Type of Supervisors

Choosing the right research supervisor is very important. According to Prof. Jailani, 60% of success in completing a PhD is related to supervisor. There are 6 types of supervisors according to Smith and Martin; the collaborator, the one with hands-off style, senior scientist, authoritarian, coach and laissez-faire.

1- The collaborator

More likely to be young and hungry for results. His or her success depends to a larger extent on yours, so he/she has a vested interest in how well you do. Often this mean rapid progress toward your degree, but be careful. In such cases topics are often chosen more by the adviser than by the student. The topics may be less risky and the adviser may want more than the appropriate share of credit.

2- Hands-off

Generally, a mid level academic with other responsibilities, but may be 'less greedy for results'. Such a person can be a source of wise counsel and might let you choose areas of greater risks and significance.

3- Senior scientist

A well established faculty member with varying amount of time. The quality of attention from senior scientist may be the best of all because of their extensive experience. However, while older faculty members may not compete with you, as might their younger colleagues, they may also think they know it all, are less likely to help you learn the ropes, and may not be as available. Also, their energy level might be lower and they may be out of date or living on past glories.

4- The Authoritarian

Likely to set the goals and lay out tasks for the research, usually in some detail. Such advisers welcome conflicts, expect you to speak up and argue, and are active throughout the research process.

5- The coach

Will seek to set goals jointly with the student. There may be a lot of guidance in the beginning or planning phase, but not much during the research itself. The adviser is active in the planning stage, passive during the process and active in the evaluation stage.

6- Laissez-faire

Friendly and supportive but it's not certain you will learn much from them. They will be relatively inactive on the research tasks unless you take the initiative but supportive throughout and generally available. Attractive as they may first appear, working with laissez-faire adviser is a high risk strategy and is only likely to work if you have strong research skills, are independent and know what you want.