Turning Doctoral Research Supervision into a Partnership: Towards Promoting Quality Research in African Context

Abstract

Purpose: The paper establishes different perspectives of doctoral research supervision in African context and the contribution of adopting doctoral research supervision into student-supervisor partnership to enhance the quality of research. Background: Research reveals that the need for doctorates has increased in the 21st century. Whereas it is revealed that research supervision is key throughout the doctoral journey, there is need to establish new and contextual techniques of enhancing doctoral research supervision for quality research in African context. Methodology: The paper adopted a documentary review qualitative approach to establish different perspectives of doctoral research supervision in the African setting. Through the same approach 46 papers were reviewed and it was evident that Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) research supervision need to be an interactive process between doctoral candidates and their supervisors. Contribution: The paper contributes to the current literature on aspects of doctoral research supervision and puts to light the contribution of establishing partnerships in doctoral research supervision towards quality research. Findings: The paper reveals that doctoral education in Africa has been affected with several supervision setbacks ranging from limited human and physical resources to unfavorable supervision practices. Findings, further revealed that incorporation of partnership approach in the supervision journey enhances quality research and output. Recommendations: The paper suggests that universities should regularly revise and update rules, regulations and policies that govern doctoral training and research supervision. Similarly, new interactive research supervision technique of pursuing research supervision as a partnership among doctoral students and supervisors should be adopted for quality research results.