Meet the Team
You will have already met with your supervisors and understand that their primary role is to offer you guidance and support in your studies.
Your Research Director and research area administrator are also available for you, should you require any additional support.
Your PhD Researcher Representative is Sorcha Clarke and she will represent your UoA on University level committees to ensure that your voice is heard and any concerns raised.
PhD Researchers within this unit are formally registered at Coleraine campus. The Head of the Doctoral College at Magee and Coleraine is Professor Alison Gallagher.
Our Faculty Subject Librarians are also available to help.
Research Ethics and Integrity
Before you commence any data collection involving human participants you will need to gain ethics approval. Please note that this must be sought for any study involving data collection with human participants (i.e., if you plan to hold interviews, conduct surveys, focus groups, observation etc.). The process involved in obtaining Research Ethics clearance is shown below:
Please make a new application for ethical approval from the Arts and Humanities Ethics Filter Committee. This can be done online. This process should be started at least two months in advance of when you plan to collect data.
Please ensure that Arts and Humanities is selected from the drop-down menu at the top right of the screen.
There are guidance notes for completion on the bottom right of the screen.
The guidance notes contain links to the files that will need to be completed and uploaded as part of the submission, for example RG1a appropriate for oral history interviews, RG2 the peer review form, and the consent form.
Forms are normally completed in collaboration with your supervisors, who will give advice if changes are needed.
The create new submission option is on the bottom left.
The Arts and Humanities Ethics Filter Committee considers applications on a rolling basis. It aims to respond to applications within two weeks. It will committee review the application and communicate to the Chair of the supervisory panel and the researcher involved if there are any possible ethical issues with the planned research approach.
The researcher is advised if any changes are needed and given the opportunity to revise and resubmit the form and materials. These are then reconsidered by Research Ethics Committee and normally Research Ethics permission is granted.
Working Environment
It is important that you have regular contact with your supervisors. The University requires that full-time funded PhD researchers attend the campus regularly (at least twice a week) unless there is agreement which allows for more flexibility with supervisors. Clearly the recent experience of the Covid pandemic has altered working patterns for many of us and we have become more open to working more flexibly. Given this I would expect you to find a working pattern that works optimally for yourself and your supervisors.
It is anticipated that initially you will need to have relatively frequent supervisory meetings. However, when you settle into a more familiar pattern of work, meetings may become less frequent although at various times you may need more support (approaching assessments or during the final writing up stage). The actual supervisory procedure and systems adopted should be agreed by yourself and your supervisors, but for clarification the School of History would expect that full time PhD researchers should have substantive meetings with their supervisors at least once a month and that part-time PhD researchers at least once during a three-month period. The PhD Manager system allows uploading of digital records of supervisory meetings, and it is the responsibility of the PhD researcher to ensure that a full record of meetings is held.
Digital Services provide information on how to print including how to access multifunction devices (MFD) that will allow you to print, copy and scan documents. More information can be found on their website.
Desk space is available across all campuses at UU (depending on projects and supervisory team). Computers are available for research writing and web–based research.
A dedicated PhD research space is available in I-block on Coleraine campus, it is located at i209-i210. Please do not hesitate to ask for assistance from Dylan Reay if you require support in making the workspace more suitable.
Health and Safety
Office Safety
It is everyone’s duty to ensure a safe working environment. Your first point of contact if you have a health and safety query should be your supervisor.
Risk assessments are carried out and updated annually.
First Aid/Defibrillators are available from Security on each campus (extension 22222).
In event of an emergency requiring Police, Fire or Ambulance dial (9)999 directly then contact Security immediately. If working late you should make security aware and let them know when you leave.
Fire Safety
If you discover a fire, you should follow the Fire Safety procedures and activate the alarm immediately using nearest break glass point.
