Doctorate in Theology and Ministry Programme Handbook 2015/16 Department of Theology & Religious Studies Welcome Dear All, On behalf of myself and the Department of Theology & Religious Studies I wish you every success in your continuing studies for the Doctorate in Theology and Ministry. We are delighted that you are with us as members of the Department. We welcome the broadening of the range of the Department’s work that this represents and we hope to benefit also from some of the innovative practice that characterises the DThMin. This handbook should provide you with most of the information you will need for the programme, but if you have not found the answer to your question here then please contact: Dr Christèle Machut, Resources Officer, Department of Theology & Religious Studies, King's College London. Room: 3.12, Virginia Woolf Building, 22 Kingsway, WC2B 6LE. Email: [email protected] Tel 0207 848 7376 or 2339 (Note: Chris works part-time for the Department of Theology & Religious Studies and part-time for the Department of Philosophy.) The Programme Convener ([email protected]). for the DThMin is Professor Ben Quash Please do be sure to check your King’s e-mail account regularly so you do not miss any important information from us or other departments at King’s. And please use your King’s email address in correspondence rather than another one. You will find further information about the Department on the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/trs/index.aspx. If you have not visited the Department on the third floor of the Virginia Woolf Building, do just drop in any time. There is lots of study space and it is just five minutes from the Maughan Library. Best wishes, Professor Paul Joyce Samuel Davidson Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Head of Department Location: Room 3.32, Virginia Woolf Building, 22 Kingsway, WC2B 6LE Telephone: 020 7848 2057 E-mail: [email protected] 1 Contents Part One Programme Organisation & Administration…………… 3-7 Part Two Programme Aims & Structure……………………………. 8-13 Part Three Ministerial Focused Study & Research Based Thesis………………………………….. 14-28 Part Four Student Services and Support…………………………….. 29-38 Appendix 1 Schedule 2014-15………………………………………….. 39 Appendix 2 Assignment Cover Sheet…………………………………… 40 Appendix 3 RBT Research Contract……………………………………. 41 Appendix 4 RBT Supervision Form…………………………………….. 42 Appendix 5 Research Institute in Systematic Theology………....... 44 2 PART ONE Programme Organisation & Administration Communication & E-Learning Useful College Contact Details Programme Team & Management 3 USEFUL COLLEGE CONTACT DETAILS Department postal address: Department of Theology & Religious Studies, King's College London, Room 3.12, Virginia Woolf Building, 22 Kingsway, LONDON WC2B 6LE If you have any queries regarding finance and fees, please contact: The Finance Office Room 5/35 James Clerk Maxwell Building Tel: 020 7848 3262 E-mail: [email protected] If you have any queries regarding ID. card replacement, council tax letters or any queries of a general nature, please contact: The Compass Maughan Library Chancery Lane London WC2A 1LR Tel: 020 7848 2424 E-mail: [email protected] On-line: log into Student Records and select the Compass Online tab. The Compass is a 'one stop shop' support service for students, Drop-in sessions with specialist advisors are also available, thus bringing services together for students in a central hub. If you have any queries regarding your viva or award, please contact: Research Degrees Examinations Office Room 7.29 James Clerk Maxwell Building Tel: 020 7848 3374; (3225 post-viva) E-mail: [email protected] If you have any queries about your graduation ceremony, please contact: Graduation Team Room 7.25 James Clerk Maxwell Building Tel: 020 7848 3380/3790 E-mail: [email protected] 4 COMMUNICATION AND E-LEARNING Student Records This is the internal college portal for students which give access to services, study support and information relevant to you and your programme. It is here you should update personal information e.g. change of address/phone numbers https://mykcl.kcl.ac.uk Log in using your King’s e-mail user name and password. E-Mail Students are required to check their kcl email addresses that are provided on enrolment. Staff will not send emails to personal addresses. It will be considered your responsibility if important information fails to reach you because you have neglected to do this. Website Useful information can be accessed from the Department’s web pages http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/trs/index.aspx King’s E-learning (KEATS) To login to the King’s e-learning service you will need to log in using your usual King’s username and password. http://keats.kcl.ac.uk Absence The Programme Administrator must be informed if students are absent due to illness or any other cause. Students should give the reason for their absence and indicate the number of days or weeks they expect to be away. If a student is absent for more than three consecutive weeks a medical certificate or relevant documentary evidence should be sent to the Programme Administrator. This is particularly important as any application to the Examiners to take into account the effect of absence on a student's assessment must be supported by documentary evidence or a medical certificate. Changes to Registration The change to registration form may be found at: https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/student/study/arc/PGR/reg-status.aspx Change of Address Students must inform the college immediately of any change of address at home or at work. This should be done by logging in to Student Records. Please also inform Dr Christèle Machut, Resources Officer ([email protected]). It will be considered your responsibility if important information fails to reach you, because you have neglected to do this. 5 Programme Management Management The Programme Convenor ([email protected]). for the DThMin is Professor Ben Quash The Programme Committee consists of Professor Ben Quash, Professor Paul Joyce, Head of Department, and student representatives. The committee meets termly and considers student feedback, makes recommendations for improvement to the programme and receives reports from the programme team. Professor Paul Joyce Professor Ben Quash Samuel Davidson Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Professor of Christianity & the Arts Head of Department Programme Convener, DThMin Tel +44 (0) 20 7848 2057 Email [email protected] Address: Department of Theology & Religious Studies King's College London Room 3.32, Virginia Woolf Building, 22 Kingsway LONDON, WC2B 6LE Tel +44 (0)20 7848 2336 Email [email protected] Address: Department of Theology & Religious Studies King's College London Room 3.27, Virginia Woolf Building, 22 Kingsway LONDON, WC2B 6LE Research interests: The Exilic Age of Ancient Israel, especially the books of Ezekiel and Lamentations The History of the Reception of the Bible in Judaism and Christianity Psychological Interpretation of the Bible Reading the Bible in an Inter-Faith Context Hospitality in Biblical and Intercultural Context Research interests: Theological aesthetics, with a particular interest in Hans Urs von Balthasar's work Literature, drama, the visual arts and music, in their intrinsic theological interest, as well as the way in which the arts can stimulate renewed theological engagement with the Bible Christian ethics, especially as shaped by liturgy and scripture If you have any issues that you would like raised with the Programme Committee, please pass these to the Theology & Religious Studies Departmental Office (Virginia Woolf Building, 3.12; [email protected]) or to a student representative, e.g. The Reverend Robert Beamish [email protected] The Reverend Jeremy Follett [email protected] 6 Pastoral Oversight The Graduate Senior Tutor is Dr Michael Ledger-Lomas ([email protected]). Appeals Procedure Should any problems develop on programmes, students are advised in the first instance to see their module convenors. They may, however, contact the Graduate Senior Tutor should any problems persist, either with their academic work or in their relationship with other tutors. Formal appeals against the decisions of Boards of Examiners must be made to the College Academic Registrar but the Graduate Senior Tutor will be happy to see students about these procedures and forms of appeal may be obtained from him. 7 PART TWO Programme Aims and Structure Programme Aims Programme ‘Philosophy’ Programme Structure Optimal pathway through the programme The Research Community Ministry and Study 8 Programme Aims Educational aims of the programme The DThMin is a research training process designed for people with substantial experience of Christian ministry. It enables ministers to engage in research relevant to their interests and vocation. Specifically, the programme aims to: 1. provide skills and opportunities for research into the links between academic theology and the practice of ministry; 2. offer a range of theoretical frameworks that can serve as the basis of research into this interface; 3. develop the necessary academic skills in theological disciplines, and the necessary practices of reflection on professional experience and practice, to inform this research, 4. develop a critical awareness of the ways in which ongoing theological reflection and research can both inform, and be informed by, the practice of ministry; 5. develop a high level of skills of enquiry which will be applied to individual research studies of relevance to participants’ ministry; 6. enable students to make a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford evidence of originality by the discovery of new facts and/or by the exercise of independent critical power. The DThMin is doctoral level study, one of a family of programmes run by King’s that fit an increasingly common model known as the ‘professional doctorate’. It differs from a traditional academic doctorate (PhD) through its taught components and overall structure. Like a PhD, however, the main core lies in the final Research Based Thesis, which must fulfil the basic requirement for doctoral study, original research resulting in a ‘distinct contribution to knowledge’ (aim 6 above). Programme ‘Philosophy’ The King’s DThMin programme does not aim specifically to be a course in applied or practical theology. Rather, the approach is to set up a series of critical and reflexive dialogues between the particular ministerial context of each student and different disciplines within theology and the social sciences. Rather than pre-package or pre-determine what the connections might be, the programme sets out various frameworks of analysis which the student then brings to bear upon the context of ministry through class based discussion, research days, essays and longer research projects. This approach is written into the programme structure. The first section of the programme immerses the student in a multiplicity of disciplines out of which particular foci for continued research will emerge. As the student progresses through the programme their lines of research will become increasingly coherent and focused, eventually resulting in the final thesis. 