Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES)

Postgraduate Research Experience Survey

Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) is designed to collect feedback from postgraduate research students on different programmes (PhD, MPhil, Prof Doc) and at different higher education institutions in the UK.

The 2025 PRES ran from Wednesday, 5 March 2025, until Wednesday, 16 April 2025.

Each student received an individual link to complete the survey via their London Met email address. All responses remained anonymous.

There were prizes for early respondents: the first 50 students who completed the survey received £10 vouchers. All students who submitted a response were entered into a prize draw, with four students selected at random to win a £50 voucher, along with graduation packages for those graduating in 2024/25.

When does it start?

2025 PRES launched on Wednesday 5 March 2025 and closed on Wednesday 16 April 2025.

What happens to the results?

Your feedback is important. We use the findings to enhance the learning experience and environment for both current and future students.

As a result of 2025's feedback, we identified key areas for improvement and will take the following actions:

Area with a room for improvementIssues raisedActions
Supervision
  • Supervisors' level of awareness around expectations, rules and regulations of the PhD journey
  • Additional training session delivered by RPO as a part of Staff Research Development Programme
  • Cheat sheet/ FAQ pages for supervisors on Staff Zone

Online/Library resources
  • Accessibility of some online library resources
  • Awareness of the interlibrary loans offer ('Request-It')
  • Advertising support available from Academic Liaison Librarians
  • Advertising 'Request-It' app to get access to articles unavailable via LMU Library

Research culture
  • Lack of opportunities to discuss research with wider research community
  • In addition to our regular series of Coffee Mornings School and Centre-organised events, Student and Staff Research Conference, we are going to pilot a 'Research Student Showcase' series as a part of the PGR Training programme that will allow students to share their research with wider research community in a friendly, supportive environment
Community and belonging
  • Low level of sense of community and belonging
  • Lack of connection between new students and more experienced students
  • Piloting online Coffee Mornings
  • Inviting students in their final years/graduates to Coffee Mornings to build those connections
Feedback and student/staff responsibilities
  • Unclear how course responds to feedback
  • Unsure who to contact
  • Making our action plan accessible to everyone on Student Zone and via Doctoral Studies Weblearn announcements
  • Including 'Key contacts' page in Student & Supervisor Handbook and Induction materials (Rise Articulate on Student Zone)
Research skills development
  • Request for more training around creativity and innovation in research
  • Need for a dedicated session on about transitioning from research student to Early Career Researcher
  • Request for more advanced data analysis methods
  • Including PGR Training session on Creativity and Innovation in 2025/25
  • Signposting students to the recording of the session on Creativity in Research delivered in 2024/25
  • Having PGR Training sessions planned well in advance to allow for preparation
  • Adding a PGR Training session on transitioning from student to academia/industry (Beyond Research Degree)
  • Incorporating new PGR Training session on advanced research methods and data analysis techniques (e.g.: Stata, MaxQDA, NVivo, R)
Miscellaneous
  • Better communication at the start of the year outlining key dates and timescales for submissions.
  • Highlighting the key dates at the start of the year

We listen to, learn from and act on student feedback and value the time you take to provide it.

Is it anonymous? 

Your survey response is confidential to the team processing the results, and no reporting outside of this team will identify any individual. Any results communicated to teaching staff will be anonymised.

The survey asks that any comments you make should not identify yourself or any specific members of staff.

Where can I find out more? 

If you are unsure about anything to do with the survey, please speak to your supervisors or email the Research and Postgraduate Office Team.

You can also visit Advance HE for more details.

How well did London Met do in 2025 PRES?

Over 83% of students who completed PRES said that they were satisfied with their experience of doing a research degree programme.

 

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