The School of History has 4 Fire Wardens:
- Coleraine – Emmet O'Connor
- Derry/Londonderry – Caroline Harkin, Catherine Russell, Billy Scampton
Travel and Procurement Procedures
All DfE-funded and VCRS PhD researchers are awarded a budget each year (around £900) to be spent on developmental activities to support their research (for instance a training event, attending a conference, collecting data). Prior approval for all DfE/VCRS expenditure must be obtained from the Research Director. The following steps must be followed:
- As early as possible in advance of a trip or the date of expenditure (at least 3 weeks beforehand), an email must be sent to the Research Director justifying the expenditure and pointing out its relevance to the researcher’s research project.
- Following approval of the spend, PhD researchers process the Prior Approvals and Reimbursed Expense Claims online. PhD researchers should navigate to the Finance Visitors Page and follow the link to the ‘Digital Claims Portal’. The Portal homepage provides a link to Registration instructions for first time visitors.
- Once Registration is complete, PhD researchers can maintain their profile and submit digital requests. Training Guides for each claim type are available on the Portal Homepage.
- When completing the ‘Claim Details’ section, PhD researchers are encouraged to consult with School Office staff (Dylan Reay) to ensure the correct ‘Directorate’ & ‘Department’ values are selected from the dropdown lists presented on the digital forms. This will ensure your request is processed in a timely manner.
If any technical problems are encountered, users should raise a ticket via the ServiceDesk.
Following trips, expenses incurred should be submitted via the Digital Claims Portal.
Please note: Claims for expenditure will only be processed if a prior approval form has been submitted in advance of the trip (and a prior approval number has been received) and if receipts for expenditure are submitted as part of the claim. Researchers funded from other sources may seek funding, though there is no guarantee that the request will be met. In this case, prior approval for all such expenditure must be obtained from the Research Director.
Air travel must always be booked using the University’s approved travel agent – Key Travel. Key Travel may be contacted at tel. no. 0161 8199773. Before booking, Key Travel will require a prior approval number and a cost centre code (you must contact the secretary for the cost centre code). For low-cost airline travel (e.g. Easyjet, etc.), Key Travel will require this to be booked via their website – please provide your trip details to the research area administrator who will advise on online booking issues.
Conference fees may be paid in advance to the conference organisers through the University Finance Department. Please provide a copy of the conference registration form and payment details, along with your prior approval number, to the Finance Department.
Car mileage for research trips may be claimed using the Digital Claims Portal.
Accommodation expenses are normally reimbursed after the trip, though it may be possible to book hotel accommodation in advance of a trip through the University’s travel agent (Key Travel).
- It is expected that the most economical forms of travel should be used whenever possible (e.g. public transport rather than taxis).
- Claim forms for expenses must be submitted within 2 months of the date of the trip.
Demonstrating and Teaching Opportunities
Full-time PhD Researchers are offered a semester of mentored teaching training in semester 2 of year 2 of study. This involves taking two seminar groups on a level 4/first-year module for 11 weeks. Mentored marking experience is included. There will be teaching observation and feedback as part of the professional development programme. PhD Researchers wishing to avail of this opportunity are required to register on Ulster University's First Steps to Supporting Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Award in the first year of the PhD.
Successful completion will result in the award of Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Teaching experience is paid work, with claim forms to be submitted to the School Officer.
Assessment Seminars
The Panels
It is the responsibility of the supervisor(s) to find the panel members and arrange the dates of the assessments. The supervisors will be in attendance.
In both the Initial and the Confirmation assessment there will be a chairperson and two examiners (assessors), one internal and one external. The purpose of the internal examiner is to test the candidate’s performance, the written submission, and the overall project from the perspective of the subject specialism. The role of the external examiner is to test more general aspects such as the clarity and focus of the candidate’s presentation, its coherence and persuasiveness, the structure and scale of the project, especially in light of the candidate’s report on progress to date and envisaged time‐line to completion, with a view to confirming its appropriateness as a PhD project, its viability in terms of scope and the likelihood of successful completion.
The Assessment Process
Each assessment will last for about one hour. It will consist of:
- The PhD researcher will give a presentation using Powerpoint or equivalent for 15 mins.
