centre

Dated ………………………………………………………………………………………….

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