9 Programme Structure There are three components to the DThMin programme. These are pursued sequentially, as each leads on to and informs the next part. They are: a taught component; a Ministerial Focused Study (MFS) a Research Based Thesis (RBT) The Taught Component The structure of the taught component is being reviewed as part of the overall assessment of the programme. We have been evaluating possible changes in the order in which the material is presented, which has involved moving material from one year to another to assess where it is best situated. The published timetable sets out the present arrangement of the taught material. This consists of three modules: Theology and Ministry. The Role of the Minister Empirical Research Methods for the Study of Ministry Theology of Ministry (7SSEK001) aims to provide students with a critical appreciation of how ‘classical’ sub-disciplines of theology can be used to inform and shape reflection on, and research into, the practice of Christian ministry. It begins the process of enabling and encouraging students to bring their prior academic training into sharper dialogue with their ministerial experience and practice. The Role of the Minister (7SSEK002) is designed to enable students to relate a set of different accounts of the role of the minister to a set of academic discourses that might inform or question each account. In each case, an ‘organising discourse’ (that is, an academic discourse that might be used to organise the relationship between theology and ministry in particular ways) will be proposed and explored. The intention throughout this module is to deepen participants’ appreciation of the different ways in which academic discourses and professional practices can question and inform each other, and particularly the ways in which such interaction can suggest and inform research questions. Empirical Research Methods for the Study of Ministry (7SSEK003), explores the appropriate use of a variety of quantitative and qualitative empirical research techniques which students may deploy in their Ministerial Focused Study (7SSEK004). The taught component should provide you with the skills to identify appropriate research questions and the ability to identify and deploy techniques to answer them. A subsidiary aim is to update the knowledge base of students and to bring them into critical dialogue with contemporary scholarly debates in theology. Thus, the taught component prepares you for the next two components of the DThMin programme. 10 Ministerial Focused Study MFS (7SSEK004) This component of the DThMin is an opportunity to look at the practice and context of ministry. Students can examine problems and issues relating to a particular context of ministry, preferably their own. You will have identified particular areas of interest over the previous two years; the MFS provides you with the opportunity to do an empirical study which will assist you to evaluate the implications for theology and practice. The outcome is a substantial written report on the work, up to 15,000 words. You will partake in a tutorial group supervised by a member of staff within the Department of Theology & Religious Studies. There will be research days and seminars and that are part of the ongoing learning related to your research. Successful completion of the MFS acts as a benchmark in the programme leading on to the final substantial piece of work, the Research Based Thesis. The Research Based Thesis RBT (7SSEK005) This is the third part of the DThMin, the endpoint to which the taught components and MFS have led. It involves a research study in your own specialist topic area. Not only will it contribute to your knowledge about being a minister, but it will provide you with an opportunity to explore in depth particular aspects of that role which are of interest to you. The maximum length is 55,000 words, inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of appendices and bibliography. The RBT will be the basis of your viva voce examination for the Doctorate. In addition, you will need to show, in writing and discussion, how your thinking developed through the programme to lead to the particular thesis you have produced. The thesis may be linked to the Ministerial Focused Study, if appropriate. For instance, the MFS may have raised a particular question and demonstrated the sharpness of it for your particular ministry. You might then use the RBT to build on the MFS, in effect using the earlier research as a ‘pilot study’. There is no requirement, however, that the RBT be so directly linked to the MFS. Indeed, the RBT could be a completely unrelated study. It should be emphasised that while it is expected that RBTs will normally be inter-disciplinary, it is expected that theology or a particular sub-discipline (e.g. Biblical Studies) will form a significant part of the analytical framework used in your RBT. Optimum Pathway through the Programme The first two years are designed to bring you up to speed with contemporary scholarship in key subdisciplines within theology and to explore various ways in which the practice of ministry may be assessed and analysed combining theology, history and the social sciences. During this time it is important to begin considering general areas or topics that you might focus on in your RBT. It is advisable to explore your chosen area through the essays in the first two years, bringing different perspectives to bear on the topic and so building up a body of research that relates to the topic. For example, if you are interested in emerging churches, you could explore ecclesiology within Biblical Studies or Systematic Theology, the relationship between worship and discipleship in Moral 11 Theology, and responses to culture in Practical Theology. None of these may end up the particular focus of your RBT, but they will give you a much wider field of vision and depth of knowledge to bring to the particular study you may then undertake. You will also have covered a range of relevant scholarly literatures that you can then bring to bear in your RBT. In addition, it will help you have a clearer idea of how to focus your RBT in relation to a wider field of scholarship. In the first two years it is vital you develop and practice your writing skills and ensure you have a fully developed citation/referencing system to use in your writing projects. It is strongly advisable to read some books on writing and study skills at post-graduate level. The library has a wide selection of such books – choose one that is appropriate to you. It is also advisable to become familiar with a way of keeping track of your bibliography, either through a word processing programme or through a bibliographic package such as Endnote. Supplementary courses are available from King’s for training in using such packages - see King’s IT services page 32. Your MFS can focus on a topic directly related to your future RBT or it might be a precursor study that examines the topic or area at an empirical level, which you then develop in a more theoretical way in your RBT. When undertaking both the MFS and RBT it is strongly advisable to take advantage of the further MPhil/PhD Research Training courses available both from the Graduate School (see page 33). This is especially important if you are using a particular research package such as NVIVO or research method such as ethnographic interviewing. The Programme Convener can advise you in relation to this. The Research Community Research Days Interaction with the research community is another important aspect of the DThMin process, whether sharing one’s own research or discovering and evaluating the research of others. To facilitate this we organise research days that bring together DThMin students with PhD students engaged in practical theological research. These days are a vital component of the DThMin and all students are expected to attend. The research day programmes have three main aims: 1. To help students engage with recent high quality research in the field of theology and practice. 2. To give RBT students the opportunity to present papers and receive peer feedback. 3. To offer training seminars on topics that relate to research development. More formal expressions of research to the wider community of scholarship occur through publishing in scholarly journals and monographs and participating in conferences. You will be expected to become familiar with the particular journals that are relevant to your own area of research, and will be encouraged as your research progresses to prepare and submit papers for publication in those journals and give papers at relevant conferences and seminars. The dates of Research Days in 2015-16 are Wednesday 4th November 2014 and Wednesday 2nd March. It is intended to combine a third Research Day with the Colin Gunton day organised annually by the Department. DThMin students are also encouraged to consider the range of Research Seminars available in the Department, details of which may be found at: 12 http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/trs/research/seminars Ministry and Study The DThMin is a demanding programme, requiring a significant commitment of time, energy and financial resources over several years. It is also likely to be an important personal journey for you, with moments of encouragement and challenge along the way. The structure of the programme is designed in part to offer clear ‘milestones’ along this journey, points where you can pause with some satisfaction to view your progress, and to assess the distance still to be covered. In addition, your peer group of fellow students can be an invaluable source of support for you in this process. We encourage all students, in addition to their involvement with staff, to identify a learning partner with whom they can form a mutually supportive relationship as they progress through the programme. Having said all that, we recognise the fluctuating and unpredictable demands of most forms of Christian ministry, and the possibilities of personal crises that will make study particularly difficult at one point or another. Please, whenever periods of additional stress arise, be ready to talk to your personal tutor about them. There may be relatively simple ways of solving problems. We want your experience on the DThMin to be enjoyable as well as arduous, stimulating and challenging a time that results in growth both personally and professionally, as well as in academic success. 