Thesis supervision

Activities planned to promote the direction of doctoral theses and a guide to good practices

The organisation of the doctoral programme requires a series of prior actions that the programme managers have considered with different intensities, given that the proposed programme has a broad background, as it includes the previous experience of the various preceding doctoral programmes. These prior actions are the dissemination of the doctoral programme among potential doctoral students; the promotion of thesis supervision and the supervision of thesis co-supervision.

The Academic Committee of the doctoral programme will be responsible for planning the activities to promote the completion of doctoral theses. These activities will focus on presenting the lines of research; the capacity and experience of the research teams; the variety of approaches, perspectives and interdisciplinarity of the research in each line; and, finally, the dissemination of the results of the doctoral theses read in recent years. In addition, the labour impact of the doctorate degree will be shown. To meet this objective, the Committee will reinforce the lines of action leading to the dissemination of the Programme, preferably in the Canary Islands universities and in Madeira and the Azores.

The thesis supervision in the doctoral program ATLANTIC ISLANDS: History, Heritage and Legal and Institutional Framework is governed by the Code of Good Practices

of the ULPGC Doctoral School and Article 6 (Rights and obligations of the doctoral student, the tutor and the director of the doctoral thesis) of the Doctoral Studies Regulations of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. These documents establish the rights and obligations of doctoral students, tutors and directors:

• In addition to all the rights contemplated in current regulations and, in particular, in the Student Statute and the Statute of Research Personnel in Training, the following are the rights of the doctoral student: a) All doctoral students will be guaranteed equal rights and duties, regardless of the Doctoral Program in which they are enrolled. b) Such equality will always be exercised under the general principle of university co-responsibility, understood as reciprocity in the exercise of rights and freedoms and respect for people and the university institution as the common good of all its members. c) The doctoral student will have the right to receive from the ULPGC, general information of interest, and, in particular, information corresponding to the rights that correspond to them as doctoral students. d) The doctoral student may collaborate in teaching tasks in accordance with current regulations. e) Within the terms provided for by law and the regulations of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in accordance with the terms established in the current regulations, the doctoral candidate will have the right to request recognition of the knowledge, skills or professional experience acquired prior to admission to the corresponding Doctoral Programme. Such recognition will be included, where appropriate, in the Diploma Supplement.
•  Doctoral candidates have the following common, individual or collective rights: a) to be informed of the regulations regarding the evaluation and monitoring of training activities. b) to an evaluation, in accordance with public, objective, transparent and pre-established criteria, of their training activities, which takes into account the overall creativity of the works and research results in the form of publications, patents and others, and which is taken into consideration in the context of their training progress. c) to appear, in the terms established in the current legislation on the matter, as author or co-author in all works, articles or communications in which they have participated during their doctoral training, particularly those produced from the results of their doctoral thesis or in others in which research results are presented in which their contribution can be considered substantial and effective. (d) to be recognised, under the terms established in the legislation in force on the subject, as the owner or co-owner of the intellectual property rights arising from the results of the research in which he or she has participated during his or her doctoral training, particularly those arising from the results of his or her doctoral thesis or from other results arising from the results of research in which his or her contribution may be considered substantial and effective. (e) to use the name of the entities for which he or she provides services in the performance of his or her scientific activity.
• The doctoral candidate also has the right: a) to have a tutor who guides his/her training process and a director, and where appropriate co-director, with accredited research experience, who supervises the completion of the doctoral thesis. b) to have the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria promote, in its doctoral programs, the integration of doctoral students in research groups and networks. c) to be recognized as a research professional and for the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to promote, in its programs, opportunities for the development of research careers in the public and private spheres. D) to participate in programs and calls for grants for research training and for national and international mobility, as well as intersectoral, interdisciplinary and virtual mobility. (e) the freedom to propose methods for solving problems within the framework of recognised ethical principles and practices and applicable intellectual property regulations, taking into account limitations arising from the circumstances of the research and the environment, from supervision, guidance and management activities, from budgetary limitations or from infrastructure. (f) that co-authorship be recognised and positively valued as a demonstration of a constructive approach to research practice.
• Obligations of the doctoral candidate: The doctoral candidate is obliged to carry out the doctoral studies and to carry out the research that is the object of the thesis project within the framework established by the applicable regulations, under the supervision of the director and the tutor. In particular: a) Carry out the training supplements that, where appropriate, may have been established, and which will be specified in the doctoral candidate's activity document. b) Inform the tutor of the progress in his/her training process and achievement of the objectives of his/her personalized activity document. c) Inform the director regularly of the progress of his/her research, of the problems that may arise in its development and of the results obtained. d) Follow the instructions given by his/her thesis director regarding the research work. e) Ensure the correct use of the facilities and the material provided to him/her in order to carry out his/her research activity. f) Dedicate himself/herself to the completion of the doctoral thesis in the regime of dedication that is appropriate in each case. g) Publish and/or patent the results of his/her research. h) Submit to the evaluation of the activity carried out within the period established by regulations.
• The following are the rights of the Tutor: a) The use of suitable and accessible academic facilities and the availability of appropriate material resources for his/her activity as a tutor. b) Academic recognition of his/her tutoring activities within the statutory framework of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. c) Participation in training activities for tutors offered by the ULPGC in order to responsibly fulfil the functions of supervising its doctoral students. d) All those rights recognised by general legislation, by the regulations of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and by the Statutes and regulations of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
• The Tutor is obliged to: a) Assist his/her doctoral students in their training process, providing information, guidance and resources for learning. b) Facilitate the configuration of the curricular itinerary of his/her doctoral students. c) Regularly review the personalized activity document of his/her doctoral students. d) Periodically inform and endorse the research plan of his/her doctoral students. e) Stimulate the transition of his/her doctoral students to the world of work, the initial development of the professional career and access to continuous training. f) Address the needs of his/her doctoral students with disabilities, in accordance with the guidelines established by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
• The Thesis Director has the right to: a) Use suitable and accessible academic facilities and have the appropriate material means for his/her activity as a thesis director. b) Academic recognition of his/her thesis supervision activities within the regulatory framework of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. c) Participate in training activities for thesis directors offered by the ULPGC in order to responsibly perform the supervision functions of its doctoral students. d) All those rights that are recognized in general legislation, in the regulations of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and in the Statutes and regulations of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and La Laguna.
• The following are the obligations of the thesis directors: a) Establish a constructive and positive relationship with their doctoral students, in order to create the necessary conditions
  for an effective transfer of knowledge and for the proper development of their careers as researchers. b) Regularly review the personalized activity document of their doctoral students. c) Periodically inform and endorse the research plan of their doctoral students. d) Ensure that their doctoral students are aware of the strategic objectives that govern their field of activity and the financing mechanisms. e) Ensure that all necessary permits are available before beginning their work or accessing the resources provided. f) Ensure that the research results of their doctoral students are fruitful and disseminated through publications with indications of quality or, if appropriate, commercialization. g) Facilitate the dissemination to society of the research activities of their doctoral students. h) Ensure that their doctoral students follow, at all times, safe work practices, in accordance with current legislation, as well as that they comply with the legal requirements regarding data protection and confidentiality. I) Meet the needs of doctoral students with disabilities, in accordance with the guidelines established by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and La Laguna.

As regards the expansion of information relating to the promotion of supervision and co-supervision of doctoral theses, the programme plans to offer a catalogue of possible doctoral theses in its training and research seminars, particularly promoting comparative studies between the different archipelagos that would be co-supervised by professors belonging to various universities.

Activities planned by the program that promote multiple supervision

The CAPD will evaluate the research plan and the activity document every six months. To do so, it will have the results reports from the research seminars and those issued for this purpose by the tutor and the director. A positive evaluation will be an essential requirement to continue in the programme. In the case of a negative evaluation, which will be duly justified, the doctoral student must be evaluated again within six months; for this purpose, a new Research Plan will be drawn up. In the event of a new negative evaluation, the doctoral student will be permanently removed from the Programme. The CAPD will meet with all doctoral students at least every six months throughout the programme to monitor the progress of the work carried out up to that point in the research seminars.

Presence of international experts

The doctoral programme includes the participation of internationally renowned experts in the monitoring committees.