How To Get a PhD ^{5th Ed.}

Since the first edition of this innovative book, thousands of doctoral students have gained their doctorates by following the spot-on advice it gives. Across all faculties and disciplines, it remains the book of choice for both students and their supervisors, establishing it as a worldwide bestseller.

This practical book guides students through all they need to know to approach the research, write and defend their ideas and ultimately produce a unique and robust academic thesis. It also gives supervisors and examiners invaluable tips on their role in the process.

With vignettes from doctoral candidates, the book demonstrates how problems can be approached and overcome.

Thoroughly updated to include new technologies and different forms of doctorate, new content includes coverage on:

• The specifics of writing your PhD
• Studying for a professional doctorate
• Equal opportunities for non-traditional students and for students from minority groups
• A self-evaluation questionnaire on doctoral supervisory practice (to complement the existing questionnaire on student progress)

• Chapter 1 — On becoming a research student
• Action summary
• The nature of doctoral education
• The psychology of being a research student
• The aims of this book
• Chapter 2 — Getting into the system
• Action summary
• Choosing the institution and field of study
• Eligibility
• Grants and research support
• The scientific research programme
• Distance supervision?
• Choosing your work context
• Selecting your supervisor
• Starting out as a research student
• Myths and realities of the system
• The 'ivory tower'
• Personal relationships
• Teamworking
• Chapter 3 — The nature of the PhD qualification
• Action summary
• The meaning of a doctorate
• Becoming a fully professional researcher
• What can I expect to be taught during my PhD studies?
• Differences between the MPhil and the PhD
• Aims of students
• Aims of supervisors
• Aims of examiners
• Aims of universities and research councils
• Mismatches and problems
• Chapter 4 — How not to get a PhD
• Action summary
• Not wanting a PhD
• Not understanding the nature of a PhD by overestimating what is required
• Not understanding the nature of a PhD by underestimating what is required
• Not having a supervisor who knows what a PhD requires
• Losing contact with your supervisor
• Not being in a research environment
• Not having a thesis
• Taking a new job before finishing
• Chapter 5 — How to do research
• Action summary
• Characteristics of research
• Intelligence-gathering — the 'what' questions
• Research — the 'why' questions
• Characteristics of good research
• Research is based on an open system of thought
• Researchers examine data critically
• Researchers generalize and specify the limits on their generalizations
• Hypothetico-deductive method
• Basic types of research
• Exploratory research
• Testing-out research
• Problem-solving research
• Which type of research for the PhD?
• The craft of doing research
• Chapter 6 — The form of a PhD thesis
• Action summary
• Understanding the PhD form
• Background theory
• Focal theory
• Data theory
• Contribution
• Detailed structure and choice of chapter headings
• The concept of originality
• Chapter 7 — Writing your PhD
• Action summary
• What to write
• When to write
• How to write
• Getting started on writing
• Writing as a process of re-writing
• Different types of writers
• The writing process cycle
• The content and style of the thesis
• Content
• Style
• Alternative styles
• Writing conference papers and journal articles
• Chapter 8 — The PhD process
• Action summary
• Psychological aspects
• Enthusiasm
• Isolation
• Increasing interest in work
• Transfer of dependence from the supervisor to the work
• Boredom
• Frustration
• A job to be finished
• Euphoria
• Others 'getting in first'
• Project management
• Time management
• Dealing with stress
• Task management
• The stages of the process
• Redefining long-term and short-term goals
• The importance of deadlines
• Self-help and peer support groups (buddy systems)
• Internet groups
• Teaching whilst studying for a PhD
• Chapter 9 — How to manage your supervisors
• The supervisory team
• Advantages of supervorsy teams
• The supervisory teams limitations (or when it does not work and what you can do about it)
• What supervisors expect of their doctoral students
• Supervisors expect their students to be independent
• Supervisors expect their students to produce written work that is not just a first draft
• Supervisors expect to have regular meetings with their research students
• Supervisors expect their research students to be honest when reporting on their progress
• Supervisors expect their students to follow the advice that they give, especially when it has been given at the student's request
• Supervisors expect their students to be excited about their work, able to surprise them and fun to be with!
• The need to educate your supervisors
• How to reduce the communication barrier
• Improving tutorials
• Changing supervisors
• Inappropriate personal relationships in supervision
• Chapter 10 — Equal opportunities for non-traditional research students (i.e. women — with some comments for men — international, mature and part-time students)