13 PART THREE MINISTERIAL FOCUSED STUDY AND RESEARCH BASED THESIS The Ministerial Focussed Study (7SSEK004) MA in Ministerial & Theological Research The Research Based Thesis (7SSEK005) 14 The Ministerial Focussed Study (7SSEK004) The Ministerial Focused Study forms the basis of a report of 15,000 words. It will be carried out after the taught modules and prior to the Research Based Thesis. In this way it provides a link between the module work and the thesis, and may constitute preparatory work for the thesis. It provides the opportunity for people engaged in Christian ministry to study the particular context of their own ministry. This might, for example, include the church or other organisation within which they are employed; the community, or a segment of it, in which they minister; a particular movement or ministry tool relevant to their ministry. It is assumed that students will want to focus their study on their own context of ministry in some way, although this is not a requirement. The study might be based on documentation, on interviews and observation, or on data gathered by the student (e.g. questionnaire responses). It will probably derive from issues, problems and methodologies developed during the taught modules, and may build on work carried out during these modules. It is not necessarily tightly tied to the RBT, but may well inform the thesis, and will certainly permit the evolution of skills, ideas and understanding that will be necessary for the thesis. For some, the MFS will provide the foundation on which the RBT will build. In every case, the student needs to demonstrate the integration of all the elements of the programme in the final examination of the RBT. The particular character of the MFS is that it is empirical research. For many DThMin students, trained in the traditional humanities approaches of theological studies, this will be a new challenge. The module on Research Methods for the Study of Ministry will help to orient students to the possible ways of approaching this. Supervision It is expected that a student will take 9-12 months to complete the MFS. Supervision will need to be organised. MFS tutorials aim to provide support to those working on their empirical research projects. The first tutorial is exclusively concerned with the matter of gaining ethical approval from the College. Subsequent tutorials provide feedback through discussion on issues that are relevant to the research being undertaken. To take best advantage of the tutorials students should bring along sample of works in the form of questionnaires, interview questions, etc., that can be shared with the group. Approval of topic for the study Students will discuss their proposal for the MFS during the summer term of their second year. During that time, the nature of their MFS should be becoming clearer. Each student will then work to complete an outline statement about the study; this is submitted for peer review in class, plus to their supervisor for approval. It may be necessary to modify the proposal in the light of their review process. Students are therefore required to obtain approval for their proposal for the MFS before starting their study. The MFS proposal is in the form of the assessment arising from the Research Methods module. The proposal/essay should clearly indicate the research topic, its rationale and expected outcomes, how you intend to undertake the research, and a bibliography. As the proposal takes the form of an essay, an appendix outlining a timetable of research should be included. The proposal should locate 15 the research in the context of the relevant literature. If the proposal is designed to lead to a RBT, that should also be indicated. Ethical Approval All research which involves human participants or raises other ethical issues with potential social or environmental implications must be submitted for ethical review. Any research on human participants found to have been conducted without the appropriate ethical approval will be reported as misconduct. You cannot begin data collection (as distinct from doing reading for the research project) until you have Ethical Approval clearance. Information about obtaining ethical approval is available from the Ethical Approval web pages. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/ethics Applications should be submitted for ethical approval to either the Research Ethics Subcommittee or the Research Ethics Panel for your department (this will depend on the level of risk the project presents which determined using a checklist is found on the application forms and at the following link: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/innovation/research/support/ethics/applications/briefingpage.aspx Often MFS research projects qualify for the low-risk application process but RBT students always need to apply to the full panel. It is important therefore if you are applying through the Low Risk route, that you specify that you are engaged in your MFS research study. The Low-Risk Research Ethics Application Procedure is explained here: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/innovation/research/support/ethics/applications/lowrisk/index.aspx Please discuss ethical approval with your supervisors as soon as you have a plan for your research and read the relevant guidelines and fill in an application form for approval in the Autumn term of year 3. The MFS Report The report should be 15,000 maximum (inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of appendices and bibliography) words in length and should demonstrate ways in which the study contributes to understanding and to the practice of ministry in relation to existing literature. It should be divided into sections, including an introduction and a conclusion, and sections on rationale and the approach/method adopted, the substantive study, and a discussion of the findings. The introductory section should set the tone of the report and should contain a statement of the issues being investigated, with some kind of justification for doing this. Where the MFS is to be linked to the RBT, the report should contain an indication of how the RBT is likely to develop and extend the findings of the MFS. Two copies of the report should be handed in to the TRS Department Office by the date due in addition to an identical electronic version which should be uploaded to KEATS. This will normally be the first week in September of the relevant year. Copies of all reports will be held at least until the student has completed the DThMin programme. The reports of successful candidates will be kept as relevant research literature. The report should include, after the title page, an abstract of not more than 300 words and a table of contents giving chapter and section headings and page numbers. A bibliography should be added in accordance with normal academic procedure, and references included where necessary. 16 The title page should show the title of Doctorate in Theology and Ministry, the title of the report and the name of the candidate as registered with the college. The pages should be numbered in one continuous sequence from the title page to the last page of type. The report should be printed on A4 paper, in double spacing. RULES ABOUT WORD COUNT, PRESENTATION AND DEADLINES APPLY Referencing Academic writing has specific conventions that are required to be followed by students. Learning how to identify sources is an important skill, and the DThMin is intended to help you develop reliable approaches to referencing and sourcing. The basic requirement is that any source you use can be clearly and unambiguously identified by your readers. You are not required to use any specific system for citing references in your essays or thesis. However, you should be consistent in whatever system you use. There are a number of referencing conventions that you may want to follow: 1. The Harvard system (author/date approach). Here, references are cited in the main body of the text by inserting the author surname and year of publication in brackets (and page reference if required) at the relevant point in the text. At the end of the essay or thesis, you provide a complete list of references which contains all the sources you have cited, arranged in alphabetical order by the author’s surname. What the text looks like: “The argument has been made that the most important thing about referencing is to be consistent (Smith, 2011, p. 26)” What the bibliography at the end of your work looks like: Smith, R. (2011) Refocusing the academic agenda: a guide for doctoral supervisors. 2nd ed. New York: Diamond Books. 2. The Footnotes system. Here, you place note markers in the text to refer to sources which are placed as numbered footnotes at the bottom of the page. There may also be a complete list of references given at the end of the document, which is usually ordered alphabetically. Most students use the footnote system, which generally works better for the arts and humanities. Please note that footnotes are included in your total word count. Whether you use author-date or footnotes, it is important to identify your sources properly. The key point is to give your reader enough information to let them track down the source you are referencing. When identifying a source, you will normally need to include the author; the title of the work; its basic publication details; and the page from which you are quoting. For example, here is a reference to a page from a book: Steven Pinker, Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language (London: Phoenix, 1999), 281. 17 And here is a reference to an article: Alister E. McGrath, “Christology and Soteriology. A Response to Wolfhart Pannenberg’s Critique of the Soteriological Approach to Christology.” Theologische Zeitschrift 42 (1986): 222-36. If the source is a website, you should provide details of the website, and the date on which you accessed it. These details might include: the author of the piece; the title of the piece; and the address at which it can be found. The College’s Library and IT Services produce a useful guide for correctly acknowledging and citing sources, which you can find here: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/help/plagiarism/citing/index.aspx There are other websites which you may find helpful, including: http://www.lib.subr.edu/Chicago.pdf http://www.cite.auckland.ac.nz/index.php?p=which_referencing_style Developing your writing style, communication and academic presentation skills are crucial for success in relation to the final thesis. It is advisable to work on these in earlier years. For further details on writing at postgraduate level see: H Ramsey Fowler, Jane E Aaron, The Little Brown Handbook, 6th edition (New York: HarperCollins, 1995) ISBN 0-673-52313-6. This is especially recommended. Peter Elbow, Writing with Power. Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process, 2nd edition (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998) ISBN 0-19-502018-3 Theodore A Rees Cheney, Getting the Words Right. How to Rewrite, Edit and Revise (Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer's Digest Books, 1990) ISBN 0-89879-420-X Joseph M Williams, Style: Towards Clarity and Grace (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1990) ISBN 0-226-89914-4 Books on the conventions of setting out written work: Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations, 6th edition (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1996) ISBN 0-226-81626-5 [a handy paperback based on The Chicago Manual] The Chicago Manual of Style: for authors, editors and copywriters , 14th edition (1993) Or alternatively see the MHRA Style Book: Notes for Authors, Editors, and Writers of Thesis 5th edn (London: MHRA, 1996). Common Causes of Problems with Academic Writing Below is a list of several common basic errors made in writing that can affect assessment considerably: 1. The student has not stuck to the chosen topic, or has failed to answer the question. Academic writing, particularly at doctoral level, must be focused. The assessor cannot reward a piece, however interesting and well-constructed it may be, if it does not meet the requirements of the assignment set. 18 2. The student has not read and commented upon appropriate literature to inform and substantiate their argument. 