One of the main factors influencing the doctoral work is the satisfaction that can be felt in the development process of their research. The main needs that are reflected in the following points:
- Adequate guide searching the literature.
- Adequate guide in the selection of the research topic and its refinement
- Advice and support in determining future plans.
- Integration into the academic community.
Therefore if the director ensures that the above items are successfully fulfilled we may say that he has done a good job. However, it should be noted that there is not a recipe that can quantify how well it has done this work. For example, it must be taken into account his/her way of being in order to treat him/her in one way or another and it must be modified the way of acting according to the state of development on the thesis. Additionally it also has a influence in the support of the institution in the task of supervising the thesis.
That is why so many times the management process is becoming on the fly as different concerns or doubts are emerging about the goals that can be achieved; doubts about whether the method of supervising is appropriate, about the reinforcement towards what the candidate thinks are irrelavant, about how to combat the lack of attention and how to act when you feel to be either on the lookout for him/her or give him/her more freedom. It is usual, therefore, that at some point in the research and supervision process tensions appear, of which the most common are:
- Sense of mandate and mutual dependence
- Need to be and gain independence
- Concerns, problems and misunderstandings that don not come to light
At this time, the advice given to them both principals and pupils is to be borne in mind that the director should not always try to get doctoral candidate satisfaction [Sonneveld09]. It is not better performed a supervision in which the candidate is happy or when we reach exactly the objectives set by the institution. For example, when conflicting situations are causing some tension, they can also be very productive.
