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.
This year's PRES ran from Wednesday 13 March 2024 until Wednesday 24 April 2024.
Each student received an individual link to complete the survey via their London Met email address. All responses remain anonymous.
The first 50 students to complete the survey received a £10 voucher. All students who complete the survey had a chance of winning one of six £50 prizes.
Why take part in the PRES?
The results from last year's survey informed the changes we were able to implement this year. As a result of your latest feedback, we put the following action plan in place:
| Action | Who | When |
|---|---|---|
|
Supervision: review supervisory training offer; communication with Schools and PGR community about supervision expectations and experiences; consider increasing supervision allocation on AWAM by implementing last year's suggestion (75 hrs. to be shared by supervisory team for f/t PGR, including DProf). |
Head of Researcher Development, RPO/Graduate School, PGR coordinators, PVC RKE | October and ongoing |
|
Online library resources: liaise with Library on how to improve access through training and adequate information on portal; conversation with PGR community about where the problems lie |
Library, Graduate School | First semester |
|
Raising a concern: increase awareness of how to raise a concern by communicating potential recipients of a concern to PGR community (School: supervisors, PGR coordinator, Local Safeguarding Officer; RPO/Graduate School; Student Casework Officers; possibility of anonymous reporting) and where to find the information. |
Graduate School; RPO; PGR Coordinators; Supervisors |
Induction; first semester |
We listen to, learn from and act on student feedback and value the time you take to provide it.
All your responses will remain strictly anonymous; at no point will you be identified to us.
FAQ's
When it will start?
PRES launched on Wednesday 13 March 2024 and finished on Wednesday 24 April 2024.
What happens to the results?
Your feedback is important. We use the findings to improve the learning experience and environment for current and future students.
As a result of feedback last year, we introduced improvements in the following areas:
- PGR Training: improvements have been introduced across the programme based on feedback. Timings had been structured in order to address needs as they occur throughout the year, and new sessions had been added.
- PGR Culture: regular coffee mornings have been introduced to enable PGRs from different Schools to meet, share ideas and experiences and potentially collaborate.
- Work Experience: more students were involved as Research Assistants, encouraged and supported to attend internal and external research events.
- Teaching Opportunities: in Schools, on the PGR Training Programme and via the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.
- Communication: improved, timelier and more regular and webpages audited more often to ensure information was relevant, up to date and accessible.
In addition to communications by supervisors, the Graduate School and the Research and Postgraduate Office, the PGRS Society provides a WhatsApp Group and social events. For emergencies, the University has signed up to the TalkCampus service.
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 Postgraduate Research Team.
You can also visit Advanced HE for more details.
