End-of-year progressions, annual reviews, and ‘updates’ hang over the heads of many researchers this month. This week, Resident Blogger Emma shares her insights on the Annual Progression and why you should take it seriously…

It has been almost two weeks since I passed my very first End of Year Progression. This marks the first big milestone in my PhD as I move onto my second year of studies. But, even though I had some robust supervisory support leading up to the Annual Progression, in hindsight, I can say with some confidence that it can be far too easy to get lost in this process. But first, what is ‘Progression’? And why do we do it in the first place?

TLDR; Annual Progression

The Annual Progression is called many things across various institutions. At the University of Edinburgh, we refer to it as an ‘End-of-Year Review’ or ‘End-of-Year Progression’. At other universities, I’ve heard they call it an ‘Update’ or even, quite simply, an ‘Annual Review’. Different uni’s have different requirements for the meeting, and even different schools within the same universities will have wildly different requirements.

Typically, the structure is this: PhD students are required to produce one or two bits of writing that reflect all of the work they have done throughout the previous year. Once a meeting date is set, the student is tasked with providing this writing well enough ahead for the panel’s review. In my case, my panel included my three supervisors and another reviewer internal to the university. Other universities may have thesis boards that meet or slightly different models.

In the meeting itself, the student may be asked to provide a short presentation summarising the writing and work they have done this year, and then the panel will be able to ask any clarifying questions. They will also provide the student with feedback and will take a moment among themselves (without the student present, of course) to discuss the outcome of the progression.

The Progression is intended to be a largely supportive process, and I was told this many times in the lead up to my meeting. I was also told by other PhD students to ‘not worry about it’ and that ‘your research will change anyway, so it’s not worth stressing over!’ Yes, it is not worth stressing too much over, but you should take it seriously, and here’s why.

1. The Best Preparation Ahead of Your Viva

Is it too early to be thinking about the end? Never! To my mind, the Progression mirrors (a much lower-stakes version of) the Viva. You may have presented or shared your research before, but the Progression is a prime opportunity to receive candid feedback on your thesis topic. Is the scope, theoretical framework, or methodology appropriate to the topic at hand? What will be your contribution to new knowledge? What is the gap this research will be fulfilling, and why is this research important?

These are certainly big questions, but they are precisely the ‘rubric’ you’ll be assessed on when it comes time to turn in your thesis. Though you may feel like you know close to nothing (especially in the first progression), it’s never too early to start putting these questions at the forefront of your mind. Start thinking about them now, and you’ll fly through your Viva defence.

2. Rigorous Feedback is Priceless

Even though I regularly meet with my supervision team (and more regularly than most PhD students I’ve spoken to, I may add), the Progression stands out as a moment to receive some of the most honest verbal and written feedback you’ll receive all year.

In my case, for instance, it was immensely helpful to have an internal reviewer on my panel that was ‘resolutely analog’. This prepared me for some of the push back or counterarguments I should be engaging with directly in my thesis. Bringing this outside perspective – someone removed from both my supervisory team and the topic at hand – into the meeting clarified my questions about the audience and urgency behind this research. And when I look back on my key takeaways from the meeting itself, the feedback I received from my internal reviewer is the feedback I will remember the most.

3. An Honest Review of Your Research Abilities

As PhD researchers, it’s easy to forget that we are still students. To that end, we’re still learning! It is okay and expected to not know everything (in fact, if you think you know everything now, this might be a bigger issue to grapple with). The Progression is an opportunity to radically assess and address your strengths and weaknesses as a researcher. This will help you identify your training needs, and also, the areas you should focus on moving into the next year of your studies.

Remember, regardless of your reason for starting the PhD, we are all in this to learn more about conducting unique research that creates new knowledge. This is no easy feat. Unless you have been engaged in the research community for a long time, some aspects of this process might be more alien to you than others. In my case, for example, though I read a lot of academic literature, the writing emerging from my field scarcely mentions or discusses methodology. And because of this, methodology and study design still proves to be one of my biggest weaknesses. Additionally, I’m a big fan of writing (not sure I would be writing this if I wasn’t!). But the style I’m used to writing in for blogs and reviews and such is not necessarily what academic publishers are seeking. From this Progression, these two areas have become my primary areas of focus for the second year. Consider them my new years’ resolutions…

Final Thoughts

Do you need to worry about your Progression? Yes and no. Don’t let it be the centre of your world. At the same time, I say that knowing full well I was sweating through my seat for a great deal of my meeting. It is daunting to set out your entire research plan to a (small) public of academics far more experienced than yourself. However, my inkling is that the first Progression is the hardest: Aside from the very beginning of the PhD, you have way more research in front of you than you will ever have. Hopefully, and if you’re lucky enough, this is just the first of many opportunities you will have to showcase your research and its value. And if you take this advice onboard, you’ll only get better from here.