Your main objective as a research student is to complete your studies; this means making a substantial and original contribution to knowledge in your subject area. To facilitate this, the Research Degrees Committee (RDC) formally monitors your progress, requiring the completion of report forms by yourself and supervisor. The RDC is serviced by colleagues in the Quality Assurance Unit, who also produces the Research Student Handbook. This outlines the regulations and processes adopted at University, our expectations of you and our obligations towards our students. The Research Student Handbook can be available.
In addition to supporting your formal studies, University of Wales, Newport is committed to providing support for Personal Development Planning (PDP) at all levels, including students pursuing Postgraduate Research Degree Programmes. PDP is seen as a planned and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their future. Personal Development Planning should improve your capacity to understand what and how you are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for your own learning. In order to assist Research Students, a Research Student PDP booklet has been developed that enables students to:
• Record planning and achievement(s) as your studies progress;
• Identify development needs to ensure that you have the necessary skills and techniques to ensure progress and completion of your research programme;
• Develop research and transferable skills that will enhance your employability within academia or elsewhere.
This booklet covers two main areas. The first, the Research Learning Log, serves as a record of your meetings with your supervisor(s), where you will reflect on progress to date and any issues that have arisen, agree forthcoming work and development needs, and agree a date for your next meeting. The second part, the Research and Transferable Skills Log allows you space to record and reflect upon learning at events such as workshops, conferences or formally taught courses that have developed your skills as a researcher or helped prepare you for your future career, and which may be of interest to future employers.
Each time you meet with your supervisor(s) you should use the Research Learning Log to record details of your meeting. This will help you plan your research, and evaluate progress since the last time you met. The notes are for your benefit, so you may make them as brief or as detailed as you wish. Your supervisor will have experience of the research degree process, and will direct your short term goals towards medium and long term objectives – your next formal monitoring point and your overall completion date.
A copy of the 
Research Student PDP is available online, whilst individual 
Meeting Record Forms may also be downloaded.
For further information regarding Quality Assurance of Research, award and assessment regulations and relevant forms, please visit http://quality.newport.ac.uk.