Higher Degree by Research

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

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2. Indigenous Peoples and Higher Degrees by Research in Higher Education

   • Peter Anderson, Levon Blue, Thu Pham, Melanie Saward

   Pages 1-10Open Access

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3. Academic Practices: Current Strategies to Attract and Retain Indigenous Higher Degree by Research Students in Australia

   • Peter Anderson, Levon Blue, Thu Pham, Melanie Saward

   Pages 11-26Open Access

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4. Capacity-Building Support for Indigenous HDR Students via the National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network

   • Peter Anderson, Levon Blue, Thu Pham, Melanie Saward

   Pages 27-37Open Access

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5. The Role of Agency in Higher Education: Acquiring Academic Capital

   • Peter Anderson, Levon Blue, Thu Pham, Melanie Saward

   Pages 39-49Open Access

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6. Indigenous Higher Degree by Research Students’ Needs and Experiences

   • Peter Anderson, Levon Blue, Thu Pham, Melanie Saward

   Pages 51-65Open Access

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7. The Needs and Experiences of Supervisors of Indigenous Higher Degree by Research Students

   • Peter Anderson, Levon Blue, Thu Pham, Melanie Saward

   Pages 67-90Open Access

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8. Undoing Commonly Held Beliefs About Indigenous HDR Students

   • Peter Anderson, Levon Blue, Thu Pham, Melanie Saward

   Pages 91-103Open Access

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9. What We Need for Success: Recommendations and Wishes

   • Peter Anderson, Levon Blue, Thu Pham, Melanie Saward

   Pages 105-112Open Access

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This open access book provides insights from Indigenous higher degree research (HDR) students on supervision practices in an Australian context. It examines findings from qualitative studies conducted with Indigenous HDR students from different academic disciplines, enrolled higher education institutions across Australia, and supervisors of Indigenous HDR students. Six types of data and their thematic analyses are presented, to understand the needs and experiences of both Indigenous HDR students and supervisors of Indigenous HDR students. This book also unpacks assumptions and commonly held beliefs about Indigenous HDR students, and shares what Indigenous HDRs report they need to experience success in higher education. It reports the experiences of supervisors of Indigenous HDR students, and explore further opportunities which enhance the higher education experiences of Indigenous HDR students. This book also suggests how successful relationships between Indigenous HDR students, and their supervisors may be fostered, and aims to be a useful resource for Indigenous peoples wishing to pursue higher education, and HDR supervisors in countries with Indigenous populations.

• Open Access
• Supervisors of Indigenous HDR students
• Supervision of Indigenous HDR students
• Needs of Indigenous HDR students
• Indigenous students' participation in higher education
• Indigenous students' retention in higher eudcation
• Indigenous students' completion in higher education
• issues faced by Indigenous HDR students
• Support mechanisms for Indigenous HDR students
• Disparity in Indigenous higher education outcomes
• Indigenous and non-Indigenous higher education outcomes
• Academic supervisor and Indigenous students
• Guidance for supervisors of Indigenous HDR students
• Positive relationships and student success
• Challenges for Indigenous postgraduate research students
• Expectations of supervisors of Indigenous HDR students
• Quality supervision for Indigenous HDR students
• Good practices in supervision in HDR
• Concerns in supervising HDR students
• Training for supervisors of Indigenous HDR students

• Carumba Institute, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Australia

  Peter Anderson, Levon Blue, Thu Pham, Melanie Saward

Professor Peter J. Anderson is from the Walpiri and Murinpatha First Nations in the Northern Territory of Australia. His research theorises the understandings of the organisational value of academic freedom in Australian universities and also more broadly in the polar south. Professor Anderson’s research areas include organisational leadership, Indigenous peoples’ education, and teacher and academic professional development. His research has been funded through Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) grants. One grant investigated the improvement of initial teacher education providers’ capacity to prepare preservice teachers to be confident, competent and culturally responsive to work in remote locations with high Indigenous populations. The second grant examined how to best engage and partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and community to improve student outcomes. Professor Anderson is also the lead Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded Special Research Initiative (SRI) titled ‘National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network’ (NIRAKN). He has recently completed a research project that explored the needs and experiences of Indigenous higher degree by research (HDR) students and supervisors.


Dr Levon Blue (Nimki Nibi Kwe) is an Anishinaabe kwe (woman) who is a member of the Beausoleil First Nations (G’Chimnissing) who is originally from Canada and lives on Turrbal and Yugara country in Queensland, Australia. She is a senior lecturer and National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN) coordinator at the Carumba Institute at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia. Levon also holds an adjunct research professor position at Western University (Canada). Dr Blue works with Indigenous peoples in both Australia and Canada on Community-driven research projects, including the financial literacy needs related to First Nations’ trust accounts, small business owners, and the needs and experiences of Indigenous higher degree by research (HDR) students. She is a Chief Investigator on two Australian Research Council funded grants: Special Research Initiative – National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN) and Discovery Indigenous – Empowering Indigenous Businesses Through Improved Financial and Commercial Literacy. Dr Blue is currently working on three other research projects regarding the role of education and technology in First Nation Trust Settlements; how young adults interact with digital financial tools; and developing financially capable citizens in an era of finance apps and cryptocurrencies.


Dr Thu Pham currently works as a Research Project Officer at the Carumba Institute, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia. She completed her doctoral degree in Education at QUT, Australia in 2016. Dr Pham’s doctoral research study focused on leadership to support quality improvement in Vietnamese higher education. Her research interests are leadership in higher education and higher education reforms in Asia-Pacific countries. Recently, Dr Pham has worked on Indigenous education and support for Indigenous higher degree by research (HDR) students’ projects.


Melanie Saward is a proud descendant of the Wakka Wakka and Bigambul peoples. She is an associate lecturer of creative writing in the School of Creative Practice at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia, and a PhD student.

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