Two New Enhancements!
We are pleased to announce that on Monday the 9th of March we put live the outcomes from both the PGR Enhancements Project, and the Data Management project!
Both projects aimed to provide additional functionality to the Annual Progress Reports suite of forms. Once a year PGR students undergo a review process where both the work the student has completed, and the supervision of the student, is reviewed. The Annual Report suite of forms are used by Students and Staff as part of the PGR student review process.
Data Management Plan Project
The Data Management Plan project was proposed by Research Innovation Services in response to a decision taken by the Postgraduate Research Committee (PGRC), Education Management Strategy Group (EMSG) and the University Teaching and Research Ethics Committee (UTREC) that all Postgraduate Research students are required to complete a data management plan as part of their first annual review. Creating a project data management plan is required by the University’s Research Data Management Policy and is considered Best Practice.
PGR students currently in their first year will now see a new section regarding the data management plan. The PGR students will be prompted to upload a copy of their data management plan or to explain why it is not needed. Supervisors and Reviewers will also see a new section asking for details about the PGR student’s data management plan.
The project was proposed to SAAG on the 24th of March 2022 with a release date of April 2023, but was released early.
PGR Enhancements Project
The PGR Enhancements Project was proposed by the Education Policy and Quality Office and involved changes across the PGR Administration tool, including an extra question in the Examining Committee Nomination form, improved context information in all three annual progress report forms and altered wording in email notifications.
The project was proposed to SAAG on the 24th of Nov 2022 with a release date of the first of April 2023, and was released early.
Release Notes
Annual Progress report: Student form
- New Question asking if the student has completed a data management plan: Yes / No.
- New Question, if answered Yes for the first question, asking the student to upload the Data Management plan.
- New Question, if answered No for the first question, why a data management plan is not necessary.
- New Question asking if the student has discussed the data management plan with their supervisor.
Annual Progress Report: Supervisor report
- New Question asking if the Supervisor discussed the data management plan with the student.
- New Question asking if the data management plan addressed all the key aspects required.
- A new optional field allowing the staff member to provide additional details.
- New Question asking if no data management plan was submitted, does the project require it.
Annual Progress Reports: Reviewers report
- New Question asking the reviewer to comment on the nature and quality of any written submissions.
- New Question asking if the student can realistically complete their degree within the allocated period of study.
- New Question asking if a submitted data management plan met all key aspects.
- New Question asking if no submitted data management plan was submitted, does the project require one.
Annual Progress Reports:
- Reviewers Report: New question on asking about progress needed for a successful re-review.
- Student’s Review: Additional wording to provide context on the completion plan question.
- Notification: Additional wording on the DoPGR notification email to remind staff when a termination of studies warning should be issued.
Leave of Absence / Extension
- Additional wording to provide context on the completion plan question.
Discounted Time
- Additional wording to provide context on the completion plan question.
Examining Committee Nomination
- Dashboard: Additional wording to explain that additional forms can be created if more than one internal and one external examiner is needed.
- Nomination form: Additional wording to explain that additional forms can be created if more than one internal and one external examiner is needed.
- Nomination form: New question asking the school to indicate if an external examiner is traveling to St Andrews and to remind staff travel costs must be considered as part of school budgets.