Research Degrees Management System FAQs

The Research Degrees Management System (RDMS) is being introduced to replace the GSO database and Research Thesis Digital Submission (RTDS) portal – providing a single, integrated platform for managing thesis submissions, examiner communications and outcome processing.

In 2017, Education Committee’s Research Degrees Panel initiated a review of the regulations and policy on postgraduate research (PGR) student degree outcomes. Following a consultation during 2018–19, a number of important regulatory changes were agreed. However, implementation of these changes was delayed because of the need for IT development to support the underlying process.

Separately, in early 2020, a number of processes relating to the PGR student journey were moved into eVision. This project will move the PGR examiner appointment process and outcomes stages into eVision, and will enable the implementation of the previously-agreed regulatory changes related to research degree outcomes.

This project will enable the implementation of previously-agreed Postgraduate Research (PGR) examination regulation changes that were announced in the 31 October 2024 edition of the University Gazette and are available on the Policy and Guidance on Research Degrees webpage.

Here are the key changes:

• Increasing the length of time available for minor corrections to two months from one month;
• Retention of major corrections as an examination outcome, but providing clearer options for major corrections with re-examination and major corrections without further examination;
• Reduction in the length of time available for reference back decisions from two years to one year;
• Improved guidance including the addition of indicative criteria to each decision, to aid examiners in determining when a particular outcome should be selected;
• The removal of extensions from minor and major correction outcomes;
• The provision for a period of suspension of up to 12 months (with a minimum suspension of 4 weeks) for those with major corrections and reference back decisions;
• Improved clarity on the expectations for supervision of students post-viva, with students receiving major corrections and reference back decisions entitled to the same level of supervision as expected before submission;
• Provision for students to apply for exceptional suspensions and extensions from Education Committee.

Benefits of introducing the Research Degree Management System include:

• A clearer and more logical set of outcomes following Postgraduate Research (PGR) student assessment;
• Future regulatory and policy changes can be implemented more quickly;
• Improved compliance with the regulations, and more effective monitoring of policy adherence;
• Time savings for administrative staff by eliminating manual data entry;
• Increased student satisfaction with the process;
• Streamlined platform for examiners to engage with research examination process;
• Improved data quality and reporting;
• Reduced risk of data breaches;
• Reduced risk of system failure and data unavailability.

The Research Degrees Management System (RDMS) project will change the thesis submission process for postgraduate research students. Various staff involved with postgraduate research assessments will also be impacted by the project. This includes: Graduate Studies Administrators, Directors of Graduate Studies, Supervisors, Examiners, the Research Degrees team in Student Assessments and the Student Systems Support Centre.

Some Professional Services teams who support Postgraduate Research (PGR) assessments will experience minor changes as a result of the project. This includes: Student Registry, Payroll, the University Gazette team, Oxford Research Archive, University Stores and the Print Studio.

You can email the project team at RDMSproject@it.ox.ac.uk with any questions, feedback or concerns.

The transition will take place in phases, with use of the new system starting in early September 2025 (specific date to be confirmed).

Research Degree Manage System (RDMS) will improve the Postgraduate Research (PGR) student experience because it moves their thesis submission process into eVision – a system that they are already familiar with and use for University registration, student record access, examination entry, examination results, booking degree ceremonies and more.

The current Postgraduate Research (PGR) thesis submission platform, Research Theses Digital Submission (RTDS), is only encountered by PGR students for the first time as they are submitting their thesis. The new process will remove the need for PGR students to learn a new system while they are meeting this important deadline, and will instead allow them to use a system that is well-known to them.

For major corrections outcomes, examiners will be able to upload corrections, annotated theses and additional notes in the system, as part of their joint examiners’ report.

The minor corrections process will not change: examiners will continue to correspond with students off-system, via email.

Students will only need to submit their thesis once, on one platform. They will continue using Research Theses Digital Submission (RTDS) until the specific day (to be confirmed) that the new Research Degrees Management System (RDMS) system launches in early September. 

If the student's thesis has been issued to their examiners in the old system before RDMS launches in early September, then the examination will continue to be managed in RTDS and the GSO database up until a first outcome is recorded. If (in cases of major corrections or referral) the student needs to resubmit following their first outcome, they will then do so in the new RDMS system, and their examination record will be migrated to RDMS so that their examiners will be able to complete the examination process in RDMS.

If the thesis hasn't yet been issued to the examiner when RDMS launches in early September, the examination record will be migrated into RDMS and managed there. The impact on examiners will be kept to a minimum and students will not need to resubmit their thesis.

Before the end of Michaelmas term 2025, any remaining in-progress examination records will be moved into RDMS.