Perspectives: Writing and supervising trauma narrative in tertiary studies

Much has been written on differing paradigms of supervisor and Higher Degree Research candidate relationship, particularly at the doctoral level. According to the literature, varying models of supervision result in varying experiences but a consistent thread within the comparatively newer discipline of creative practices in Australia is a desire to understand this relationship and develop a uniform quality assurance.But this paper argues that different types of candidate work within creative practices entails different types of supervision. We arrive at this statement experientially through a supervisory/student relationship spanning two degrees and four to five years, interrogating notions of grief and death, framed by trauma. In the final year of a doctorate, we instigated a mini lateral research project, looking at our own practice, as both supervisor and candidate. Within the qualitative frame of narrative inquiry, we individually devised a set of questions, and undertook to rigorously investigate how the other regards the process we have been living for the past four years. In a bid to both articulate and then reflect upon this relationship, we hope in some small way to contribute to the growing canon within the creative practices on supervisor/candidate relationships, particularly pertinent to the writing and supervision of trauma narrative.