Rights and responsibilities in research supervision

Doctoral education in nursing and midwifery is expanding, placing higher demands on research supervision ( RS ). In this study, rights and responsibilities are examined, as well as academic supervisors' and postgraduate students' perceptions of important aspects of the RS process. A qualitative approach comprising 15 interviews and interpretative content analysis was employed. An overarching theme emerged: “the nature of the research supervisory relationship”, describing the creation of a caring, constructive, supportive, and empowering relationship. In addition, two categories were identified: “taking responsibility for engaging in transformational learning, creating a research culture, and contributing to knowledge development” and “taking responsibility for safeguarding rights, as well as for enhancing awareness of research ethics and codes of practice”. The findings suggest that a dynamic trusting supervisory relationship is a prerequisite for excellence in the RS process. In conclusion, this study provides evidence of the need for conceptualization of the RS process, and that it can be facilitated by a better understanding of how various ethical issues impact on research development.