Supervision agreement 14

RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS IN THE SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP

• The supervisor and the student should, at the outset of the supervisory relationship, discuss and agree on the format of supervision, the expected progress and the intended date of thesis submission.
• The supervisor and the student should, at the outset of the supervisory relationship, discuss and agree on a written plan that includes important milestones for the thesis.
• The supervisor and the student should be familiar with the ethical considerations that apply to the collection, storage and publication of personal data, including the fact that some projects must be reported to the Norwegian Social Science Data Service (NSD). The National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities defines the norms for thesis/dissertation work. Please review the following webpages:

http://www.nsd.uib.no/nsd/english/pvo.html,

http://www.nsd.uib.no/personvern/meldeskjema?eng

http://www.uio.no/for-ansatte/arbeidsstotte/personvern/former-for-behandlinger/behandling-av-personopplysninger-i-forskning.html.

If relevant, the supervisor must ensure that the student complies with the duty to report to NSD. Please observe that data collection cannot start before permission is granted from NSD.

• The supervisor and the student should observe the regulations and instructions governing the supervision of master theses.
• In case a co-supervisor is considered necessary, approval should be sought and granted by the relevant department before the agreement is made. Approval is granted only under exceptional circumstances.

Student

• The student should be well-prepared for meetings with supervisor.
• The student should write a short report after each supervision. This report should include a summary of the supervision, and the date for and the tasks the student should complete for the next supervision. A copy should be sent to the head of the study programmes, Elisabet Rogg and the senior student consultant Helle P. Granum.
• The student should give sufficient notice to the supervisor if he/she is not able to attend a scheduled meeting.
• When there are serious problems in supervision, the student should immediately bring this to the attention of the office manager at STK/Centre for Gender Research.
• In case the thesis cannot be completed within the period of the agreement, the student must apply for an extension of the supervision agreement.

Supervisor

• The supervisor should be familiar with and follow the ethical guidelines for supervisors at the University of Oslo. He/she should also ensure that students are aware of the guidelines.
• The supervisor should ensure that the first meeting with the student takes place shortly after having been assigned, in which the supervisor should discuss with and inform the student about how the supervision is to be organized.
• The supervisor should offer the student up to 15 hours of supervision for a 60-credit master thesis (up to 7.5 hours for a 30-credit master thesis), distributed evenly throughout the supervision period.
• The supervisor should be well prepared for the meetings with the student.
• The supervisor should discuss with the student as well as evaluate the plan, the methodology and execution of the proposed research. He/she should assist the student in planning the research with a view to completing it within the normal period of study.

• If the project will be based on data from individuals, Norwegian Social Science Data Service (NSD) must be notified at least 30 days prior to starting the collection of data. The National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities defines the norms for thesis/dissertation work. Please review the following webpages:
• , http://www.nsd.uib.no/personvern/meldeskjema?eng,  http://www.uio.no/for-ansatte/arbeidsstotte/personvern/former-for-behandlinger/behandling-av-personopplysninger-i-forskning.html. If relevant, the supervisor must ensure that the student complies with the duty to report to NSD. Please observe that data collection cannot start before permission is granted from NSD.

• The supervisor is expected to read and give detailed comments on the draft of the thesis chapters at least once, but the supervisor will exercise his/her own judgment in how far it is necessary to give detailed comments on revised chapters and the completed thesis.
• The supervisor may, if appropriate, carry out part of the supervision in small research seminars.
• The supervisor should, through the meetings with the student, monitor the progress of the student¡¯s work and evaluate the progress in relation to the planned schedule.
• The supervisor should give sufficient notice to the student if he/she needs to re-schedule a meeting.

Modification or Termination of Supervision Agreement

• Changes can be made to the supervision agreement (for example, changing the research topic) when both the student and the supervisor agree.
• When the supervisor is to be absent for an extended period of time in the course of the supervisory relationship, the class coordinator should, in consultation with the student, determine how the supervision can be organized during this period.
• In case the department considers that the student is not acting according to the supervision agreement, he/she should be notified in writing.
• If the supervisory relationship is not deemed, by the student or the supervisor, to be working satisfactorily, for academic or other reasons, either side may request to be released from the supervisory relationship. A new supervisor should then be arranged.
• The student may be considered as not acting according to the supervision agreement in cases when

(a) the student fails to submit the master thesis within the semester which the thesis is due for submission (i.e. the fourth semester of a full-time master programme), and has not been given approval for an extension and a new submission date (subject to Section 7.1.6 and 7.2.1 of the Regulations Governing Studies and Examinations at the University of Oslo and the Guidelines for Deferred Commencement of Studies, Leave and Part-time Studies for Programme Students).

(b) the student has not contacted the supervisor for two semesters. In such a case, the research can be taken up by other students.

(c) the allotted hours of supervision have been used up, and the student has no approved plan for submission of thesis.

• The supervision agreement ends when the student:

(a) submits the master thesis

(b) is considered as not acting according to the agreement and has been notified of it in writing, and has not received approval for a new plan for submission

(c) forfeits or gives up the right to his/her place in the master programme concerned.