Research Degrees in the Oxford Internet Institute
Differences from 2015/16 to 2020/21
1.
AdmissionsGovernanceApplicantsThe DPhil in Information, Communication and Social Sciences and the DPhil in Social Data Science shall berequiredundertothesatisfysupervision of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Oxford Internet Institutethat they have:.2. Attendance requirements
(a)The DPhil programmes shall be offered on aMaster'sfull-timedegreeandorpart-timeotherbasis.advancedFull-timedegree,studentsnormallyare required to meet the residence requirements set out inone§6 of thesocialGeneralsciencesRegulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Part-time students are required to meet the following attendance requirements for their period of part-time study: attendance for a minimum of 30 days of university-based work each year,andnormallypassedcoinciding witha mark of at least 67 per cent or an equivalent level of distinction;(b)achieved at least a 2.1 (or its equivalent) at first degree level;(c)for students whose first language is not English, have metthehigherfulllevelterms of theUniversityacademic year, to be arranged with the agreement of their supervisor, for the period that their names remain on the Register of Graduate Students unless individually dispensed by the Graduate Studies Committee. During a student'sEnglishprobationarylanguageperiodrequirements;the attendance arrangements must take account of relevant induction andthattrainingtheyeventsare;(d)scheduledwell-fittedbytotheundertake research at doctoral leveldepartment.
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23. Probationer Research StudentsAll students are normally admitted as Probationer Research Students.
Unless granted a dispensation by the Graduate Studies Committee,
of the Oxford Internet Institute,all Probationer Research Students shall during their first yearshall:(
aand second year in the case of part-time students) attend such lectures, seminars, and classes ashis or hertheir supervisor and/or thecommitteeGraduate Studies Committee shall determine;.(b)Students studying Information, Communication and Social Sciences shall attend and satisfactorily complete with a mark of 50 or higher:-
(a) such courses or classes from the Institute's Research Methods Training Programme as directed by the
committeeGraduate Studies Committee; -
(
cb) the Institute’s Advanced Social Theory course.
Students studying Social Data Science shall attend and satisfactorily complete with a passing mark of 50 or higher such courses or classes as directed by the
Institute’sSocialDynamicsDataofSciencetheGraduateInternetStudiescourseCommittee.-
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34. Transfer toM.Litt.DPhil, MLitt orD.Phil.MSc by Research statusStudentsCandidates will normally be expected totransferachievetoTransferD.Phil.of(or M.Litt.) statusStatus in their third or fourth termasafteraadmissionProbationer(orResearchsixthStudenttoateighththetermOxfordafterInternetadmissionInstitutefor part-time students). Applications should be submitted to the Graduate StudiesCommittee of the Oxford Internet InstituteCoordinator and will comprise the following:(a) a
transfercompleted Transfer ofstatusStatus application form, signed by the candidate's supervisorandanAssessorsappropriateApprovalofficer of the candidate's collegeform;-
(b) confirmation from the candidate's supervisor that such courses as the candidate has been required to undertake have been satisfactorily completed;
(c) an outline of their research (one side of A4 paper);
(d) a detailed research proposal of no more than
615,000 words. This should:-
(i) draw upon relevant literature to discuss the background to the research, theoretical perspectives, and possible outcomes to the research;
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(ii) state key research questions;
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(iii) discuss the overall methodological approach, and specific strategies, to be employed in answering these research questions, paying particular attention to practical and ethical issues relevant to the research.
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(e) a preliminary timetable for the research;
(f) a list of references;
(g) an OII Training Needs Assessment Form.
TheToapplicationsuccessfully achieve Transfer of Status, students must also have satisfactorily passed the relevant courses set out in 3 above. In cases where a student is required to re-sit a paper, a deferral of Transfer of Status for one or two terms as appropriate will beconsideredgrantedby a specially constituted panel of two assessors appointed by theautomatically.The Graduate Studies Committee
ofwilltheappointOxfordtwoInternetassessorsInstitute. The panelwho will read the work, interview thecandidatestudent andmakesubmit a recommendation to thecommitteeCommittee in areasonedwritten report.CandidatesThe Committee willbedecideexpected during the interviewwhether toshowapproveevidenceTransfer oftheir understanding of general theory and research methods in the social sciences applicable to their proposed study and specific research methods appropriate to the study of social aspects of the Internet and related ICTsStatus.A student whose first application for Transfer of Status is
unsuccessfulnotmayapprovedbe(includinggivenwhere the outcome is a recommendation to transfer to the MLitt or MSc by Research) is permitted to make one furtheropportunity to apply for transfer, following the procedures laid down,application andmaywillapplybeforgranted an extension oftime forone termif(orthistwois necessaryterms for part-time students) to Probationer Research Student status if necessary. If after a second attempt, thepurposeGraduate Studies Committee can neither approve transfer to the DPhil or to the MLitt or to the MSc by Research, the student will be removed from the Register ofmakingGraduatethe applicationStudents.
