MRes Postgraduate Research Experience Survey

We're keen to make sure MRes postgraduate research students have the best possible experience while studying with us. To do that we need to know what you think we are doing well and where we can do better

The MRes Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (MRES) 2026 is your chance to tell us your thoughts about your research degree programme. The results help us to make changes that improve what we do in the future and to keep doing the things that you value.

The MRes is open to all registered research degree students studying with us.

When does the survey take place?

This year's MRes postgraduate research study launches on 1 July 2026 and closes on 31 July 2026. 

What will MRES 2026 ask? 

The MRES 2026 should only take 15 minutes to complete and you will be asked to rate your overall satisfaction with the quality of your research degree programme, how well elements of it have met your expectations, and your satisfaction within the following themes:

• Supervision
• Resources
• Research culture
• Progress and assessment
• Responsibilities
• Support
• Research skills and professional development
• Opportunities
• Overall experience
• Motivations

How do I take part?

When the MRES 2026 survey launches on the 1st July 2026, eligible students will be sent an email link to the survey. This will arrive in your student email account (i.e. your [email protected] format email address). If you don’t normally use this account, please ensure you have set up an auto-forward to the email account you regularly use to ensure you receive the link to participate.

If you have any problems accessing or completing the survey, please contact [email protected]

What happens to the results?

Your feedback is important to us. We use the findings to improve our research degree programmes and the learning experience of future research degree students.

In the survey, you will be asked demographic questions to support analysis. Where the data is already held centrally and unlikely to change, we use this data to improve data quality. Where the data is not held centrally or may be expected to change during your registration, we will ask you to provide it.

Data we provide includes:

• Age
• Sex
• International status
• Domicile
• Ethnicity

Data we ask you to provide includes:

• Gender identity
• Trans history
• Disability

Comment boxes are available in each section to allow you to provide additional information on your experiences. To help us improve our support for PGRs, anonymised individual comments may be shared with relevant staff. Although your name will not be linked to any comments we share, it is important that you do not identify yourself or others in the open comments. Advance HE and the University of Portsmouth may also carry out thematic and sentiment analyses of anonymised comments to compare feedback with the wider sector and to help us better support postgraduate researchers.

Is it anonymous?

Whilst the survey is taking place the database will record user details to allow the survey software to send targeted reminder emails to students who have yet to complete the survey. Whilst the survey is open you have the right to withdraw consent for us to use or store your data. At the end of the survey period (31st July 2026) it will no longer be possible to withdraw your data as the linked email address will be deleted and the data will be held so that individuals are no longer identifiable.

After the survey has ended your anonymised data will be held securely for up to 10 years and may be used in summary form by the University of Portsmouth in scientific, research or statistical reports to better understand the PGR student experience. No individual will ever be identified in any reports or publications. We will not store your data outside the EU or UK, and we intend to publish a summary of the results later in the year.

Your data 

If you ever have any queries about how your data will be used or processed, please contact the [email protected] or the University’s Disclosure and Complaints Manager at [email protected]. You also have the right to lodge a complaint about how your data has been used with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

If you do not wish to take part in the survey, please contact [email protected] to be removed from the MRES 2026 mailing list.

Please note that because the survey data is anonymous, if you have a specific concern that requires action by the University, you should contact your supervisor, your Deputy Director of Postgraduate Research or your Head of Department.

For further information about the support available to you as a postgraduate research degree student at the University of Portsmouth, please contact the Doctoral College at [email protected]