Category Archives: doctoral researcher

when you’re older than your professors

This is a guest post from Dr Noelle Sterne. Noelle runs a coaching and editing practice and in 2015 published Challenges in Writing Your Dissertation: Coping With the Emotional, Interpersonal, and Spiritual Struggles.   Marlene was one of the brightest … Continue reading

Posted in 'mature' doctoral researcher, academic writing, doctoral experience, doctoral researcher, feedback | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

refining your research topic – starting the phd

Where do research topics come from? The research topic you have at the start of your PhD may come from work you did in your Masters. It may come from a professional or policy context, perhaps your own professional work … Continue reading

Posted in academic writing, doctoral research, doctoral researcher, research design, research proposal, research question, research warrant, starting the PhD | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

‘the PhD experience’

Patter is currently on two weeks annual leave. (Faint sounds of cheering.) So the next four posts are reprints of some other writing that might be of interest to Patter readers. This is the foreword I wrote to a new anthology of Australian doctoral … Continue reading

Posted in "doctoral student", doctoral education, doctoral experience, doctoral researcher, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 3 Comments

researching on someone else’s project – it’s a relationship

This is a guest post by Nick Hopwood and Teena Clerke from the University of Technology Sydney. Together they reflect on their separate and shared processes of researching on someone else’s projects. And yes, one of them now works for/with the other.  … Continue reading

Posted in doctoral researcher, early career researchers, emerging researchers, identity, Nick Hopwood, PI, researcher, researcher identity, Teena Clerke, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

letter to an unknown doctoral researcher

Dear becoming-doctor, I know that you are about to enrol in a PhD. That’s fab, no really, it’s great – but there’s something I want you to think about as you fill out that form. By the time you reach the … Continue reading

Posted in comparison, competition, doctoral experience, doctoral researcher, norms, PhD | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments