Introduction
These Guidelines document school specific requirements that are in addition to the information provided in section 15 of the Higher Degree by Research Candidature – Procedures, to assist candidates, supervisors and independent reviewers.
The confirmation process involves the candidate
- Developing a research proposal
- Receiving initial feedback from an independent reviewer/s (usually at least one is external to USC)
- Incorporating the initial feedback into the final draft of the research proposal prior it being submitted to the confirmation panel (Principal Supervisor, Independent Reviewer/s and Head of School or their delegate)
- Final draft of research proposal is presented at a confirmation seminar which includes the confirmation panel and anyone in the university community who wishes to attend
- The confirmation panel assesses whether the student is confirmed, required to undertake revisions, should be downgraded or upgraded or show cause as to why their candidature should not be terminated.
- If revisions are required, the candidate undertakes the revisions and resubmits for the panel to undertake a final assessment and determine if the candidate should be confirmed in the HDR program.
Guidelines for: USC Business School, School of Creative Industries, School of Social Sciences and USC Law School
Documentation |
For the requirement of thesis with publication(s), the candidate must also include in the confirmation documentation an explanation of the number and type of publications (including proposed titles of publications, titles of journals or conferences, authors, impact factors, suggested abstracts, and potential dates of submission), and also the format of the thesis with publication(s). If the candidate wishes to present their thesis in a different format than a traditional thesis, they must explain the proposed changes as part of their confirmation documentation. |
Creative Arts (additional Requirements) |
Doctor of Creative Arts (DCA) and Master of Creative Arts (MCA) candidates should include the title of the research/creative product, research/creative concept, the nature and purpose of the creative arts product, significance and innovation of the research, relevant literature, methodologies and methods to be used, importance of the research, timelines and ethics. DCA and MCA candidates must also include a sample of the creative arts product. |
Confirmation Panel |
The panel consists of the supervision panel, at least one independent assessor (usually at least one is external) and the Head of School or the Head of School delegate. |
Presentation |
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Independent Review |
Independent reviewers are asked to provide feedback on the following in their report:
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Roles and Responsibilities |
The Candidate:
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Guidelines for: School of Education, School of Health and Sport Sciences, School of Science and Engineering
Documentation |
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Proposal Requirements |
Usually the Confirmation Document will include the following elements, however, this will be determined by the methodology and the project. (NB: not all sections are relevant in all projects):
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Presentation |
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Confirmation Panel |
The panel consists of the supervision panel, three reviewers (one of which must be external to USC, plus one reserve reviewer) and the Head of School or the Head of School delegate. For Science and Engineering: The panel consists of the supervision panel, three reviewers (one internal to USC, one external to USC, plus one reserve reviewer) and the Head of School or the Head of School delegate |
Independent Review |
An independent reviewer is asked to provide detailed feedback. The candidate should demonstrate:
Reviewer feedback should include:
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Roles and Responsibilities |
The Candidate:
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Guidelines for: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Documents |
The prime purpose of the confirmation document is to provide evidence that the candidate understands of the significance of the proposed research project, research methodology or methods, and ethical aspects. The confirmation research proposal should be around 10,000 words depending on the discipline and methodology (min 3,000 and max 15,000 words). The proposal should provide the reviewers and panel with sufficient detail to make informed judgements about the planned research. If the candidate wishes to present their thesis in a different format than a traditional thesis, they must explain the proposed changes as part of their confirmation documentation. The candidate must also include in the confirmation documentation an explanation of the number and type of publications (including proposed titles of publications, titles of journals or conferences, authors, impact factors, suggested abstracts, and potential dates of submission), and also the format of the thesis. Candidates discuss with their supervisors the most appropriate format for their research proposal. |
Proposal Requirements |
Usually the Confirmation Document will include the following elements, however, this will be determined by the methodology and the project. (NB: not all sections are relevant in all projects):
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Presentation |
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Confirmation Panel |
The panel consists of the supervision panel, three reviewers (one of which must be external to USC, plus one reserve reviewer) and the Head of School or the Head of School delegate. |
Independent Review |
The independent reviewer of applications to progress to confirmed HDR candidature is asked to provide feedback both within the document and supported by a 1-2 page written report. The candidate should demonstrate:
Reviewer feedback Independent reviewers of Applications to Progress to Confirmed HDR Candidature are asked to provide feedback on the following in their report (please see accompanying framework for further guidance): Reviewer feedback Independent reviewers of Applications to Progress to Confirmed HDR Candidature are asked to provide feedback on the following in their report (please see accompanying framework for further guidance):
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Roles and Responsibilities |
The Candidate:
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