The Future of Doctoral Research: Challenges and Opportunities

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of contents
Figures
Tables
Contributors
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The global knowledge economy
Part I Doctoral research in the changing university
	1 The changing face of doctoral education
		Conceptual and theoretical issues
		A short history of the proliferation of the doctorate
		Type and format of the doctorate
		Assessment of the doctorate
		Quality and standards of the doctorate
		Destinations of doctoral graduates
		Conclusion: decision time for the doctorate?
		References
	2 Agency in doctoral education: Towards Graduate School cohesion and a heightened societal awareness
		Doctoral student agency
		Doctoral supervisor agency
		Graduate School leadership
		Conclusion: Graduate School cohesion and societal awareness
		References
	3 Doctoral reform for the 21st century
		The development of attributes needed in the 21st century
		A model for integrative reform: the UBC Public Scholars Initiative
			Many students are yearning for the legitimization of their passions to make a difference, and the means to achieve that
			The growing professional identities of many doctoral students are often not supported in traditional academic environments, or are sometimes actively stifled
			The academy is somewhat divided in its acceptance of broadened forms of scholarship
			While such research can help students feel better prepared for  careers outside the academy, it also can have the effect of igniting or re-igniting a desire to pursue an academic career
			Research that involves different perspectives, disciplines,  collaborators, and methodologies can have a more profound  impact, depth, and nuance than more conventional research
		The national view
		Other avenues for integrative reform
		Conclusions
		References
	4 Is it time for a central campus office to ensure quality in doctoral education in the 21st century?
		Definition of pertinent terms
			United States
				History
				Organizational structure
			Europe
		A graduate division’s basic functions and roles
			Functions
			Roles of graduate deans
		Changes to forms of doctoral education and student numbers
			Quality assurance coordination
			Initiator and catalyst for intellectual innovation
				Interdisciplinary and inter-institutional doctoral education and training
				Increasing international research and international doctoral students
		Supervision and mentoring
			Professional development and career support of doctoral candidates
			Ethics training
			Institutional research unit
			Inclusive (post)graduate community builder
		Conclusion
		Notes
		References
	5 Mind the gap: A description of US doctoral education, challenges, and the skills gap
		The face of doctoral education today
			Job market for PhDs
			Where are they employed?
			Funding, level of debt, and time to degree
			Doctoral training
		Training challenges for doctoral recipients
			Challenges for careers in business and government
			Need to train to teach
			Need for mental health and intellectual support
		Changing types of faculty positions
		Recommendations
			Bridging the research–teaching gap
			Meeting the challenge of a more diverse student population
		Conclusion
		References
	6 Working towards future epistemic justice: Incorporating transcultural and Indigenous knowledge systems in doctoral education
		Our standpoints
		Postcolonial/decolonial theoretical positioning
			Epistemic justice
		Decolonising doctoral education
		Indigenous languages, theories and knowledge protocols
		Southern, transcultural and Indigenous concepts,  proverbs or wisdom
		Involvement of Elders, traditional knowledge holders and community members
		Respect for the role of ancestors and spiritual knowledge
		Examination processes
		Practical strategies for doc supervisors for epistemic justice in doc education
		Conclusion: an invitation …
		References
Part II Collaborations and funding
	7 Trust within capacity building for the development of supervision training: A case study of Sweden and Mozambique
		The concept of trust
		Previous research
			Case presentation
			The context: Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique
			The case: a supervision training subcomponent
			Method and empirical material
		Results
			The land of interpretations
			Suspension: a leap of faith
			The land of expectations
		Concluding discussion
		References
	8 Identifying key factors in successful bidding for doctoral training
		Applying to lead a Centre for Doctoral Training
			Features of the call
			University of Bristol approach
		Key factors in successful bids
			Articulating areas of skills deficit in the global doctoral graduate market
			Preparation for an agile future
			Innovation in an integrated training programme
			Interdisciplinarity
			Cross-cohort training in Responsible Innovation6
			Strategic partnerships with external organisations
		Conclusion
		Notes
		References
	9 The interplay between policy and funding
		Background
		Wellcome and PhD training: a brief history
		Wellcome’s 2017 review of UK biomedical PhD training
			Methods
			Review findings
		Conclusions
		References
	10 Doctoral education in Norway and inter-institutional collaboration within doctoral education: A case study
		Western Norway Graduate School of Educational Research II
		WNGER II and the “silent revolution” of doctoral education in Norway
		Method
		Preliminary findings
		Discussion
			Limitations
		Notes
		References
	11 Paving the way for healthy and empowering working environments: A joint action of institutes, early career researchers (ECRs
		Doctoral training and career development services: the current state of the art
		Bottom-up initiatives to shape and strengthen both doctoral training and career development services
		Sustainable implementation of doctoral training and career development services through long-term collaborative actions
		The integrative model
		Conclusion
		Notes
		References
Part III Doctoral researchers’ perspectives
	12 Professionalising doctoral education
		Professionalisation of structures
			Reform on the way
			Structured doctoral programmes
			The establishment of doctoral schools
		Professionalisation of staff
			Management of doctoral schools
			Supervision
			Specialised support
		Conclusion and outlook for the future
		References
	13 Supporting supervisors in promoting doctoral researchers’ mental health and wellbeing
		A doctoral project-for-life
		Five domains of mental health challenges
			The functional domain
			The enculturation domain
			The critical thinking domain
			The emancipation domain
			The relationship domain
			Transforming conflict as enabling mental health
		Awareness
		Conclusion
		References
	14 PhD candidates as informal caregivers in the Netherlands
		Methods
			Study design
				Online questionnaire
				Semi-structured interviews
			Data collection
			Data analysis methods
				Questionnaire
				Interviews
		Results
			Prevalence of informal care
			Caregiving activities
			Work strategies: combination PhD project and informal  care activities
				Role of supervisor
			Impact informal care on mental health
				Mental health: regression results from survey
				Mental health: results from interviews
			Impact of informal care on doctoral progress and retention
				PhD progress
				Intentions to quit doctoral education
		Discussion
			Summary of the results
			Comparison of the results to previous studies and theories
		Conclusions and implications
			Main conclusions offering new scientific knowledge
			Implications for practice
		References
	15 What makes English flow and why?: Understanding the cultural difficulties facing novice postgraduate second-language writer
		And there’s the rub!