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45. Confirmation of DPhil statusApplicationsStudentsforwhoconfirmationwere initially admitted to the status ofstatusaasProbationeraResearch Studentformust achieve Confirmation of Status not later than their ninth term or normally earlier than their sixth term (or not later than theDegreeeighteenthoftermDoctororof Philosophy should be made notnormally earlier than thesixthtwelfth termfromforadmissionpart-timeasstudents).Applications
a PRS. Any student who does not confirm status by the end of the ninth term, willshould berequired to apply for deferral of confirmation of status and may be allowed up to three terms for this purpose. Applicationssubmitted to the Graduate StudiesCommitteeCoordinatorofandthe Oxford Internet Institute shallwill comprise the following:-
(a) a
confirmationcompleted Confirmation ofstatusStatus application formsigned by the candidate's supervisorandanAssessorsappropriateApprovalofficer of the candidate's collegeform; -
(b) an abstract of the thesis (one side of A4 paper);
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(c) an outline structure of the thesis, consisting of chapter headings, and a brief statement of the intended content;
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(d) an outline timetable detailing what work has already been carried out and what activities are planned for the remaining stages;
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(e) two completed draft chapters intended to form part of the final thesis;
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(f) an OII Training Needs Assessment Form.
The
application will be considered by a specially constituted panel of two assessors appointed by theGraduate Studies CommitteeofwilltheappointOxfordtwoInternetassessorsInstitute. The panelwho will read the work, interview thecandidatestudent andmakesubmit a recommendation to thecommitteeCommittee in a written report. The Committee will decide whether to approve Confirmation of Status.A student whose first application for Confirmation of Status is
unsuccessfulnotmayapprovedbeisgivenpermitted to make one furtheropportunityapplication,tonormallyapplywithin one term (two terms forconfirmation,part-timefollowingstudents) of theproceduresoriginallaid downapplication, andmaywillapply forgranted an extension oftime forone termif(twothis is necessaryterms for part-time students) if necessary. If after thepurposesecondofattemptmakingthe Committee can neither approve the application nor approve transfer to the MLitt or the MSc by Research, the student will be removed from the Register of Graduate Students. -
56. ThesisTheses
The thesis must not exceed 100,000 words for D.Phil.the DPhil, or 50,000 words for M.Litt.the MLitt, or 25,000 words for the MSc by Research, the limit to include abstract, all notes and appendices, but not the bibliography. Any thesis exceeding this limit is liable to be rejected on that ground unless prior dispensation has been granted by the Graduate Studies Committee on the advice of the candidate's supervisor.
Integrated thesis format
Permission to submit an integrated thesis consisting of an introduction, literature survey, and conclusion and a combination of chapters including one or more published or publishable articles should be made with the support of the student’s supervisor(s) to the relevant Doctoral Director prior to applying for either Transfer of Status or Confirmation of Status. Such a body of work must address an overarching research question and represent a coherent and focused body of research. If the Doctoral Director approves the request, the final decision will be made by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Oxford Internet Institute based on the recommendation of the assessors for these milestones.
A thesis submitted under this rubric may include co-authored articles. In the case of co-authored articles, students must submit to the Graduate Studies Committee a description of their contribution to the article and demonstrate that their work represents the majority contribution.
Students who wish to change back to a conventional thesis format are required to make this request in writing to the Graduate Studies Committee prior to applying for their next assessment milestone. Applications to change between an integrated thesis format and a conventional thesis format will normally not be considered for students who have already passed Confirmation of Status.
The standard word limit regulations apply for integrated theses.
Further guidance can be found in the relevant DPhil handbook.