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Annual review process


 

What is an annual review?

  • Your academic progress is formally reviewed by an annual review meeting at least once every 12 months unless you have interrupted your studies for a whole 12 months from the anniversary of your start date, in which case the review will take place not more than two months after you have formally resumed your studies. This is the same for both full-time and part-time students.
  • The purpose of the annual review is to:
    • consider your academic progress
    • confirm satisfactory completion of research training
    • confirm that you have discussed the ethical implications of your research with your supervisor
    • determine new objectives and training requirements for the next period of the research project.
  • The following information should be read in conjunction with your department's specific annual review details in the block further down the page.

Annual review panel composition

The annual review panel must consist of at least one member of your supervisory team plus one member of staff completely independent of your supervisory team.

Timeline of the annual review process

  • Your annual review deadline is the anniversary of your start date, so your annual review meeting can take place at any point during the academic year as long as it's before your deadline. In your writing-up year, you are expected to have a pre-submission interview within 6 months from your submission deadline.
  • For details of when in the year you can expect your annual review to take place, please refer to the department-specific section below.
  • You and your supervisor will be notified by the Doctoral School in November (if you are a continuing student or a new student starting in September) / March (if you are a new student with a with a non-standard start date).
  • If we haven't received the completed paperwork for your review within two months from your annual review deadline, we will send another reminder to you and your supervisor.
  • Two weeks before your meeting is due to take place, you will need to send a copy of all the relevant documents (see box below) to your annual review panel, with the Doctoral School copied in.
  • Within a fortnight of the meeting taking place, the Independent Panel member will forward the form (with the supporting documents) to the Doctoral School for processing, confirming their approval of the form on behalf of the review panel. 

Annual review deadlines

  • Annual review deadlines are calculated as 12 months from the anniversary of your start date - this means you are expected to have an annual review every year by the anniversary of your start date until your writing-up year.
  • In your writing-up year, your pre-submission interview deadline is calculated as 6 months from your submission deadline. More information about pre-submission interviews can be found below.
  • These deadlines will only be amended if you have interrupted your studies for the whole 12 months from the anniversary of your start date. If this is the case, you will be expected to have your next annual review within 2 months from returning to studies (in line with Section 9 (1) of the Research Degree Regulations).
  • In all other cases, your annual review deadline will not be amended - instead, your panel should take into account how much time you have been actively engaged with your studies since the last meeting and make a decision about your progress with this factored in.

Annual review documentation

As part of the annual review process, you are expected to submit a written report showing your progress to date. The exact structure and format of this report should be discussed with your supervisor. This report, along with the documents listed below, should be submitted at least two weeks prior to your meeting taking place:

  • Progression review form - Parts 1-6 completed
  • Research Training log
  • Supervisory Meetings log
  • Copy of the completed Ethical Review (if applicable)
  • A copy of the confirmation of completion receipt from the latest PRES survey (if requested by your department - see department-specific section below). If you do not have evidence of having completed the PRES survey, please email the Doctoral School who will be able to provide a letter confirming whether you have completed the survey. Please note that not providing confirmation of completion of PRES will not be detrimental to your academic progression.
  • If this is your first annual review, you should also provide proof that you have 

    completed the ‘SS1001: Academic Integrity’ course in Moodle (moodle.royalholloway.ac.uk). This 60-minute interactive online course is designed to ensure that students across all discipline areas follow best practice in referencing, paraphrasing and using citations

Are you due to attempt upgrade this academic year?

  • If you're due to have an upgrade attempt this academic year, you are also expected to have a separate annual review meeting as their objectives are different.
    • The objectives of an annual review meeting are to make sure you've made enough progress and completed enough research training since your last review as well as making sure you are in track to complete by your submission deadline.
    • The objective of the upgrade review is to formally show that your work is of PhD standard.
  • For ease, both meetings can be combined into one, but you will need to complete two separate forms to allow your panel to confirm that the objectives of both reviews have been achieved.

Ethics approval

As part of the annual review process, you will need to be able to confirm that you have discussed the ethical implications of your research with your supervisor. 

Find out more about the University’s ethical approval process

Special arrangements

  • If you have a disability, specific learning difficulty or impairment and wish to ask for reasonable adjustments to be made to the conduct of the annual review meeting, may find it beneficial to speak to the University's Disability and Neurodiversity Services team for further guidance and support with requesting special arrangements. Examples of reasonable adjustments you might find useful can be found here.
  • Once the arrangements are in place, we will notify your annual review panel so that the arrangements can be facilitated.

Extenuating circumstances

  • If you want the annual review panel to be made aware of extenuating circumstances that have affected your study, you should submit your statement and supporting evidence to the panel chair within the deadline set by the Department / School for the submission of material for the review (see department-specific section below for details). 
  • In the case of circumstances relating only to your performance at the review meeting, you should inform the panel members and submit a statement and supporting evidence within seven days of the meeting to the Doctoral School.

Annual review outcomes

  • After your meeting has taken place, there are three possible outcomes that the annual review panel can choose from:
    • Good progress
    • Satisfactory progress, save for minor concerns in one or more areas
    • Unsatisfactory progress
  • If you receive an outcome of 'Unsatisfactory progress', you will be required to undertake a further review within a few months of the original meeting. The deadline for this referal meeting will be clearly stated on the annual review form. In certain cases, the Department / School may consider whether it is appropriate to issue a formal warning. 

Pre-submission interviews

  • If you haven't submitted your thesis yet, you will be expected to attend a pre-submission interview in your writing-up year. This is due to take place within 6 months from your submission deadline.
  • The pre-submission interview can be considered as similar to a standard annual review meeting, usually involving just you and your School Director of Postgraduate Education, or their nominee.
  • These meetings are an opportunity for you to discuss your work and your preparations for the examination process with an independent academic in your School. 
  • As with other annual review meetings, you will be notified in November that you are eligible to complete a pre-submission interview, and who you will need to contact to arrange this. 
  • Once the meeting has taken place, the completed Pre-submission Interview form should be sent to the Doctoral School for processing. 

Interruption of studies and annual reviews

  • If you have interrupted your studies for the whole 12 months from the anniversary of your start date, your annual review deadline will need to take place two months from the date that your interruption ends. 
  • These meetings are largely similar to a typical annual review, and use the same documentation. The main difference is that the panel's decision about your 'progress' should consider how well you have been able to pick up your studies following the interruption. 
  • This meeting will count as the annual review for the year.
  • Once the meeting has taken place, the completed annual review form should be sent to the Doctoral School for processing by the Independent Panel member.

 

 Department-specific information

School of Business and Management

Please be aware that the School of Business and Management uses its own version of an Annual Review Form. This form should be used in place of the standard form by all PGR Management students.

 

Contact us

By email:

By phone:

  • 01784 276886
  • Manned 10am-4pm, Tuesday to Thursday

In person:

  • Visit our helpdesk in room S-105, Founder's South Tower
  • Open 10am-4pm on Tuesdays

Quick links

Annual review form

Pre-submission interview form

Research training log

Supervisory meetings log

Ethical approval process

Research Degree Regulations

Tips from fellow students on completing your progression review meeting

A to Z of the Doctoral School microsite

Doctoral School processing turnaround times