I’m in your corner, but your thesis has to be your work. This page clarifies the boundary between supervision and authorship so expectations stay clear (and fair).
Why this matters
Thesis projects often feel ambiguous: there is rarely a single correct answer or a predefined path. Managing uncertainty is part of the learning outcome, and it requires proactive work: proposing options, testing ideas, and asking targeted questions.
What supervision is (and is not)
- Supervision is: helping you frame the problem, pointing you to relevant literature, challenging your reasoning, and giving feedback on drafts.
- Supervision is not: making the key decisions for you, writing substantial parts of your thesis, or stepping in as the “project owner” when decisions are uncomfortable.
Think of supervisors as mentors, not co-authors. To the extent you can make decisions and take actions, do so.
Independence is assessed
Independence is an evaluation criterion. When your project is finished, the committee will assess your professional attitude. Figure 1 illustrates how reliance on supervisors can appear, depending on how you use feedback.