Academic Quality Framework Chapter 17, Part M

Introduction

Northeastern University London (‘the University’) acknowledges that practice research is a distinctive feature of research in the arts and humanities. This section of AQF17 sets out the requirements for Schools/Divisions wishing to establish research programmes of study that rely in whole or in part on practice research.

Programme Approval

2. Programmes incorporating practice research must be approved in accordance with Annex B of the University of Kent’s Code of Practice.
3. The approval of programmes of study that rely in whole or in part on practice research must additionally evidence delivering the discipline’s commitment, resources and expertise in the following areas:
   1. The distinct practices of practice research within their own subject.
   2. Ongoing staff practice research activity.
   3. Student research training in the area of practice research, to include sessions on the relationship between practice and theory and the documentation of practice research.
4. Programmes of study which rely in whole or in part on practice research must operate a system of team supervision (in accordance with the University AQF17: Research Programmes of Study, Part H: Supervision).
5. Members of faculty wishing to be approved as Supervisory Chairs on programmes of study that rely in whole or in part on practice research must be approved specifically to act on these programmes. Because of the particular challenges of this type of study, approval to act in this capacity on programmes that do not address practice research should not be regarded in itself as an adequate criterion for approval.

Student Support

6. Research programmes of study which rely in whole or in part on practice research must offer specific guidance and support to students. The Graduate School must ensure that:
7. There exist appropriate physical and financial resources to support the students’ practice.
8. Students receive appropriate training in the nature of practice research within the wider contexts of subject practice and of research as a whole.
9. Students have a clear understanding of the requirements of examination. The composition of the student’s thesis package must be agreed at an early stage in the student’s course of study.
10. Students receive appropriate training in the documentation of practice, and that there exist appropriate resources to support their work in this area.

Research Output

11. The University does not privilege any one type of research over any other.
12. For the purposes of examination, practice research will be treated in the same way as written submissions. Where the practice submission is intended to be experienced by a live audience, the examination must be under the intended conditions.
13. Practice research will be subject to the criteria for assessment for research degrees published by the University.
14. It is the expectation of the University that all examined research leading to the award of a degree be both accessible and able to be archived.
15. It is likely that in order to address issues of accessibility and to demonstrate achievement of some criteria of assessment, submissions of practice research will need to be supported by a written submission. This written submission may take the form of a statement, commentary, analysis, methodology or a more substantial theoretical discourse.
    1. Note: submitted practice research must not in any way be quantified in terms of a proportion of a written submission, nor vice versa unless there is an explicit statement in the course specification that submission will be by text and practise with a prescribed examination weighting.
    2. The nature of the written submission should be agreed upon by the student, supervisory team and Director of the Graduate School or their nominee (see AQF17: Research Programmes of Study, Part I: Director of the Doctoral School for clarification) early in the student’s period of registration. It is the expectation of the University that the composition of a student’s thesis package will be agreed on and recorded at or before the student’s probation review (AQF17: Research Programmes of Study, Part K: External and Internal Examiners) and reviewed alongside the student’s progress.
    3. While the University acknowledges the importance of the conditions of reception of practice research, it is essential that students also submit documentation of their practice, which can form an accessible and lasting record. The Graduate School must provide training, advice and resources in appropriate documentation techniques for programmes that rely in whole or in part on practice research.
    4. In order to ensure that the documentation of practice research remains archivally secure, it is the expectation of the University that the record of practice research submitted for examination should be deposited in the Northeastern University London Academic Repository and follow guidelines provided by the Graduate School.

Version Control