Rights and responsibilities in research supervision

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