3. a) The student does not develop a coherent argument/focus in the writing; b) the student has not demonstrated sufficient ability to engage critically with the texts. No work at this level can consist simply of reporting; c) and be appropriately supported by reference to the literature and, where relevant, appropriate empirical data. 4. Depth is sacrificed in favour of breadth. A broad, rambling piece will not score as well as a tightly focused one with depth and insight. A recurring reason why some students have problems with their assignments is because they do not start them early enough. You must plan in enough time to complete the work adequately. Plagiarism Correct Referencing and Plagiarism - IMPORTANT Before submitting any piece of work, students must ensure they have read and understood the section of this handbook dealing with plagiarism (see below). As well as correctly referencing the four most common sources of references (books, book chapters, journal articles, and conference proceedings), students should take care in the use of their own work. Submitting the same piece of work, or (or a significant part thereof) for more than one assignment will be regarded as cheating. We use plagiarism detection software to check authenticity of ALL assignments College statement on plagiarism & related forms of cheating (please see: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/help/plagiarism/index.aspx) Plagiarism is defined as “taking of another person’s thoughts, words, results, judgements, ideas, images etc., and presenting them as your own.” (Academic Honesty and Integrity statement 2011). Collusion is another form of cheating as is the unacknowledged use of material prepared by several persons working together. Students are reminded that all work that they submit as part of the requirements for any examination or assessment of the College must be expressed in their own words and incorporate their own ideas and judgments. Direct quotations from the published or unpublished work of others, including that of other students, must always be identified as such by being placed inside quotation marks with a full reference to the source provided in the proper form. Paraphrasing - using other words to express another person's ideas or judgments - must also be acknowledged (in a footnote or bracket following the paraphrasing) and referenced. In the same way, the authors of images and audiovisual presentations must be acknowledged. Students should take particular care to avoid plagiarism and collusion in coursework, essays and reports, especially when using electronic sources or when working in a group. Students should also 19 take care in the use of their own work. Credit can only be given once for a particular piece of assessed work. Submitting the same piece of work (or a significant part thereof) twice for assessment will be regarded as cheating. Unacknowledged collaboration may result in a charge of plagiarism or in a charge of collusion. Students should be aware that academic staff have considerable expertise in identifying plagiarism and have access to electronic detection services to assist them. Some students have difficulty deciding when the use of sources is plagiarism, and when it is legitimate. The following notes are intended to help you avoid being suspected of plagiarism: you must acknowledge all sources, whether direct quotation, paraphrase, or indirect use you must make clear in the text those ideas that are your own and those that are not derived from others. For example, if you are not quoting directly, you could use some phrase such as, 'Three major points have been proposed for consideration: 1. . ., 2. . ., 3. . ., (Smith 1999). However, it is clear that this is not an exhaustive treatment. Smith has ignored. . .' In that case, the reader will infer that Smith made the first three points, and you yourself have thought of the points that have been ignored, and you are not using the ideas of another person. you must construct your own arguments. A common method of reproducing a person's work is to use the structure and examples from your source, without ever directly quoting, and thus not citing the source. There may have been no attempt on your part to deceive, but to be sure that you do not arouse suspicion of plagiarism, you need to acknowledge the source of the arguments, for example, by writing 'The following section is based on the arguments used by Smith (1999), although they have been re-stated to suit the context of this study’. Timing of Submission The date for submission for candidates completing the MFS is Wednesday 7th September 2016. If there are exceptional circumstances which mean the deadline cannot be met then an extension can be applied for (though this is not guaranteed to be granted). What to Submit Please submit two printed copies to the Departmental Office and send a PDF version to both: Ben Quash ([email protected]) AND Chris Machut ([email protected]). Examination of the Report and notification of results The report will be marked by two internal examiners, usually within one month of the submission date. The result is classified provisionally on a pass/fail basis. Written feedback from both the examiners will be available to the student as soon as possible after the examiners agree a result. The result will be confirmed (or revised) after the relevant meeting of the Board of Examiners. A selection of MFS reports will be read by external examiners. Re-entry The regulations permit a candidate who does not successfully complete the report at first entry to reenter on one further occasion, normally within the following year. 20 Frequently asked questions relating to the MFS Can the 5,000 word essay on the research methods done at the end of the 2 nd year form part of the 15,000 MFS report? You cannot simply cut and paste the essay from the summer term of the 2 nd year into the MFS research report. Given that the 2nd year essay will involve a project outline and description there will inevitably be some overlap. However, there are two important further considerations: The final MFS 15,000 report is expected to be a substantial development and revision of the initial proposal. If, after a year of research and study, the 15,000 word report was exactly the same as something written a year previously prior to doing any research, then the student will not have demonstrated sufficient academic progress. The 5,000 word, 2nd year essay will involve an assessment of one or more particular research methods covered in the classes. This is a somewhat different exercise (although again with some overlap) from the outline of methodology that will form part of the 15,000 MFS report. In all, it is expected that there will be substantial differences between any material in the 5,000 word essay and the 15,000 MFS report. Can the 15,000 word MFS project form part of the Research Based Thesis? As already stated, the MFS can be a pilot study for the RBT. This does not mean that it can simply form part of the RBT, however. The research question in the RBT can be related to that in the MFS, but it is necessary that the RBT represents a real advance in thinking and builds on and substantially develops the work carried out for the MFS. If you do seek to develop your MFS into your RBT, and make empirical work a major feature of your RBT, then you will probably need to consider further training in the particular quantitative or qualitative research method being used. Workshops are available to provide such training. The MA in Ministerial & Theological Research The MA in Ministerial and Theological Research is an early exit award and is only available to candidates who have been enrolled on the DThMin programme and who have successfully completed the DThMin taught part of the programme and the Ministerial Focused Study. At that point, should the candidate decide that, for professional, personal or academic reasons, they do not wish to continue with the DThMin programme and complete the Research Based Thesis they can apply for the MA award. The MA has no separate content or module of its own. If you wish to exit the DThMin and not proceed to the RBT ask the programme director about the possibility of being considered for the MA. In addition, any student who receives a ‘C’ grade for their MFS and three or more ‘C’ grades in years 1 and 2 will not be permitted to proceed to RBT but will be eligible to apply for this early exit award. 21 Preparing for RBT While you are working on your MFS you need to be thinking about your RBT project. By Wednesday 9th March 2016 you will need to submit a draft outline of your research proposal for the RBT. This is not meant to be a finalised research proposal but an outline to help select an appropriate supervisor. A framework for developing such a proposal is given below. On this proposal you will need to specify a first and second choice of supervisor. Whether students can be matched with their first choice depends on the availability of a requested supervisor and the number of people who want to work with that supervisor at that time. The programme director will evaluate all the proposals and contact the supervisors to request their agreement to supervise particular projects. Once this has been agreed you will be contacted with the name of your proposed supervisor. If you are not happy with the supervisor being suggested a new arrangement will need to be negotiated. It may be that it is necessary to re-write or re-frame your proposal in order to take account of which supervisors are available at that time. Once a supervisor has been agreed it is suggested you contact that supervisor, at the latest by the beginning of the new academic year. The Research Based Thesis (7SSEK005) The RBT is the core of the DThMin. A Research Based Thesis must make a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford evidence of originality by the discovery of new facts and/or the exercise of independent critical power. The DThMin thesis must not exceed 55,000 words (inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of appendices and bibliography). The thesis shall: (a) be appropriate to the subject concerned, having regard to the other formally assessed elements for the degree; (b) consist of the student’s own account of her/his investigations and must indicate in what respects they appear to her/him to advance the study of the subject; (c) form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford evidence of originality by the discovery of new facts and/or by the exercise of independent critical power; (d) be an integrated whole and present a coherent argument; (e) be at least 25,000 words in length and not exceed 55,000 words (inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of appendices and bibliography; (f) be written in English and with a satisfactory literary presentation; (g) include a full bibliography and references; (h) demonstrate research skills relevant to the thesis being presented; (i) be of a standard to merit publication in whole or in part or in a revised form (for example, as a monograph or as a number of articles in learned journals); (j) where ethical approval is required, indicate that such approval has been granted by the appropriate body. Whatever your topic, your thesis work will pass through these stages: • clarification of topic, research design, literature review • data collection and analysis • writing up, completion and presentation 22 Writing a RBT Proposal: Points to Consider These are some notes to help you formulate your initial RBT proposal. They should be read as guidelines, open to adaptation. The keys to writing a strong research proposal are: to formulate a precise, interesting research question; this may take the form of a hypothesis to be tested against a specific set of criteria or a more open-ended inquiry. to establish the relevance and value of the proposed research question in the context of current academic thinking to describe and evaluate the data or source material your research requires to outline a clear and practical methodology which enables you to answer the research question to suggest what you hope to discover at the end of your research and what new areas it might open up to explain why you are qualified and capable of conducting the proposed research to set out why the supervisors you have selected are appropriate for your research to do the above in a concise, unambiguous and grammatically correct manner One of the hardest aspects of writing a research proposal is suggesting what you hope to discover. It is not easy to know what you are going to find out before you've carried out the research! However, the people who will assess your proposal realise that research objectives can change over the course of the RBT, what they want to know is whether your research question is relevant academically and plausible practically. Your proposal is not set in stone, as it is the nature of research to be surprising, but you must at least have a credible map of where you think you are going at this stage. How do I structure the proposal? 