Becoming a doctoral co-supervisor

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore the doctoral co-supervisor’s experiences at the beginning of the supervisory career. The specific role of the novice co-supervisor remains largely underexplored. Therefore, the overarching research question guiding the thesis is: How do novice doctoral co-supervisors in Swedish universities perceive their initial years of their doctoral supervision careers? As doctoral supervisors operate on an international stage, doctoral supervision in Sweden can be seen as an example. The thesis consists of four papers. It isbased on a survey of 192 co-supervisors at 14 universities, 5 focus groups fromone university, 25 in-depth interviews from two universities, and various legal sources. The papers are connected through a sociological conceptual framework,‘local sociology’, which describes how identities are formed. First, the thesis explores the collective identity manifested in legislation, local guidelines and role expectations where the co-supervisor is relatively invisible. Despite this, a collective identity emerges, positioning the co-supervisor as responsible yet loyal. Following this, the reflective individual identity is also revealed, shaped by feedback from others. Here, a clear ambivalence between the role ofa successful researcher and a good supervisor becomes evident. Novice co-supervisors strive for smooth, supportive relationships and may therefore adopt the identity of mediator. In summary, becoming a co-supervisor is a significant challenge. The insights from this research can help develop future support systems for the novices. This may be beneficial to them and their PhD students.

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