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Demystifying Research Philosophy: Making Sense of the Madness
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If you’ve ever heard the phrase “research philosophy” and immediately felt a wave of panic, you’re not alone. It sounds suspiciously like something that requires a deep understanding of ancient scholars and the ability to quote Socrates on demand. Thankfully, it’s not nearly that dramatic. In fact, research philosophy is simply the foundation of…
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How to Synthesise Information in Your Literature Review: What Does It Even Mean?
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Ah, the literature review—the part of your dissertation where you wade through an ocean of journal articles, desperately trying to make sense of it all. You’re told to “synthesise” the literature, but what does that even mean? Is it just summarising a bunch of papers? Copying and pasting quotes until it looks academic enough?…
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The Hidden Curriculum: 5 Soft Skills You Master During a PhD (That Make You Invaluable in Any Career)
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So, you’re doing a PhD. Or maybe you’re thinking about it. Either way, you probably already know that it’s not just about producing an earth-shattering dissertation. Along the way, you acquire an elite set of soft skills that most people only dream of. These are the skills that make you adaptable, employable, and the…
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Why Making Mistakes During Your PhD is the Best Thing That Can Happen to You
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If you’re knee-deep in a PhD, chances are you’ve had your fair share of moments where you’ve thought, “Well, that was a disaster.” Maybe an experiment went spectacularly wrong, a journal rejected your paper (again), or your theoretical framework crumbled under scrutiny. If so, congratulations! You’re doing your PhD right. Mistakes aren’t just inevitable;…
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The Importance of Creating Publishable Work During Your PhD (and How to Do It Without Losing Your Sanity)
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Ah, the PhD journey—a thrilling adventure filled with moments of brilliance, long nights of existential dread, and an alarming number of coffee refills. While the ultimate goal is to produce a thesis, one crucial (and often overlooked) aspect is creating work that is actually publishable. Because let’s be real, after spending years agonising over…
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Weaving the Golden Thread Through Your Dissertation: A Guide to Staying on Track
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If you’ve been following my blog (which, of course, you have—right?), you might have already read my previous post on what the golden thread is. But in case you need a refresher: the golden thread is that clear, consistent line of argument that connects all parts of your dissertation, from introduction to conclusion. It…
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Procrastination: Why We Do It and How to Break the Cycle
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Procrastination: the art of doing everything except the thing you’re supposed to be doing. Suddenly, dusting shelves becomes urgent, organising your spice rack feels essential, and the pile of work glaring at you from the corner of your desk… well, that can wait, can’t it? We’ve all been there. Procrastination doesn’t discriminate. Whether you’re…
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Reframing Failure as Opportunity: A Guide for Students
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Failure. Even the word can feel heavy, can’t it? Yet, for PhD and MBA students, it’s an almost inevitable part of the journey. Deadlines missed, experiments gone awry, rejections from journals or pitches that didn’t land—failure often feels like an unwelcome companion. But what if failure isn’t the villain we make it out to…
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Navigating the Relationship with Your Dissertation Supervisor
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Your dissertation supervisor is one of the most important figures in your PhD journey. They’re your guide, critic, mentor, and sometimes even a bit of a mystery. A healthy, productive relationship with your supervisor can make the difference between a smooth academic experience and one that feels like pulling teeth. But how do you…
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How to Tackle Impostor Syndrome in Your PhD Journey
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PhD candidates are no strangers to impostor syndrome—that persistent, nagging feeling that you’re a fraud and it’s only a matter of time before everyone finds out. You might think, “How did I even get here?” or “Everyone else seems so much smarter than me!” Rest assured, you’re not alone. In fact, impostor syndrome is…