Individual Consultations
Student Learning staff are available by appointment for one-to-one consultations about your postgraduate
studies. The academic skills support for postgraduate students is tailored to meet individual needs.
At times, this may involve weekly ongoing sessions to assist doctoral candidates at key points in their
research/writing process. At other times, postgraduate students may drop by for a one-off consultation.
If the staff at Student Learning cannot assist with the enquiry they will endeavour to locate someone
appropriate (either inside or outside the university) who can be of assistance.
Areas of specialisation of key Student Learning staff include:
What is possible (subject to staff availability)
- Assistance with developing your reading, researching and thesis writing skills.
- Assistance with developing your study skills and time management.
- If your first language is not English, assistance with developing appropriate
language and academic skills.
- Assistance with developing your mathematical, statistical and numeracy skills.
- Assistance with clarifying the academic demands placed on you.
- Providing feedback and advice on improving writing drafts or sections of your work, but not "correcting"
your work for you.
- Assistance with engaging a suitable person on a contractual basis to edit and proofread the final
draft of your thesis (see Policy Guidelines below).
What is not possible
- Student Learning staff do not provide a complete editing and proofreading service for students,
though we may be able to assist in arranging an appropriate editor for you (see Policy
Guidelines below).
- Student Learning staff do not provide intensive emotional counselling.
- Student Learning staff do not normally provide advice on content issues, which should be explored with your supervisor or course co-ordinator.
- Student Learning staff do not provide advice on unit and course choices or careers.
Policy Guidelines for Thesis Editing (Honours, Masters & PhDs)
The Student Learning section of the Teaching and Learning Centre may be able to act as a liaison point
between Murdoch students seeking thesis editing and professional editors.
Julia Hobson and Colin Beasley may be able to assist in the following ways and circumstances (subject to staff availability):
- Linking students to appropriate and skilled editors.
- Payments for editing are to be negotiated between the students and the editors directly. A rate
of $50 per hour is the minimum expected rate for professional thesis editing work.
- Editors will generally be able to provide an edit and proofread of a complete thesis over a three
week timeframe, but this may not be possible in all circumstances.
- Dates for completion of editing can only be negotiated after the editor has received a copy of
the work and had time to make a preliminary estimate based on a sample of the work.
- A preliminary estimate of the time and cost will be given to the student after the first meeting. This estimate may be revised in some circumstances.
- If the editing process is going to take longer and be more costly than originally estimated, the
editor will contact the student to advise of this before proceeding further.
- Students may be able to access money from their research support accounts to pay for proofreading
and editing services. The Student Learning section may be able to facilitate payments to editors through
internal account transfer.
- To assist editors with reading, please give hard copies of theses in 14 point font and 1.5 spacing.
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