The purpose of the midway assessment is to evaluate the state of progress for the PhD-project, and to determine how much work remains in terms of completing the thesis. The assessment should be carried out a little more than half-way through, or at 60-70% of the contract period, and it should focus on providing the PhD-candidate with practical advice for the process of finalising the thesis within the set deadline. In the case of an article-based thesis, the main focus may be on the introductory chapter and any remaining, so far unwritten articles, but the candidate may also be asked to present published work if this is deemed necessary to give an assessment of the thesis as a whole.
External reader
Central to the midway assessment is the appointment of an external reader, whose primary task is to scrutinise a set of texts provided by the PhD-candidate. The external reader is chosen by the candidate and the main supervisor in collaboration, but if it is deemed helpful, the co-supervisor may also be asked to suggest candidates for the role. The main supervisor is responsible for contacting the external reader and for deciding a date for the assessment that suits everyone involved. The PhD-candidate and the main supervisor will then decide which parts of the thesis to submit to the chosen reader. If the thesis is article-based this can, for example, be the introduction (kappe) and two chapters or articles, or in the case of a monograph, three chapters. The external reader should receive the selected material, as well as a contents list and a progress plan, no later than three weeks before the date chosen for the midway assessment.
External readers who are able to travel by train or bus should, as the main rule, participate in the midway assessment in person, while those who need to travel long distances by air should take part digitally/on Zoom. Shorter air travel may be considered in cases where this is deemed more convenient than travel by train or bus. Co-supervisors may also attend, but we do not cover their travel expenses.
The Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages (ILOS) offers a fee of NOK 5000,- for the external reader, and similarly a fee of NOK 1000,- for the co-supervisor if they attend.
The administrative staff at ILOS will assist in the booking of travel and other practicalities, and the contact person for this is: Research Officer Tor Erik Risvik Johnsen.
Form
The midway assessment should take the form of an extended supervision session, where both the external evaluator, the candidate and the main supervisor take part. The co-supervisor can also be asked to contribute. Other members of staff may be invited to attend the session and contribute to the discussion, but it is important to make sure that the evaluator feels in a position to give an honest critique of the work presented. For that reason, it is not advisable to invite a large audience.
Procedure
The external reader needs to prepare written comments to the submitted texts in advance of the midterm assessment-session itself, and the same texts should also be made available to the other participants. The proceedings at the assessment should adhere to the four-part plan outlined below and have a duration of at least three hours. The time allocated to each part of the plan may be adjusted to suit individual needs:
- The candidate presents an outline of the current state of the work on the thesis (10-20 mins).
- The external reader presents their critique (30-60 mins).
- The participants take part in a scholarly discussion, where all those present are welcome to contribute (60-90 mins).
- The meeting is concluded with an assessment of the progress plan (circa 30 mins).
Following the midterm assessment, the external reader writes a brief report in English – or in the language used in the dissertation – which is subsequently sent to the candidate, cc'ing the supervisor and Research Officer Tor Erik Risvik Johnsen.
Midway seminar
It is possible for the candidate and the main supervisor to organise an open seminar in connection with the midway assessment, but primarily if the candidate is linked to one of the research groups at ILOS. The seminar must be set up in such a way that it is of interest and relevance to a broader section of staff at the department, not merely to the candidate and the supervisor themselves. The seminar should be organised by the relevant research group, but will be financed through the departmental PhD-funds, subject to availability. Papers or presentations at the seminar should be given by those who already take part in the midterm assessment – the external reader and the co-supervisor – as well as by the PhD-candidate, who will need to present a paper based on their own doctoral research. The department does not provide funding to invite further participants to present papers. Whether the seminar is held on campus, or in a digital format is decided according to the travel rules set out above.
For more information about this funding opportunity, please contact the Research Officer Tor Erik Risvik Johnsen.
NB: the midway seminar arrangement will be discontinued from August 2024.