- A period of questions from the panel on the presentation and the submitted written material. This normally lasts around 25 mins.
- The PhD researcher will step outside and the panel will deliberate on your performance and make their recommendations. This normally takes around 10 mins,
- The PhD researcher returns and is given the feedback; there is opportunity for some further discussion. This normally takes around 10 mins.
This will usually take place within four months of registration (i.e. January) for full‐time PhD Researchers and within ten months for part‐time PhD Researchers, (depending upon the time of registration this could vary).
The PhD researcher must provide a short report (no more than 4 pages) including a statement on how the research proposal has advanced since registration and make a presentation on progress to date. You must also provide reference to further development of the research. This material should be provided no later than one week prior to the assessment.
The Doctoral College will send a reminder, but it is up to the PhD Researcher to start the process on PhD Manager for uploading the required documents, including Turnitin report.
At the Initial assessment the panel are asked to reach a decision on the basis of the following aspects:
- The viability of the project
- Ability to understand the research degree process
- Evidence of sufficient early progress
- Evidence that the PhD researcher has shown an ability to identify relevant information sources and gather information effectively
- A statement of how the research has advanced since registration and an indication of future development
- Consideration in some depth of training needs and how to fulfil them
- Effective presentation skills
- Confirmation of whether ethical approval is required or not for the study
- Evidence that the supervisory arrangements are satisfactory
It would be useful for PhD researchers to consider these questions carefully and tailor their presentation and their submitted material so that the panel will be in a position to make an adequate appraisal.
PhD researchers should be aware that while the Initial assessment is largely intended to be constructive and orientative, examiners do consider decisions such as reassessment (i.e. repeat the assessment at a later date) or ‘continuation for MPhil only or withdrawal from the programme’. The latter two decisions are extremely rare but are a sign of the importance of the Initial assessment and the need to address its purpose in a serious way.
The report of the Initial assessment will be taken into account at the Confirmation Assessment with a view to assessing how the PhD researcher took on board suggestions or recommendations made at that assessment.
This normally takes place within eight and twelve months for full‐time PhD Researchers and between twelve and twenty-four months for Part‐time PhD Researchers
The main purpose of the Confirmation assessment is to provide assurance that the topic of the PhD is now clearly defined and appropriate, that the scope of the study is appropriate to PhD level (i.e. not more suitable for MPhil or too ambitious and therefore unlikely to be completed in time), that the PhD researcher has developed a suitable methodology that is appropriate to the project and will ensure its successful completion (evidence of this should be present in the sample chapter submitted) and finally that the outline of the envisaged progress over the next two years is convincing as to its viability and appropriateness.
Once Doctoral college send a reminder, it is up to the PhD Researcher to start the process on PhD Manager for uploading the required documents (TurnitIn report, etc).
The format is as indicated above and PhD researchers should calculate on the following as an approximate guide:
Presentation 15 mins
Discussion 25 mins
Panel deliberation 10 mins
Feedback 10 mins
Preparatory work and submission of material:
For the Confirmation assessment it is important that one substantial piece of work from the thesis is provided (usually a draft chapter).
In addition:
A report on progress made to date
The further development of the research as the basis of a submission of PhD
Including a detailed timetable for the submission of the thesis
The presentation should last no longer than 15 minutes and should NOT be a summary of the submitted chapter. Nor should it be in the form of a mini paper delivered on some other aspect/chapter of the thesis. Rather the presentation should try to fully address as far as time permits the assessment criteria of the assessment to allow the panel to take a successful decision. Reference should be made to the submitted chapter but only to contextualize it in the framework of the overall plan of the PhD. As with all presentations, candidates should avoid either reading out the material on the slides (the panel can read) and avoid repeating the material that has been provided in written form prior to the assessment. Essentially, the presentation should demonstrate a command of the research in a clear and persuasive fashion, and to convince the panel of:
the research questions; the originality and importance of the research; the feasibility of the research – that questions can be answered and within the remaining time.
