Research log
To help students monitor their progress during the PhD, the UCL Doctoral School provides a Research Student Log which is a mandatory component of all UCL Research Degree programmes.
Role of the Research Student Log
The Research Student 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 key transferable skills. The Research Log is monitored by supervisors during the student's period of study. Completion of the various stages of the Research Student Log is a criteria of the upgrade from MPhil to PhD and the final award of the PhD.
The Doctoral School offers an introduction course to familiarise new students with the use of the Research Log:
One of your first tasks as a student is to activate your Research Student Log and link your supervisors to your profile. As you complete the various report stages, your supervisors will be sent automatic notifications to sign off your submissions.
You are asked to document formal supervisory meetings in this Log. 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 Code of Practice for Graduate Research Degrees:
It is a mandatory requirement of Students to meet with their supervisor at least once every month to discuss their progress in a face-to-face meeting. These should be held approximately once per month, documented in the Research Student Log, and electronically signed by the supervisor.
PhD students are required to complete 20 "Robert’s Points" per year by taking Doctoral School skills training courses. The training courses are provided by UCL or its affiliated member institutions. The training is free of charge and there is a wide variety of useful courses available. You gain one point per half day of training.
The Doctoral School's skills-based courses are linked up with the Research Log and as you register for these courses, skills points will automatically be added to your log:
Students can also gain skill points by engaging in activities that are not linked directly to Research Student Log. Skills-based activities that can be added manually can be:
- presenting a paper or poster at a conference
- publishing a paper
- taking specialised training for their research project
- teaching
- attending departmental seminars
- etc.
To check points for such activities, search for Institute of Ophthalmology under ‘Department Based Training’ section in the Doctoral Skills Development Programme and then register these points manually in your log: