As the name implies, the midway seminar should ideally be held while the candidate is in his/her third semester as a PhD, and about halfway on the way to the scheduled submission. On the seminar, the candidates are supposed to present the following:
- Description of the research project, research questions, theory and method
- Description of the activities of the educational component
- Description of what has been achieved so far in the research project
- An updated progress plan for the research project with clear intermediate objectives, as well as an assessment of which milstones would be most crucial.
All in all, the seminar should be a checkpoint both for the candidate and his/her supervisors. The purpose is to make sure that the candidate is on track towards the submission date, and/or to suggest measures to help the candidate towards the submission.
The total duration of the seminar is normally about 1-1,5 hour and is normally chaired by the Head of Phd Research (or his/her deputy). The Chair welcomes the participants, and gives the floor to the candidate who presents the work done so far (about 15-20 minutes). Further, the candidate's work and report is commented by two opponents, where the candidate might also be asked to answer questions and give clarifications. One opponent is usually the Head of Phd Research at IMK, the other opponent is normally an academic employee employed by the IMK. The allocated time for the opponents is approx. 20 min each, and slightly more if the candidate has requested concrete feedback on selected chapters / draft.
Apart from the candidate, opponents and the Chair, it is expected that also candidate's supervisor(s), or at least the lead supervisor (normally, one employed at the IMK) are present. The seminar is also open to public, and especially other PhD candidates are encouraged to attend.
The candidate shall submit material for presentation to the PhD coordinator at IMK, with a copy to both opponents, at least two weeks before the seminar is held, and at least three weeks if the candidate wishes a concrete feedback on specific chapters / issues.
The material should include an overview of the entire dissertation/work so far, including the key research questions, theoretical frameworks and methodology. The documentation must also include a plan for the remaining work. Please submit one document, max 8-10 pages. In addition, the candidate can also request that the opponent reads and comments on selected drafts / chapters or specific issues (in addition to the above-mentioned number of pages). This should be discussed and agreed during the preparation process.