Supportive supervision and reliable points of contact are essential throughout your doctoral journey.
Learn more about the supervision process and the advising and support services available to you during your doctoral studies.
Strong Support Throughout Your Doctoral Journey
Effective supervision is based on trust, mutual respect, and clear expectations. Supervisors support the academic development of your doctoral project and guide you throughout the doctoral process.
Clarify Expectations Early
At the beginning of your doctoral studies, you and your supervisor should discuss your mutual expectations and document them in your supervision agreement. These should include, in particular:
- The frequency and goals of supervision meetings
- Feedback on research findings and drafts
- Documentation and exchange of research results
- Any other expectations regarding your collaboration
Clear agreements create transparency and help prevent misunderstandings as your doctoral studies progress.
Make the Most of Supervision Meetings
Supervisors can provide support on a range of topics, including questions about the doctoral process and degree, publication strategies, and finding a suitable co-supervisor.
It is advisable to briefly document key outcomes and agreements from supervision meetings. This keeps decisions and arrangements clear and provides a useful basis for future discussions.
Challenges can arise at any stage of your doctoral journey—for example, due to time pressure, writer’s block, a lack of feedback, or limited progress. If you encounter difficulties, seek support early.
If you are experiencing difficulties with your supervision or would like independent and confidential advice, our counselors are here to support you. They have their own experience as doctoral researchers, offer confidential conversations, and help you identify possible ways forward.
Good research practice is the foundation of responsible research.
All members of our university are expected to follow the principles of good research practice and help prevent research misconduct.
Research misconduct includes, for example:
- Falsifying or fabricating data
- Plagiarism or unauthorized use of others’ ideas
- Improper authorship
- Interference with research or primary data
- Participating in research misconduct or failing to fulfill relevant responsibilities
All doctoral researchers are required to complete the two-day Scientific Integrity Workshop.
If you have questions or suspect research misconduct, you can contact the university’s ombudspersons.
The guidelines for good research practice are available in the Downloads section.
