Up close and personal: Reflections on our experience of supervising research candidates who are using personal reflective techniques

Abstract

This paper describes some of our learnings about supervising research candidates who are using methods that require them to rigorously reflect on their professional practice as part of their research. We go on to discuss some of the supervisor-supervisee relationship issues that have arisen for us when working with these candidates. These include managing existing and developing friendships with candidates, being aware and working with the knowledge that the research work impacts not just on the individual but also her/his organisation and working with strong emotions such as anger, frustration and sadness. We conclude by discussing some of the strategies we have used to help us manage these issues such as engaging in professional supervision around our own practice, discussions with like-minded colleagues and setting boundaries.