ISTANBUL SABAHATTIN ZAIM UNIVERSITY
Institute of Graduate Studies
Principles of Academic Thesis Supervision
In higher education, knowledge transfer and research output are closely linked to the production of master's and doctoral theses. For this reason, supervising graduate students, and thereby turning academic output into tangible results, is one of the fundamental responsibilities of academics at universities. Supervision is not merely a contribution to the transfer of research findings; within the supervisor-student relationship it is also a model of teaching and learning. Academic supervision is therefore of the greatest importance for producing a successful thesis, whether at master's or doctoral level. Moreover, academic supervision contributes greatly to the education system as well as to the professional and personal development of the thesis author. Consequently, the choice of thesis supervisor and the supervision process itself are highly important, since the supervisor assists, directs and guides the student in research and writing with their knowledge, experience, constructive feedback and vision so that a successful thesis can emerge. In this context, it is of the utmost importance that the following principles of thesis supervision be observed in order to improve the quality of the theses written in the departments affiliated with our Institute.
The supervisor bears primary responsibility for directing and guiding the student through all the stages required to produce a successful piece of work: determining the thesis topic, conducting the research, collecting and analyzing the data, and writing the thesis in accordance with the Institute's thesis writing rules.
There must be academic alignment between the supervisor's field of expertise and the thesis topic.
The supervisor must be able to provide adequate guidance for the student's research and must possess the necessary body of knowledge on the thesis topic.
From the very beginning of the thesis, the supervisor must give the student their full attention and take the student's interests and expectations into account.
The thesis topic and title must be decided in consultation between the supervisor and the student, and also by reviewing the studies listed in the National Thesis Center of the Council of Higher Education (https://tez.yok.gov.tr/UlusalTezMerkezi/).
The thesis title and topic must be short, concise, clear, comprehensible and precise, and must not duplicate previously completed studies.
The Turkish thesis title and its English translation must be consistent with each other. Translations must be in academic language and must not be produced with Google Translate.
The supervisor must direct and guide the student regarding the research infrastructure relevant to the thesis topic.
The supervisor must be transparent, consistent, fair and impartial in their practice.
The supervisor must assist and guide the student in classifying, analyzing and interpreting the information gathered through the research.
The supervisor is responsible for the quality of the content, discussion and conclusions of the thesis.
The supervisor must allocate sufficient time to the student, respond constructively to their questions and requests, provide guidance, and contribute to their academic and personal development.
The supervisor must respect the student's views, show empathy, and create and facilitate the conditions for the development of their personal and academic skills.
The supervisor must check whether the thesis has been written in accordance with the Institute's thesis writing rules and must ensure that any thesis not conforming to these rules is corrected by the student.
The supervisor must guide the students under their supervision in ways that facilitate their learning processes.
The supervisor must contribute to the development of students' critical and analytical thinking skills.
The supervisor must help the student develop the ability to conduct independent research, strengthen their critical and analytical thinking skills, and acquire an academic and intellectual perspective.
During the writing process, the supervisor must ensure that the student's thesis fully complies with the rules set out in the İZÜ Thesis and Project Writing Guide.
The supervisor must review a thesis that has reached the defense stage in the light of the İZÜ Thesis and Project Writing Guide and scientific ethical principles, and must send it by e-mail to the thesis review unit of the Institute of Graduate Studies at least 15 working days before the scheduled defense date for the final format check and the determination of plagiarism and similarity rates.
In the light of the feedback received from the thesis review unit, the supervisor must guide the student and ensure that any requested formatting corrections or plagiarism issues are remedied by the student.
The supervisor and the student must make certain, particularly before entering the master's thesis defense, that the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is at least 2.5 out of 4.
Once the thesis has been approved by the thesis review unit, the supervisor must cooperate with the head of the department, the relevant administrative staff and the student on matters concerning the official defense date, venue and jury.
The supervisor must ensure that any minor corrections required following the defense are made by the student on the final version approved by the thesis review unit, and must carry out the final checks within the statutory periods before the successful thesis is submitted to the Institute for graduation.
If an extension is granted at the defense, the supervisor must resend the thesis to the thesis review unit of the Institute of Graduate Studies at least 15 working days before the second defense for the final format check and the determination of plagiarism and similarity rates, and must set the official defense date only after approval has been obtained.
The student must know where they stand at each stage and must feel that they are being guided by their supervisor and can easily communicate with them.
Before the thesis is submitted, it must undergo final checks and be approved by the supervisor and the head of the department; the final thesis check form must be completed, signed and submitted to the Institute together with the thesis.
Before either a master's or a doctoral thesis is submitted, the supervisor must ensure that the student carefully reads the thesis defense procedures published on our Institute's web page.
CLICK HERE FOR THE MASTER'S/DOCTORAL THESIS DEFENSE PROCEDURES.