		Back to basics: what makes English tick?
			Rhetorical heritage
			Writer-responsibility
			Low context
			Linearity
		Caveat
		Conclusion
		References
	16 Doctoral students as early career university teachers: What hinders and what helps them to embrace the essentials of good te
		Barriers to and catalysts of the successful completion of  ED courses
		The design of the course
		Methods
		Results and discussion
			Learning-centredness
			Factors influencing transfer from ED courses: barriers
			Facilitating transfer of knowledge and skills from courses:  the SOTL approach
		Conclusion
		References
	17 Networks as learning environments for doctoral education
		Networked doctoral education?
		Story one: The Thesis Whisperer – seeking advice from the crowd
			In the comments section, everyone can hear you scream
		Story two: mobility, connection and the DoctoralWriting blog
			Blogging and connection
			Future connections in the mobile, digital academy
		Story three: connectivity and contemporary doctoral writing practices
			Writing in the network
		Conclusion: the future of doctoral education (re)imagined  with connectivist thinking
		References
Part IV Doctoral supervisors’ perspectives
	18 What influences how we supervise?
		Discipline-specific focus group sessions
		Proposed model of influences on doctoral supervision
			Experience: own and previous supervisions
			Expectations, regulations and requirements
			Training and supervisor development
			Discipline expectations
			Individual cultures and preferences
		Conclusion and implications
		References
	19 Towards a framework for the recognition of good supervisory practice
		The case for recognition
		The background to recognition
		The development of a framework
		The framework for good supervisory practice
			Recruitment and selection
				Typical examples
			Relationships with candidates
				Typical examples
			Relationships with co-supervisors
				Typical examples
			Supporting candidates’ research projects
				Typical examples
			Encouraging candidates to write and giving appropriate  feedback
				Typical examples
			Supporting candidates’ personal, professional, and career development
				Typical examples
			Supporting progress and monitoring progression
				Typical examples
			Supporting candidates through completion and final examination
				Typical examples
			Supporting candidates to disseminate their research
				Typical examples
			Reflecting upon and enhancing practice
				Typical examples
		The uses of the framework
		Conclusions
		References
	20 Integration of doctoral supervisor courses in the research culture: A socio-cultural approach
		Integration of doctoral supervisor courses in the research environment
		Aspects of supervisor courses going local
			A socio-cultural approach to educational development
			The risk of narrow experiences and conversations
			Balancing supervisor navigation and survival with academic system criticism
			The ever-present need to problematise projectification in STEM doctoral studies
		Conclusion and implications
		References
	21 Action learning as means for supervisor development
		Research on peer mentoring and action learning
		Empirical context and methods
			Analytical framework
		Findings
			Excerpt 1
			Excerpt 2
			Excerpt 3
			Excerpt 4
		Concluding discussion
		Notes
		References
	22 Doctoral examiners’ judgements: Do examiners agree on doctoral attributes and how important are professional and personal characteristics?
		Literature
		How did I undertake this study?
			Data analysis
		Results
			Attributes sought by doctoral examiners
			Typology of attributes
				Originality
				Publishability
				Research competence
					Methodology and methods
					Data analysis
					Coherence and argument
					Knowledge and understanding of the field
					Research integrity
				Intellectual rigour
		Discussion
		Conclusion
		References
Part V Ethics and accountability
	25 Specialist courses in research ethics: More important now than they used to be?
		The role of research ethics as an academic discipline
		Changing research practices and breakdowns of moral habitus
		Maintaining the moral habitus of the profession
		Concluding discussion
		References
	26 Research integrity training for early career researchers
		Country selection and methodology
			The Netherlands
			Poland
			Data collection
		The Netherlands and Poland: what does RI training for doctoral candidates look like?
			The Netherlands
				Definition of research integrity
				Training of doctoral candidates in the Netherlands on research integrity
			Poland
				The definition of research integrity
				Training on research integrity for doctoral candidates in  Polish universities
		Discussion and outlook
		Notes
		References
	27 Supporting students to complete their doctorate
		Case study context
		Macro-level factors on completions
		Meso-level factors on completion
			Institutional factors
			Departmental factors
				Elements promoting a vibrant graduate research culture
				Research education coordinators
		Micro-level factors – supervision and peer support
			Supervision
			Peers
		Conclusions and implications
		References
Index