Stages in the Phd Journey

Phd journey :

As a phd students  You might be working in the same specialist area. You might even have the same supervisor. But your PhD will be completely unique, with its research aims, its own core findings and its own original contribution to knowledge.

Proposals for different project types:

PhD proposals for some projects are more detailed than others:

• If you’re applying for a self-proposed PhD (more common in Arts, Humanities and some Social Science subjects) you’ll need to ‘sell’ your project as well as your ability to do it. The university will want to know why this PhD is worth doing and why you’ve proposed to do it with them.
• If you’re applying for a pre-defined topic (more common in Science and Engineering subjects) you won’t need to persuade the university that their own project is worthwhile, but you will need to demonstrate an understanding of it. You’ll also have to make a case for your suitability as a researcher and the benefits you could bring (particularly if funding is at stake!).

 Carrying out a literature review:

The literature review is normally the first thing you’ll tackle after beginning your PhD and having an initial meeting with your supervisor.

Just as the PhD (‘Doctor of Philosophy’) degree isn’t restricted to Philosophy students, your literature review doesn’t require you to study English Literature.

Research process:

Once you’ve carried out your literature review, you’ll move from scholarship to research.

Types of PhD research:

The research process and the type of results you collect will depend upon your subject area:

• In Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects you’ll focus on designing experiments, before recording and analysing their outcomes. This often means assembling and managing complex numerical datasets – sometimes in collaboration with the rest of your laboratory or workshop.
• In Social Science subjects you’ll be more focussed on designing surveys or conducting case studies. These will produce quantitative or qualitative data, depending on the nature of your work.
• In Arts and Humanities subjects you’ll often have less raw data, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be working with ‘hard’ factual information. You’ll analyse texts, sources and other materials according to an accepted methodology and reflect upon the significance of your findings.

Dissertion :

Every dissertation has a large research component. Once your proposal has been approved by your mentor, committee, and the IRB (much of which can happen during the residency phase), independent research and writing begins. This process of intensive research and authoring a multi-chapter book essentially transforms the student into a scholar.

Getting Approval:

Once the research and writing are complete, the dissertation must be approved by a faculty committee. There is a final defense involved in which you will be questioned in detail about your research, analysis, and conclusions. Depending on your field of study, you may also need to meet specific professional standards. (For example, a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision needs to meet guidelines from the American Counseling Association.) Once all approvals have been received, you will have earned your PhD.