How to make the most of your PhD supervisor

The relationship between a PhD researcher and their supervisor is central to success in a geography doctorate.

This interactive one-hour webinar is designed specifically for postgraduate researchers in geography, offering practical strategies to help you navigate supervision with confidence. Whether you are working in human or physical geography, the session will provide insights tailored to the challenges and opportunities of the discipline.

We will explore how to set and manage expectations, particularly in relation to fieldwork planning, ethics, data collection, and writing across diverse geographical approaches. You will learn how to make supervision meetings more focused and productive, including how to prepare effectively, communicate your ideas clearly, and get the most useful feedback on your work.

The session will also address how to engage constructively with feedback on different types of geographical research, from qualitative interviews and archival work to quantitative analysis and lab or field-based data. In addition, we will discuss how to navigate more challenging situations – such as differing methodological perspectives, fieldwork delays, or managing supervision at a distance – and how to approach difficult conversations professionally.

There will be opportunities for questions, allowing you to share experiences with other geography researchers and learn about common challenges across the discipline.

By the end of the session, you will have a set of practical tools to help you build a productive, communicative, and supportive relationship with your supervisor throughout your PhD in geography.

Booking information

• Advance booking for this event is required. In order to book you will need an account on our website. If you already have an account you will be prompted to log in when you click 'book now'. Please create an account if you do not have one yet (you do not need to be a member of the Society to create an account).
• This event will be held on Zoom and joining instructions will be included in your confirmation email.

If you have any questions or require assistance with your booking, please email events@rgs.org