4  Supervision & Peer Feedback

Supervision is generally very project-specific. My general approach is one of scaffolded independence: early in the project, when the research question and design are still being developed, I provide more structured guidance and frequent feedback. As the project matures and you gain confidence, I step back and you take the lead — I become a sounding board rather than a co-pilot. The goal is that by the time you submit, you are capable of designing and executing rigorous research independently.

In practice: if you are highly independent and motivated, I will guide you lightly and otherwise leave you to work. If you feel lost or stuck, I will support you more. Below you find how I usually structure supervision across the trajectory.

4.1 What you can expect from me as your supervisor

I will guide you in:

  • Formulating an interesting and well-grounded research question and hypotheses
  • Writing a coherent, well-structured, and theoretically sound thesis
  • Designing a proper methodology and analysis plan
  • Giving focused feedback on each chapter (once per chapter)

As a rule of thumb, I will provide feedback on:

  1. Your introduction (as part of the Thesis Plan feedback)
  2. Your theory chapter and research design (as part of the Research Proposal feedback)
  3. Your complete methodology (right before data collection=)
  4. Your method and results chapters
  5. The complete concept version (focus: coherence and discussion/conclusion)

4.2 What I expect from you

A master’s thesis student is expected to demonstrate the capacity to independently set up, conduct, and report an empirical research project. I am a guide and supervisor — not a co-author.

This means:

  • Show initiative: contact me with a clear agenda, not just general questions
  • Submit high-quality drafts: only submit versions that you (and your peers) cannot improve further on your own
  • **Do not ask me* about basic matters such as how to conduct a literature search, spell-checking, APA formatting, how to run R/SPSS tests, or things you have already been taught in your coursework (many answers can also be found on this website!)

For technical analysis questions (how to run tests in R or SPSS, how to report results), use:

  • The statistics helpdesk
  • The R for Social Scientists Canvas page
  • The departmental knowledge clips on Canvas
  • The Guideline Masterthesis Communication Science document
WarningFeedback is only useful if you’ve done your part

Feedback is pointless on text you know has flaws. Submit drafts only when you have already done everything you can to improve them, including peer feedback.

4.2.1 What level of thinking is expected?

A useful way to think about intellectual expectations is the SOLO taxonomy (Biggs & Collis, 1982), which describes five levels of understanding:

Level Description Typical sign
Pre-structural No real understanding Misses the point; irrelevant content
Uni-structural Can identify or recall single facts Defines concepts correctly but does nothing with them
Multi-structural Can list or describe multiple elements Summarizes several studies without connecting them
Relational Can link, compare, and integrate Builds a coherent theoretical argument; connects findings to hypotheses
Extended abstract Can generalize and theorize Situates findings in broader debates; proposes new theoretical directions

A passing MA thesis demonstrates relational thinking throughout — you connect theory to empirical evidence, link findings to hypotheses, and build a coherent argument. An excellent thesis reaches extended abstract thinking in the discussion — you generalize beyond your data, consider alternative explanations, and make a genuine theoretical contribution. Simply summarizing what others have found (uni- or multi-structural) is not sufficient at this level.

4.3 Thesis groups and peer feedback

At times, I organize supervision in thesis groups of 2–4 students working on related topics or even collecting data together. If that is the case, you will meet together especially in P4. As projects become more individualized, groups may split into smaller subgroups or even individual meetings. Across the full trajectory, expect approximately 6–8 meetings with me.

4.3.1 Peer feedback process

Before submitting any draft to me, you must:

  1. Give and receive peer feedback with fellow students
  2. Process the peer feedback and improve your draft
  3. Then submit the improved version to me

Peer feedback is required for:

  • The Research Proposal (including introduction and theory)
  • The Method and Results chapters
  • The complete concept version of the thesis

Use the Guideline Masterthesis Communication Science (Canvas) as your peer feedback checklist. As a peer reviewer, reflect on each section in a few sentences and suggest concrete improvements.

4.4 Formal regulations

The formal regulations for the MA thesis are described in the Regulation Ma thesis document, available on VUnet. In practice, we can usually find a good working relationship without needing to consult the formal rules. However, in cases of disagreement, the regulations serve as the official reference point.

4.5 Getting help for personal circumstances

If personal circumstances are affecting your progress:

TipReport delays early

The sooner you contact your study advisor about a delay, the more options are available to you. Waiting too long limits what support can be offered.