1. Working title: Give a working title that describes the nature of your project. You may use a ‘poetic’ title, but it is useful to indicate in a subtitle, after a colon, the nature of the study or your approach. 2. Statement of topic and aims: Identify the general subject area and outline how your topic relates to the field. Establish why it is a significant topic and what contribution your work will make. 3. Brief review of literature and relevant practice + short bibliography: The ‘literature review’ is a major part of a proposal. In order to demonstrate that your project makes a significant contribution to the field, you need to show that you are aware of the traditions and ‘state of the art’ research in that field. The term ‘literature review’ should be understood in the broadest sense. You should cite examples of relevant practice if these are what establish the context of your own research. The review does not, at this proposal stage, have to be definitive or comprehensive - it does have to demonstrate that you can situate your proposal within a wider field of scholarship. Bear in mind that the purpose of a review of the field is to establish not just innovation but significance. Doctoral research can be radical, bold and unconventional but it must address an already existing community of academics or professionals. Use the literature review to define the parameters of your field. Do not, however, wilfully ignore work that relates to your own. You must demonstrate a working knowledge of your own field/what has been written on the topic you want 23 to address. In the course of your research you will need to familiarize yourself with any significant work that intersects with your project. 4. Method/Approach Outline how you will approach your topic. Your aim should be to demonstrate that your chosen method or approach will serve to advance your thesis or argument. If you need to gather data, describe how you will go about this. For example, a study of your congregation might involve archival research, interviews with stakeholders, or various forms of fieldwork. You should also be able to demonstrate your awareness of any ethical issues that relate to the gathering of data. There are many established research ‘methodologies’. In an initial proposal you need to give some indication of how your project will be realized. If your approach is experimental or comparative, outline how this approach will yield results (what do you expect to discover; why have you selected particular case studies?) Some theses take up a particular theoretical position, inspired by key philosophers, thinkers or practitioners. Rather than adopting an entire philosophy, you may propose to borrow specific concepts from certain writers and apply them to a particular area or within a particular practice. If you are doing this, identify which concepts are useful and how you will apply them in order to achieve a particular result (e.g. the work will draw on key concepts in Trinitarian theology or debates in ecclesiology). Remember, however, that for doctoral level work in the arts/humanities the questions of method are complex conceptual issues that continue to be considered throughout the period of study and beyond. The proposal provides a brief indication. It is the beginning of the process. 5. Research time-line Identify goals and milestones and estimate time required to complete each chapter/component of practical work /aspect of fieldwork, etc. NB. It is expected that theology or a particular sub-discipline of theology (e.g. Biblical Studies, Political Theology, Systematic Theology, etc) will form a significant part of the analytical framework used in your RBT. Completely non-theological proposals will not be accepted because a part of what you will need to demonstrate, in your thesis and at the viva, is how your thinking developed through the programme to lead to the particular thesis you have produced. Supervision and Progress You do your research under the guidance of supervisors. The normal pattern is for one supervisor to have a 90% involvement with your research, and for it to be 10% for the other. This provides cover and continuity in the event of illness of your 1st supervisor and because the interests and skills of different members of staff complement each other. Your supervisors will not tell you what to do but will suggest ideas and things to try, give you guidance about methodology, help you develop a research plan, respond to your ideas with criticism and advice, ask questions which are designed to clarify issues or to prompt new initiatives, and generally offer you support. Meeting with your supervisors will vary depending on your particular needs and the stage at which your study has reached. Your supervisor will find it helpful to have some sort of written report of your activities and findings before each meeting, this may be an extensive piece or perhaps only a 24 couple of pages. This will help focus discussion and will over time generate a stack of writing which will feed in usefully to your final thesis. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange meetings with their supervisors at mutually convenient times. These meetings should take place regularly (on average nine times a year, and half as often in the case of a part-time student) though individuals will differ and the frequency will change at different stages of the study. It is strongly advised that you do not leave a supervision meeting without having a date in the diary for the next meeting; this helps to keep progress steady and on track. In connection with each supervision session an RBT supervision form, which is to be found in appendix 3, needs to be completed. If agreed with the supervisor, this may be dealt with instead through an exchange of emails between student and supervisor before and after the supervision. Your supervisor’s role is to offer advice and guidance but they cannot be expected to give detailed assistance in writing. Your supervisors will be able to help you in several ways, for example: • discussing your ideas for a topic • suggesting reading • discussing an outline • suggesting other resources that may be useful • reading and commenting on draft chapters You cannot expect your supervisors to: • read every chapter in several versions • make any useful comments on material handed in without time for reading and reflection, e.g. just before the submission date or just before a meeting • spend a lot of time correcting spelling or grammatical mistakes If problems arise concerning supervision, this should be discussed with the Programme Convenor as early as possible or if your supervisor is the same person as the Programme Convenor then you should contact the PARC Chair, Professor Oliver Davies. Research Contract In your initial contacts with your 1st supervisor you will be dealing with several matters: clarifying the research question, identifying relevant literature, and drawing up a plan of action. It may be that you need to acquire some new skills to carry out your study successfully, or arrange access to particular sources of data (archives and the like). As a result of your first few meetings, you will need to re-draft your initial research proposal in negotiation with your supervisor and draw up a research contract. The research contract cover sheet, which is to be completed by both you and your 1st supervisor, is found in appendix 3. The deadline for receipt of completed Research Contracts is Wednesday 9th March 2016. The revised proposal and research contract will be given to a member of the programme team, who will assess the proposal and confirm 1st and 2nd supervision arrangements. 25 The research contract cover sheet, which is to be completed by both you and your 1st supervisor can be found in appendix 3. Research Seminars and Workshops A programme of research seminars and workshops is available to all doctoral students. Research Days The dates of Research Days in 2015-16 are Wednesday 4th November 2015 and Wednesday 2nd March 2016. The first day will be on the theme of the Church and the Arts, and the second on Theology and Science. It is hoped to combine a third Research Day with the Colin Gunton Day organised annually by the Department in May/June. All students are required to participate in the Research Days. Individual Progress Review These biannual reviews should take place in the early part of the spring and summer terms, and they are designed to help you evaluate your progress, identify further training needs, and set targets for the next few months. Your supervisor is asked to assess your progress, and the completed forms are reviewed by the Department’s Postgraduate Research Committee (PARC), which is itself overseen by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The review report also provides an opportunity for you to comment on your supervision. These reviews are a compulsory part of the programme and it is most important that you complete your IPR form at these six monthly intervals (usually January and June). The progress review process is the means by which progress is demonstrated to the Faculty and forms the basis on which registration is allowed to continue. If insufficient progress is made you may be asked to withdraw from the programme. The IPR process is administered by the Assessments and Records Centre (ARC) and information is sent to your Kings e-mail account at the appropriate time. POSTGRADUATE AND RESEARCH COMMITTEE (PARC) The Departmental Postgraduate and Research Committee (PARC) is responsible for overseeing the progress of all research students in the Department, particularly with regard to the Individual Progress Review process. It also reports to and back from the corresponding Faculty committee on issues and policy affecting research students which itself feeds into the College Committee structure. The Departmental PARC Chair is Professor Oliver Davies. Writing Up Status After the core period of registration (6 years for part time students), students can apply for transfer to ‘writing up’ status providing they have completed a complete draft of all their chapters. Writing up status allows students to pay a reduced fee while they are engaged in the revisions prior to submission. It includes access to the library but only limited supervision. Students are only permitted to register on writing up status for one year before submitting their thesis for examination. 