How do you choose an advisor/Supervisor when your doing a research/project, research methods

How do you choose an advisor/Supervisor when you are doing a research/project?

You can choose your supervisor by keeping in mind the following factors ;

Talk to potential advisors

    • You will get to know what they’re working on?
    • Whether they’re looking for new students or not?

Talk to current and former students

    • Several different opinions about the advisor’s strengths and weaknesses
    • Each student will have a different read on the advisor depending on how well they work together, so it’s important that you speak to multiple students

Read their publications

    • What they’re working on and what stage their research has reached

What do you look for in an advisor?

Accessibility

    • How accessible are they likely to be?
    • Often you will need reassurance, guidance, signatures, direction, signatures, keys, and some more signatures
    • Compatibility
    • Do you have similar working styles?
    • What do they expect from their students?
      • Do they think the work week is 40 hours or 80 hours long?
    • What kind of expectations of progress do they have?
    • How do they react if those expectations aren’t met?

Durability

    • Will they be here for all of your stays?
    • Do they often go on leaves of absence?
    • History – Track Record
    • Have they graduated other students?
    • Are their current students successful?
    • Are they established in their area, or are they a “rising star”?
    • Have they lost a lot of students through advisor changes or departures?

Research

    • Are you interested in their research?
      • Normally advertise what research areas they are interested in
      • See their publications.
    • Do not be influenced by the performance of a professor in non-supervisory tasks
      • Teaches well or badly
      • Late or early in meetings
      • Dresses well or badly
      • Actually tells you very little about how good a fit they might be with you.
    • Help you select/refine your research topic
    • Guide you in writing the thesis proposal
    • Review your thesis proposal and recommend its approval
    • Meet regularly with you
    • Review your progress on the thesis and guide your research effort
    • Review your research papers/presentations/reports and give you appropriate feedback
    • Guide you in the preparation of your thesis arguments in document form
    • Evaluate the readiness of your thesis for defense
    • Sit on your examination committee

Note: An advisor will only give you the directions to follow – you have to walk by yourself

Pros and cons of selecting a Junior advisor

Pros Cons
Easier to access

Enthusiastic

Cutting-edge research

Hands-on mentoring

Fewer responsibilities

Inexperienced

Little track record

Maybe risky research area

Harder to develop independence

Fewer networking contacts

 

 

Prof.Fazal Rehman Shamil (Available for Professional Discussions)
1. Message on Facebook page for discussions,
2. Video lectures on Youtube
3. Email is only for Advertisement/business enquiries.