• Gender issues among research students
• Women students
• Action summary for women students
• Difficulties concerning legitimacy of topics and methodology
• Problems of communication, debate and feedback
• Scarcity of academic role models
• Sexual harassment and exploitation
• Male students
• Action summary for male students
• Men's groups
• International students
• Action summary for international stiudents
• Settling in to Britain
• Expressing yourself in academic English
• The culture of British doctoral education
• Mature stuidents
• Action summary for mature students
• Legislation against ageist discrimination
• Part-time students
• Action summary for part-time students
• Time management
• Outside demands
• Conclusion
• Chapter 11 — Equal opportunities for minority group research students (i.e. ethic minority students, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, students with chronic medical conditions and disabled students)
• Ethnic minorities
• Action summary for ethnic minorities
• Racial harassment
• Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students
• Action summary for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students
• Heterosexist harassment
• Students with a chronic medical condition
• Action summary for students with a chronic medical condition
• Students with disabilities
• Action summary for students with disabilities
• Disability legislation
• Harassment of people with a disability
• Conclusion
• Chapter 12 — the examination system
• Action summary
• Giving notice of submission
• The appointment of examiners
• Submitting the thesis
• The oral examination — the 'viva'
• Preparing for the viva
• The results of the examination
• The appeals procedures
• Litigation
• Chapter 13 — How to get a professional doctorate (ProfD)
• Action summary
• Getting into the system
• The nature of the ProfD qualification
• The form of the ProfD
• Writing your ProfD
• The ProfD process
• How not to get a ProfD
• The ProfD cohort
• How to manage your supervisors
• The ProfD examination
• Conclusion
• Chapter 14 — How to supervise and examine
• What students expect of their supervisors
• Students expect to be supervised
• Students expect supervisors to read their work well in advance
• Students expect their supervisors to be available when needed
• Students expect their supervisors to be friendly, open and supportive
• Students expect their supervisors to be constructively critical
• Students expect their supervisors to have a good knowledge of the research area
• Students expect their supervisors to structure the tutorial so that it is relatively easy to exchange ideas
• Students expect their supervisors to have sufficient interest in their research to put more information in the students' path
• Students expect supervisors to be sufficiently involved in their success to help them get a good job at the end of it all!
• Establishing a role model
• Teaching the craft of research
• Giving effective feedback
• Introducing a structured 'weaning' programme
• Maintaining a helpful 'psychological contract'
• Encouraging students' academic role development
• Supervising at a distance
• Supervising your research assistant
• Working in a team of supervisors
• Supervising non-traditional students
• Supervising women students
• Supervising male students
• Supervising international students
• Supervising matiure students
• Supervising part-time students
• Problems of access
• Organizing work
• Supervising minority group students
• Supervising ethnic minority students
• Supervising gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students
• Supervising students with chronic medical conditions
• Epilepsy and its treatment
• Diabetes and its treatment
• Supportive supervision
• Supportive supervision
• Supervising students with a disability
• Conclusion
• Training for supervision
• How to examine
• The oral examination
• Outcomes of good supervision
• Chapter 15 — Institutional responsibilities
• Action summary
• University responsibilities
• A university-wide graduate school or research institute for doctoral students
• Support for students
• Facilities for departments to support doctoral research activity
• A handbook for university research degree students
• English language support where necessary
• Support for non-traditional students
• Resources for supervisors
• Teaching credit for doctoral supervision
• Faculty/departmental doctoral research tutor
• Providing appropriate regulations
• Selection of doctoral students
• Upgrading and monitoring of students' progress
• Appointment of external examiners
• Intellectual copyright and appropriate recognition for doctoral students' work
• Departmental responsibilities
• The departmental research tutor
• Improving the selection of students into the department
• Selection of supervisors
• Guidelines on appropriate supervisory behaviour
• Support groups for research students
• A departmental doctoral programme
• Conclusion
• Appendix 1: Self-evaluation questionnaire on research student progress
• Appendix 2: Self-evaluation questionnaire and topics for discussion on doctoral supervisory practice