26 The decision to agree to a student’s transfer to writing up status is by the recommendation of the supervisors and a third assessor in the department. Further information about writing up status and the application form can be found on the following web page. Please check with your supervisor or the DThMin Programme Convenor if you are unclear. http://webcmsinternalpreview.kcl.ac.uk/student/study/arc/pgr/write.aspx Thesis structure and completion You will eventually reach the stage where you are preparing a final draft of your thesis, and preparing for the oral examination. You should submit your thesis in draft, chapter by chapter, to your 1st supervisor; your 2nd supervisor should also be sent a copy at this stage and his or her comments requested. They will be able to suggest improvements and issues which will help you in preparing a final draft. If there are radical changes needed, your supervisor might want to see further drafts of one chapter or another; this is for your benefit, and is designed to improve the thesis you eventually submit. The final draft of your thesis is, however, your responsibility. After receiving all the advice and guidance your supervisor is able to give, you need to take the step to becoming an independent researcher. The decision to submit your thesis is thus yours, not your supervisor’s, although you would be very unwise indeed to submit a thesis that your supervisor warns you is inadequate in some important respect. You should be confident before submission that the thesis satisfies the basic University requirement of ‘making a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and affording evidence of originality by the discovery of new facts and/or exercise of independent critical power.’ Procedure for Thesis Submission Four months before the intended submission date of your thesis, you and your supervisor should complete an examination entry form (RD1) downloadable from the following exams office webpage. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/examinations/researchdegrees/candidates/index.aspx Full instruction and guidelines about the submission process is also available here so do please take the time to read the instructions and FAQs. Examiners are then appointed, usually by recommendation of your supervisor, although the final decision rests with a committee of the College. Normally one examiner will be from one of the Colleges of the University of London and one external, although it is possible to appoint two external examiners if there is good reason. Rules about presentation, including paper size, format, etc., vary slightly from time to time and are laid down in the Regulations. Do check that you know the current version (again please check the information on the above exams webpage). You will need to write an abstract of 300 words explaining the content and originality of your thesis. Presentation and use of English are important; if this is an area where you are conscious of a weakness, you may wish to employ a proof-reader for your final draft. You will be required to submit two bound copies to the College, and in addition have a copy of your own to prepare for your oral examination. These may all be soft bound to begin with, but after a successful examination the College will require one hardbound copy to reside in the College library and also an electronic version. It is considered courteous to leave a copy with your supervisor also. 27 Binding can take up to three weeks depending on the time of year, although it can be completed in a couple of days sometimes. A list of recommended binders is available on the exams office webpage above. Thesis Examination: The ‘Viva’ Finally, you reach the oral examination, or ‘viva’ (short for ‘viva voce’, Latin for ‘by the living voice’). Here the examiners will question you about your thesis and expect you to defend it and to discuss ideas relevant to it. They will also expect you to be able to integrate the ideas and knowledge gained from the various components of the programme, and to relate them to the thesis. Your supervisor will arrange the date and time of the oral, in consultation with you and your examiners. S/he will also give you more specific guidance and preparation in the run-up to the oral exam. Examination outcomes Naturally we hope that your thesis will be successful when it is first presented. However, the examiners have a range of decisions available. They can, on reading the thesis and holding the viva: pass without corrections; require minor corrections to be made to the thesis within 3 months; require corrections to be made to the thesis within 6 months; require the oral to be repeated within 18 months; require the thesis to be re-presented (either with or without an oral) within 18 months; No fee is charged if minor corrections are required (i.e. 3-6 months) but in the other cases a re-entry fee, payable to King's College London, will be required. Your Doctorate After you have successfully completed your viva, you will receive formal notification from the College examinations office, and your award certificate will be sent to you at the address registered on student records. Please ensure that your correct details are recorded on the personal details section of student records. https://mykcl.kcl.ac.uk. You are now entitled to use the title ‘Doctor’. You will also be invited to a graduation ceremony by the Graduation officehttp://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/grad/ceremonies/index.aspx The successful thesis is placed in the King’s College Library, and will be available for future students and other researchers to consult. You will also be encouraged to publish the results of your research in a more widely available form, perhaps a journal article or two. In these ways your work becomes part of the knowledge base on which future researchers will build. 28 PART FOUR Student Services and Support Libraries Information Services and IT Services Additional Training Support Student Services Opportunities for Funding 29 Libraries with Theological Collections Senate House, University of London library. As a University of London student you have access and borrowing rights. It may also be worth trying other University of London libraries, notably those of the LSE and SOAS. Heythrop Library, Kensington Square, W8 (see www.heythrop.ac.uk/library for details). Has a very large and up to date collection. British Library Dr William's Library 14 Gordon Square WC1H 0AG. This is a subscription library. It covers most subjects, but is especially good on historical theology. Library Services and IT Services About Library Services & IT Services at King’s Library Services and IT Services work together to provide you with the information resources, IT facilities and support you need to succeed in your studies at King’s. Visit the Library Services pages at www.kcl.ac.uk/library and the IT Services pages at www.kcl.ac.uk/it to access our services and to find out more. The Libraries There are libraries at all the main campuses and each one provides information resources relevant to the subjects taught there. An Enquiry Desk is provided in each Library, and at busy times, roving staff within the libraries can offer basic assistance so you won’t always need to queue. The libraries are at: Strand Campus: Maughan Library on Chancery Lane Waterloo Campus: Franklin-Wilkins Library Guy’s Campus: New Hunt’s House Library Denmark Hill Campus: Weston Education Centre Library; the Institute of Psychiatry (IOP) Library St Thomas’ Campus: St Thomas’ House Library Maps and locations for each of the Libraries are available at www.kcl.ac.uk/library/visiting Opening hours You can find library opening hours at www.kcl.ac.uk/library/visiting/hours. 24/7 IT facilities are available on most sites and during exam time the larger libraries are also open 24/7. All the libraries (apart from St Thomas’ House Library) are staffed from 8.30am to 8.30pm, Monday to Friday, and from 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays. These hours apply in termtime and during vacations. 30 You will need your College ID card to enter any library or 24/7 student computing room (see Student Computing below). Your ID card is for your use alone and should not be shared. Library Zones Zoning in the libraries and the Student Computing Rooms indicates areas where different activities are appropriate. There are three different zones: Discuss, Quiet, and Silent. Please respect the distinctions between the zones http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/using/zoning.aspx. The eating of hot or smelly food and the drinking of alcohol is not allowed in any of the zones. Hot and cold soft drinks may be consumed so long as they are in cups with lids. Finding what you need The libraries’ collections are made up of both print and electronic material including over 1.25 million books and thousands of scholarly journals. Other resources include: theses; dissertations; reference tools; official publications; research reports; statistical data; maps; music scores; records; CDs; DVDs; photographs and manuscripts. You can ask for new resources by contacting the Information Specialist for your subject area. Information Specialists A team of Information Specialists with subject expertise is on hand to discuss your research requirements and to help you find the resources you need. They offer 1:1 and group support and provide training on finding and managing information. They also maintain the subject support pages available at www.kcl.ac.uk/library/subjectsupport The Information Specialist for the Faculty of Arts & Humanities is Teresa Elmes. Teresa can be contacted by email: [email protected]. E-resources Library Services provide access to a large and growing collection of electronic resources, including databases, e-journals and e-books. Most of these are accessible from outside King’s. E-journals and databases can be accessed via the Library Services home page, and e-books via the Library catalogue. A username and password is needed to use some of the e-resources, especially off-campus - this will usually be your King’s username and password. For more information on journals and databases relevant to your subject area see http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/subjectsupport/index.aspx The Library catalogue The Library catalogue shows you where books are, how many of them we have and whether they are out on loan. You can also use it to find a range of resources including journals, theses, official publications, videos, DVDs, CDs, music scores and electronic resources and to ask for inter-library loans. You can find the library catalogue at http://library.kcl.ac.uk Finding journals E-journal titles are listed on the library catalogue and can also be accessed via E-journals (http://sfx.kcl.ac.uk/kings/az). If you know the name (or part name) of the journal you are looking for, the E-journals list provides a useful way to link to the journal home or contents page in order to browse articles, to follow up references or to search within a specific journal. A small number of journals are held in print only at some of the libraries and these are listed on the library catalogue along with the e-journals. Most