Research Log
To help monitor the progress of students during their PhD, the Graduate School provides the Research Student Log which is a mandatory component of all UCL research degree programmes. The Log is intended to be used in a flexible manner, to allow for different research processes between different disciplines.
Role of the Research Student Log
The Log has been prepared to assist you throughout your degree programme at UCL. It provides a framework for recording details related to your graduate research programme, scheduled supervisory meetings and activities concerning the development of academic and keys skills. Your Log will also help you to assess your progress and to plan and chart evidence of the development of academic and discipline specific skills and key skills. The Research Log is monitored by supervisors and periodically reviewed by the Graduate Tutor during the student's period of study. Completion of the various stages of the Log is a criteria of the upgrade from MPhil/PhD and final award of the PhD.
The Graduate School offers an introduction course to familiarise new students with the use of the Research Log.
Supervision
One of your first tasks as a student is to sign on and link your supervisors to your Research Log. As you complete the various stages of the Log, they will be sent automatic notifications to sign off your reports and submissions. If any of your supervisors are external to UCL, they can request access by contacting researchlog@ucl.ac.uk to set up an external account.
You are asked to document ‘formal’ supervisory meetings in this Log. It is not intended to record the (far) more frequent ‘informal’ meetings that often occur several times per week. It is important that use of the Log should not replace face-to-face meetings. The framework of supervisory meetings included in the Log is in line with the Graduate School Code of Practice for Graduate Research Degrees.
If during a supervisory session you feel some issues cannot be described in the Log, please feel free to supplement your Log submission with any additional materials letting the tutor know whether you would like these additional materials to be treated confidentially or not.
Transferable skills / "Robert's Points"
The Graduate School skills-based courses are connected to the Research Log and will allow you to collect the required 20 "Robert's points" each year.
In education and employment there is an increasing emphasis on skills and their development. It is important for individuals to demonstrate that their skills have been actively developed over time. The skills development self audit plan of this Log will help you in identifying your skills and also assist you in planning your skills development programme as part of your academic studies and career.
MPhil/PhD in Psychoanalytic Studies Courses
The Core Courses and Special Research Courses run within the department are not linked directly to the Research Student Log. We recommend that student's record details of the courses they attend and the credits gained in the periodic reports requested on the Log.
