What Can I Expect from my Supervisor?

I'm assessing various DL doctoral options, and apart from everything else, a lot seems to depend on the quality of support that one gets from ones supervisor. One poster went so far as to say that the student - supervisor chemistry is the ultimate determinant of success in PhD studies. Approaching doctorial studies with only a vague idea of a topic and no research experience, what can I reasonably expect from a supervisor (e.g. type of input, frequency and depth of interaction etc), and is it possible to assess any of this before I enrol at a particular university?

I would appreciate to get some of the experiences of other students (esp doctors!) in this regard.

 

Tough question (s)

Angela, I think you're right in stating that the supervisor is a key aspect of doctoral studies. Supervisors are the bane of post grad students' lives, and DL probably (I don't know) exacerbates the issue. Others can comment on what supervisors should or do provide in the way of assistance, but on your question as to whether one can assess a supervisor prior to enrolment - I guess the answer is no. Perhaps you can indicate who you would like as a supervisor, based on recommendations?

A related question is whether the charateristics of a university are any indication of the quality of supervision that you could expect?

Also, how much help would a supervisor give you in shaping your topic?

Help please!