journals are now available electronically through King's or through Senate House Library (see External resources below). If you don’t know the name of the journal 31 you are looking for you can search for academic literature related to a particular topic using a bibliographic database. Databases enable you to search across a range of journals in your subject area. For more information on journals and databases see: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/subjectsupport/index.aspx External resources If a resource you need is not available locally, library staff can tell you about other libraries, archives and special collections. You can find out more about these other libraries including the British Library and University of London college libraries at www.kcl.ac.uk/library/visiting/visitingother and on the relevant departmental subject pages at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/subjectsupport/index.aspx Borrowing, Renewing, Reserving and Requesting Borrowing books There are different loan periods of four weeks, one week, day and short loan. The table below shows the number of items you can have on loan at any one time. Some items, including print journals and theses cannot be borrowed. You need your College ID card for all borrowing. You can return one week and four week loan books to any site, regardless of which library you borrowed them from. Four week 20 One week 10 Day loan 5 Short loan 5 Maximum 20 Self-service kiosks There are self-service kiosks in all the libraries and they are available to use even if the Library Enquiry Desk is closed. You may borrow four week, one week and short loan items from here provided you don't have outstanding fines of more than £20 or any overdue items on your Library record. Renewals You can renew your books if they are not reserved by someone else and you owe less than £20 in fines. With your College ID card barcode and PIN, you can renew books using the Library catalogue or the automated phone service (020 7848 1555). Short and one day loans must be renewed in person at the site they were borrowed from. Reserving books If you find that all copies of a book are out on loan you can reserve a copy via the Library catalogue. You will receive an email telling you when the book is ready for collection. Each library has an area set aside for reservations awaiting collection. Your books will be shelved under the first 3 letters of your surname. You can then issue your reserved book/s using one of the self-service kiosks. Inter-site / Inter-library loans Four week loan books and articles from print journals held at other sites can be requested to come to your home site by using the ‘Request’ button on the Library catalogue. A scanned copy of an article will be emailed to your King’s College email address. You can also request books, theses, dissertations and other publications which are not held in King’s Libraries as inter-library loans. Further details are available at www.kcl.ac.uk/library/using/requests 32 Fines and charges To make sure all students get a chance to use books and other items, we charge fines if you bring them back later than you are supposed to. Charges are: o o o o four week loans 10p per day one week loans 30p per day short/one day loans 50p per hour/part hour laptops £5 per hour/part hour You can avoid fines by regularly checking your Library record and remembering to return or renew items on time. Archives & Special Collections Special collections The Foyle Special Collections Library at Chancery Lane houses some 170,000 printed works, as well as maps, slides, sound recordings and manuscript material. Its collections, built up over centuries by purchase, gift and bequest, contain many unique items and cover all subject areas, but they are particularly strong in medicine, science, voyages and travels, the history of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, European military and diplomatic history, the history of the British Empire, 20th century Germany and Jewish and Christian theology. You will need to ask staff for these items which you can look at in the Foyle Special Collections Library. The library is open to all members of King’s and external scholars. Special collections staff can give you advice on using these resources to help you with your research. The Archives & Special Collections web site is at www.kcl.ac.uk/library/collections/archivespec Archives Archives acquire, preserve and make accessible the records of the College, as well as organisations which it has founded, such as King's College Hospital, and with which it has merged. Also included are the research papers of former staff and students including Maurice Wilkins, Eric Mottram and Sir Charles Wheatstone. The Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives is a leading repository for research into modern defence policy in Britain. The core of this collection is the private papers of over 700 senior defence personnel who held office from 1900 onwards. The Archives total some 5 million documents. These can be viewed in the Michael Howard Archives Reading Room on the Strand, where the archives team are available to provide advice and support to graduate students. Laptop Loan Service Students can borrow laptops from the libraries. These are available to borrow for free from selfservice laptop cabinets, or – in the case of the IoP Library and St Thomas’ House Library – from staff at the Library Enquiry Desk. The laptops are loaned for 24 hours, are issued on a first-come, first-served basis, and may be taken out of the library. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/using/loans/laptops.aspx Disability Support To discuss your requirements in confidence, please email [email protected]. Site contacts are available to tell you about using libraries and IT and the help you can expect. We provide a range of service, facilities and software, and individual tuition can be arranged. More information is available at www.kcl.ac.uk/library/using/disability 33 STUDENT COMPUTING There are over 1,300 Student Computing workstations across the College, located in Student Computing Rooms, the libraries, halls of residences, the Compass and Graduate Zones, as well as Student internet kiosks in cafes and other public spaces on campus. Student Computing Rooms Student Computing Rooms are available at each campus. Location details can be found at https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/it/student/locationdetails.aspx. All machines are connected to printers. Logging on Login access to both the Campus Desktop (access to all the specialist subject applications and software and to your own personal file store) and the Global Desktop (not all specialist applications are available but you can still access your own personal file store) is via your King’s username and password. The Desktops are synchronised so that when you save a work file in your Campus Desktop ‘My Documents’ folder, you can access it again from the Global Desktop when you log in via the internet. King’s Global Desktop (AKGD) The Global Desktop is available to students and staff who want to log into the King’s Desktop remotely. It allows you to use software and to access your personal files and documents from any computer with an internet connection. Software available on the Global Desktop includes: SPSS, Endnote and specialist departmental software. You can log on to Global Desktop at http://desktop.kcl.ac.uk using your King’s username and password. Click on the ‘My Documents’ folder to get into your file store. When you connect to the Global Desktop for the first time, you will be prompted to install a browser plug-in (if using a pc) or to install a software package called Citrix Receiver (if using a Mac). Instructions can be found here: https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/it/gd/connect.aspx File storage: Your Global Desktop personal file storage capacity is 300MB, and your data can be accessed from both the Global Desktop and the Campus Desktop. Wireless network Wireless networking is available across all sites and at most halls of residence (further details at https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/it/connected/Wireless/locations.aspx). The Access Kings network is the most secure, but the Kingswireless network is also available. You can also register to use Eduroam, which will enable you to use the network facilities at other universities participating in this scheme. Use your King’s username and password to log on to all these networks. Further details at https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/it/connected/Wireless/Wireless.aspx Email The King’s email service (Microsoft Office 365) allows for 25GB of email storage and includes a range of communication tools such as: calendar and scheduling; tasks and personal contact information, and synchronisation with any mobile device that supports ActiveSync, including 34 iPhone / iPad, Android, Windows Mobile and others. To use your email account, follow the link at https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/it/email Print Scan Copy All libraries have black and white and colour printers. There is also an A0 poster printing service. Charges are: 5p for b/w A4, 20p for colour A4, and £20 for A0 poster. You pay for this using a print credit system linked to your King’s username and password. All students are given an initial print credit allocation which allows a limited amount of free printing. Scanners are also available at all the main sites. Follow-me printing Follow-me printing, available from both the Campus and Global Desktops allows you to send a document to one of several designated ‘Follow-me’ printers located across the College. The document is only released when you enter your King’s username and password into the printer. Web printing Web printing allows you to print from your own computer or mobile device to a King’s printer when you are connected to the King’s wireless network. With web printing, you can print from home or you can print to any student computing printer. Please note that you don’t need to be in the Global Desktop for this. Photocopying There are self-service photocopiers in all libraries. You will need to buy a photocopying card – which you can recharge when it runs out - from one of the coin-operated machines in the libraries. These cost £2 and are pre-loaded with 10 units. b&w / colour black & white black & white Colour Colour size A4 A3 A4 A3 units per side 1 units 2 units 14 units 21 units cost 5p 10p 70p £1.05 Training for Postgraduates LIBRARY Together with Faculties and departments, Library Services provide Library Welcomes for all new students. Information Specialists offer training and play an important role in the College’s Graduate Skills Development Programme. Seminars and updates for your department can be arranged, as can 1-2-1 consultations. The Library training portfolio includes: information skills training, including searching for, appraising and citing online and print resources bibliographic software training, comprising subject specific courses in EndNote dissertation support workshops dedicated NHS training provision Information management courses on managing records and data, for staff and researchers For further information see www.kcl.ac.uk/library/help/training 35 Bibliographic software Bibliographic software allows you to store, organise and cite references. You can either enter references yourself or download them from databases. Reference lists can be tailored to particular journal or publishing styles. We offer training and support for EndNote and RefWorks. These packages are available on the Campus Desktop and the Global Desktop, and King’s has a site licence allowing unlimited use on College-owned or operated computers. The web based software, RefWorks and EndNote Web are also available from any computer with an internet connection. You can find out more about bibliographic software at www.kcl.ac.uk/library/help/bibsoftware Research support The Library Services Research Support pages provide advice on key research alerting strategies including RSS feeds, funding alerts and other resources. You can find the Research Support pages at www.kcl.ac.uk/library/researchsupport A training course called ‘Citations Count!’ is run to help research postgraduates and staff gain an understanding of citation measures (bibliometrics) and how to use this knowledge to maximise publication impact. IT The following is an example of some of the courses offered to help you further develop your IT Skills: Microsoft Word: long documents for dissertations/theses Microsoft PowerPoint for poster presentations Microsoft Excel, Access, Word & Project Learning to use NVivo SPSS introduction and intermediate You also have the opportunity to obtain the globally recognised Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification. For further information and to book a place http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/help/training/index.aspx on one of these courses, go to: SUPPORT, ADVICE AND SYSTEM STATUS UPDATES For support and advice, please contact the IT Service Desk on 020 7848 8888 (open Monday to Friday 08:00-18:00) or email [email protected] IT updates on planned and unplanned https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/it/support/SystemUpdates.aspx service disruptions - Library Services - Run an online real-time ‘Ask a Librarian’ service which you can access remotely from anywhere with an internet connection www.kcl.ac.uk/library/contact User guides available at www.kcl.ac.uk/library/help/guides.aspx should help to answer your questions 36 Additional Training Support Research Training Programme There is a programme of workshops and seminars both general and specialist. Please discuss your research training needs with your supervisor. THE GRADUATE SCHOOL The Graduate School provides a wide range of courses and resources for Graduate Students which include the Researcher Development Programme and the ESRC Doctoral Training Centre. The Graduate School also administers and provides a range of funding opportunities. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/school/Welcome.aspx The Graduate Skills Researcher Development Programme (GSDP) There are a range of valuable skills you can develop outside the specific discipline and topic you’re studying in your own research and the College provides learning opportunities in a range of transferable skills relevant to graduate work (e.g. understanding the research environment; networking & team working; career management). The GSDP provides a number of skills training courses and workshops, and a self-assessment questionnaire to help you to work out your transferable skills development needs. You should also discuss your needs with your supervisors, who can help you construct a Personal Development Plan http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/school/training/index.aspx King's Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Centre (KISS-DTC) Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of its national network of doctoral training centres, the KISS-DTC is based in the Graduate School and provides studentships, training, and other support for doctoral research in the social sciences at King’s. It is organised around 15 cross-cutting research themes in the broad domains of health, regulation and public services, social change, and security. Each theme is overseen by a designated theme leader, responsible for organising seminars, workshops, and other activities designed to bring together postgraduate students and staff working on cognate research but based in different departments and divisions across the college. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/school/dtc/welcome.aspx ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE The ELC offers different types of Academic English and Study Skills support that should cover the challenges that all King’s students, whatever stage they are at in their education, are facing. All the provision is free and runs throughout the academic year. Academic English for International Students This support is for students whose first language is not English and who would like some help in improving and developing their academic English. https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/student/study/elc/kingssupport/internationalsupport/index1.aspx Academic Study Skills for all KCL Students This support is for both home and international students who would like more input and guidance on academic skill areas. https://internal.kcl.ac.uk/student/study/elc/kingssupport/studysupport/ssintroduction.aspx 37 Student Services DEAN’S OFFICE AND CHAPLAINCY The Dean, the Revd Professor Richard Burridge, is a senior member of the College staff and is responsible for ensuring that the religious and spiritual purposes of the College are carried out. Please contact the Dean's PA, Clare Dowding (020 7848 2333, email [email protected]) if you wish to consult the Dean on any personal matter. The Chaplaincy team is part of the Dean’s Office and there are offices at the Strand, Waterloo and Guys. Members of College are always welcome to drop into these offices. The chaplains are available to all students to listen to any matter they may care to raise, in complete confidence. The Revd Tim Ditchfield is the Strand campus chaplain and can be contacted on [email protected] Further details on the chaplaincy can be obtained from the following web pageshttp://www.kcl.ac.uk/aboutkings/principal/dean/chaplaincy/index.aspx EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY King's is committed to promoting and developing equality of opportunity in all areas of its work. This involves embedding equality and diversity issues into every aspect of the College’s activities. http://www.kcl.ac.uk/aboutkings/governance/equality/index.aspx Disability Support The Disability Support Team will handle any enquiries sensitively and in confidence. Students will usually continue to see the same adviser throughout their time at the College. Further information and contact details are available on: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/disability/index.aspx Opportunities for Funding The Kings Theological Trust Details on how to apply for small individual grants can be found on the Trust’s website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/trs/study/funding/trust.aspx The Cleave Cockerill Fund Awards small grants and is open to Anglican clergy who are studying for a higher degree at Kings. Please contact the Dean’s office for further information: [email protected] N.B. Requesting academic references when applying for funding Students should request academic references from their Supervisor. 38 Appendix 1 Doctorate in Theology & Ministry Schedule 2015-2016 Autumn Term Spring Term Summer Term 2 September 2015 14-18 Sept 2015 14 September 2015 3 November 2015 4 November 2015 2 December 2015 Submission deadline Enrolment and Induction Term starts Examination Board meeting Research Day 1 Faculty Board meeting 11 January 2016 2 March 2016 9 March 2016 Term starts Research Day 2 RBT to return Research Contract MFS to submit draft outline of the RBT research proposal 25 April 2016 7 September 2016 Term starts Submission deadline (MFS/RBT) NB: Research Day 3, see the Colin Gunton Day (TBA). 39 FWB 1.65 11:00-16:00 K0.16 11:00-16:00 Appendix 2 Doctorate in Theology & Ministry Assignment Cover Sheet STUDENT NUMBER:…………………………………………………………………………………… STUDENT SURNAME:………………………………………………………………………………… STUDENT FIRST NAME:…………………………………………………………………………….. YEAR:………………………………… COURSE TITLE:…Ministerial Focused Studies……………………………............................ TITLE OF ASSIGNMENT: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… WORD COUNT:…………………………………………………………… DATE:………………………………………………………………………….. 40 Appendix 3 Doctorate in Theology & Ministry Research-Based Thesis Contract Cover Sheet STUDENT NUMBER:…………………………………………………………………………………… STUDENT NAME:………………………………………………………………………………………… SUPERVISOR(S): …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. PLEASE ATTACH: 1. A summary (minimum 750 words) of your RBT proposed research 2. An indicative reading list STUDENT SIGNATURE:………………………………………………………………………………. SUPERVISOR SIGNATURE:………………………………………………………………………….. APPROVED:……………………………………………………………………………………………….... (Programme Convener: Professor BenQuash) DATE: ……………………………………………………….. 41 Appendix 4 Doctorate in Theology & Ministry Regular Supervision Form The purpose of this report is to get you to review your progress to date and make explicit plans for the continuation and writing up of your thesis. By filling in this and subsequent reports, you will have benchmarks for over the coming months and then a record of your progress at achieving your research goals. You should fill in one of these each time you meet your supervisor. You should complete the first page of this before each supervision meeting and take it along with you to act as an agenda meeting. The second page should be filled either with your supervisor at the end of the meeting, or as soon after the meeting as possible. You need to keep a copy of the form (both pages) for yourself, send one to your supervisor and one to the administrator ([email protected]) If agreed with the supervisor, this may be dealt with instead through an exchange of emails between student and supervisor before and after the supervision. STUDENT NAME:………………………………………………………………………………………… DATE RBT STARTED: …………………………………………………………………………………. TITLE OF RBT: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. SIGNED (SUPERVISOR):……………………………………………………………………………… 42 To be completed by the Student Progress to date: To be completed by the Student Identify specific tasks, goals and outputs you will produce, as well as target dates for achieving future plans. Expected completion date: To be completed by the Supervisor Please comment on the student’s progress: I agree with the above comments. Student signature:…………………………………………………Date:…………………………………… Supervisor signature:……………………………………………..Date:…………………………………… 43 Appendix 5 Doctorate in Theology & Ministry Research Institute in Systematic Theology (RIST) The Systematic Theology research seminars are held on Tuesday mornings from 10.55 to 12.25 in Room 3.01, Virginia Woolf Building, followed by lunch in Chapters. The themes explored range over the whole of Christian theology, as well its relations with other disciplines and other faiths. Speakers are invited from universities and other institutions in the UK, and occasionally from abroad. Academic staff and graduate students at King’s and other London-based colleges are invited to attend. For details of all seminars in the current academic year, please visit the RIST seminar page: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/trs/research/seminars/ristseminars.aspx 44
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