Conduct of the Assessment
After the presentation, questions will be asked by the internal and the external examiners. Supervisors will be in attendance but will normally not intervene in this part of the discussion.
Outcome of the Assessment
After some deliberation, the panel will give its decision and, usually, some points to bear in mind. These can be in the form of suggestions or recommendations, to discuss subsequently with your supervisor.
Decisions can range from straightforward confirmation or confirmation with recommendations, to deferral (i.e. repeat the assessment within a month or two) to recommendations of transfer to an MPhil or withdrawal. The latter two are most unusual but possible. So again, this is an indication of the seriousness with which the Confirmation assessment should be approached.
The final assessment can be flexible and negotiated between PhD Researcher and supervisors. It can be a mock viva, or a near final draft of chapter(s), or a seminar or conference presentation. The aim of the final assessment is to confirm that the work is at or approaching the standards required for an original contribution to knowledge. It should reassure PhD Researcher and supervisor(s) that submission is appropriate and timely.
Researcher Development Training
An important part of the assessment is to check that the PhD researcher has attained the basic RDT skills and are able to display them during the assessment. These are listed as:
- Demonstrate an appreciation of various practical and methodological approaches to research;
- Draw up a comprehensive research plan and produce a feasible timetable for a particular topic;
- Display an understanding of problem‐solving and creative thinking;
- Devise and communicate a coherent research presentation using a recommended IT application;
- Demonstrate an ability to present their argument clearly and coherently using the language of their discipline.
Thesis Format
Generic guidance on thesis format can be found under the Doctoral College Thesis Format guide.
Submission and viva
Details on processes, including Notification of Intention to Submit, and Approval of Examination Arrangements (including internal and external examiners), can be found on the Doctoral College website.
Thesis requirements
A PhD must make a substantive, original contribution to knowledge, which is embodied within a research study which has both breadth of coverage (e.g. within the context of a literature review or a similar survey of practice) and depth of engagement with a particular problem/issue.
Please read Ulster University PhD Regulations for PhD thesis for further guidance.
In History the dissertation-only PhD (‘traditional’ form), University guidelines state the maximum word count to be 100,000 words.
Publishing and your Research Profile
PURE is an online research portal available to all academic and research staff and PhD researchers at Ulster. Your PURE profile is created automatically when you join the University. You can login to your PURE profile via PURE Support.
PhD Researchers can manage their individual profile by recording research outcomes such as:
- Research Outputs and Publications
- Activities
- Press and Media
- Datasets
- Impacts
Subject Specific Training
The School of History offers and arranges mentored training that is specific to the research demands of the PhD and related career training, especially around impact, networking, and publication.
PhD Researchers are encouraged to join the subject's premier professional association, the Royal Historical Society. The Royal Historical Society offers numerous opportunities for conferences, seminars, research funding and training.
History at UU collaborates with the Institute of Historical Research around professional development and training. Our PhD Researchers have acted as Regional Ambassadors NI for the Institute's History Lab Plus that focuses on early career development. The most popular training in the unit has been in oral history for modern historians and working in archives.
History participates in several national and international research networks. PhD Researchers are encouraged to join relevant associations to avail of professional development. PhD Researchers have, for example, become webmasters and editorial assistants/editors for the History of Science, Technology & Medicine Network of Ireland.
History runs a research seminar series at which staff and invited external speakers present on-going research. The range of topics and approaches are broad. It is a requirement that PhD Researchers attend and when appropriate present at this series.
History mentors PhD Researchers to promote their research to public audiences. Impact is an integral expectation of HEI research. History provides opportunities for publicly accessible podcasts and publications through, for example, the Epidemic Belfast project.
History mentors PhD Researchers to achieve academic publications. Staff are or have been editors of academic journals and book series. This can result in joint publications between staff and PhD Researchers, including in leading journals such as the Historical Journal .