This study explores how PhD supervisors perceive and manage autonomy, competence, and supervisory relationships in doctoral education. Based on semi-structured interviews with supervisors from different fields and levels of experience, the analysis identifies how autonomy is understood in practice. The findings show that autonomy is closely linked to responsibility and ownership of the research process and is generally seen as the ultimate goal of doctoral education. At the same time, autonomy is not treated as a fixed condition, but as something that develops gradually in relation to the student’s competence. Supervisors describe the need to continuously balance autonomy with structure, adjusting their approach depending on the student and the stage of the PhD. This balance becomes particularly relevant in externally funded projects, where autonomy is shaped by predefined research goals but still allows for flexibility within the project framework. Overall, effective supervision is characterized by maintaining a balance between autonomy, competence, and structural constraints.
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