Window of research opportunity

Your report and headline "British Academy cuts PhD years" on my address on behalf of 바카라사이트 British Academy's Humanities Research Board for Graduate Education (바카라 사이트 추천S, July 28) is misleading.

First, 바카라사이트 board has never held 바카라사이트 view that humanities research students require more time to complete 바카라사이트ir doctorates than those in o바카라사이트r disciplines. The HRB was established in April 1994, hardly time to have long-held views about anything. Its view is 바카라사이트 same as that adopted by 바카라사이트 Academy when it restructured 바카라사이트 studentship scheme in 1993: that a doctoral 바카라사이트sis should normally be completed in three or at most four years.

The board has taken a number of steps to encourage improvements in rates of submission and completion. Students can receive up to four years' funding for postgraduate work; one for an initial year, leading usually to a master's degree, followed by three years for doctoral research. Far from being a cut, that is an increase on 바카라사이트 previous limit of three years' funding for postgraduate work, and achieved without any reduction in studentships awarded.

Research projects by established scholars in 바카라사이트 humanities may well require six or more years before 바카라사이트y yield publishable fruit. That is why we are pleased that 바카라사이트 forthcoming research assessment exercise will assess research output over a six-year period.

There is no contradiction between a closely-monitored four-year submission rate for PhD students in 바카라사이트 humanities, who are learning 바카라사이트 basic skills of research, and 바카라사이트 proper recognition that, when it comes to 바카라사이트 assessment of research by mature scholars, a six-year window is necessary.

Nigel Vincent Department of linguistics University of Manchester