It’s the looming deadline for all early on-set higher degree research students (HDR, MPhil, PhD) and, depending on your university structure, for honours (Hons) students too. It’s somewhat a marker of progress, but mostly measures your research intent, your understanding of the relevant literature and where you plan to position yourself as a researcher and how you plan to execute your work. It’s usually a presentation delivered to your department, e.g., The School of Environment, and will include your supervisor(s), some relevant peers and panel members. The duration of your presentation can range anywhere from 60 minutes to more.
Across your higher degree research career, or the course of your Honours, Masters or PhD, you’ll have at least one progress review like this. Of course, they vary, not just by degree (like Hons or PhD) but also by university as each one is set up distinctly from the other. But they’re inescapable, and the standard PhD student will face at least three reviews across their candidature.
Keep calm, because these ‘can be daunting’ reviews are really to serve you and better your research.
They’re formal presentations but the audience is generally made up of people you already know, such as your research supervisor and other members of your university department that you’d likely see around the campus or office. Despite their nature, progress reviews truly are just to benefit you and your work. Whilst it’s easy to feel that they’re an opportunity for you to fumble or receive negative feedback (especially in front of a small audience), the reality is that progress reviews are an opportunity to discuss your work and get help and guidance from the persons who’ve done the work already – as my supervisor tells me, the panel is there to listen, help, offer praise (always nice) and make suggestions.
As part of your presentation, you’ll discuss your work, run through a literature review, discuss your proposed work and research (types of studies, surveys) and offer perspective on your research timeline… the classic question of, ‘how long will your thesis take?’
If you’re a student at UQ or another Australian university, this guide is helpful when looking at what to expect from your progress review. Whilst they vary establishment to establishment, and I’m not clear on the processes at US based universities and other international schools, I’m told the structure isn’t too dissimilar, so this guide will likely be some kind of foundation: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/higher-degree-research/manage-my-candidature/my-progress-reviews
