Postgraduate researchers rate supervision as the most important aspect of a doctoral research programme, according to a new survey by the Higher Education Academy (HEA). The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2011, now in its fourth year, gathers the views of current postgraduate research students across the UK. Supervision has

I was fortunate enough to gain a PhD studentship that provides funding for three years, although I have four years in which to complete it. Right from the start my supervisor said that I should aim to complete all the work within three years. If you are a full-time PhD researcher like me that is [...]

At long last I have finally finished my literature review and 11,000 words later I can attest to the fact that patience is a virtue – but undertaking a PhD is not a race and it is best conducted at a steady, consistent pace. During my first year of PhD study I often felt that [...]

My PhD supervisor asked me what the difference between methods and methodology was several months ago and I did not know the answer.  All I could muster in a pathetic response was a look of bewilderment. Thankfully, she referred me to a book by Peter Clough and Cathy Nutbrown called A Student’s Guide to Methodology, [...]

In the last teaching week of my first year at Salford I have been reflecting on how quickly an academic year passes and how so much, or so little can be achieved on a PhD research project. For me it has been a whirlwind year in terms of the ideological and theoretical foundations of my [...]