Category Archives: metaphor

all that reading? think of it as tracing your family tree

Posted on March 30, 2015 by pat thomson

When you start on a PhD, or indeed on any new research project, there’s always a lot of reading to be done. It’s easy to lose track of what this reading is for and to forget why engaging with all … Continue reading →

Posted in family tree, George Patton, literature review, metaphor, reading | Tagged family tree, literature review, metaphor, Pat Thomson, reading | 10 Comments

is the PhD a ‘journey’?

Posted on March 23, 2015 by pat thomson

It’s not at all uncommon for doctoral researchers to think about the PhD as a journey. And they generally use the PhD-as-journey as more than a simple metaphor – it becomes a, even THE way of explaining to other people … Continue reading →

Posted in Hughes and Tight, journey, metaphor, PhD, thesis, work | Tagged CHristina Hughes and Malcolm Tight, Journey metaphor, Pat Thomson, PhD, thesis, work | 31 Comments

working with literatures – love the uncertainty

Posted on July 1, 2013 by pat thomson

I am frequently asked by doctoral researchers about reviewing literatures. As they talk, I often get a strong sense that their questions are accompanied by feelings of inadequacy.My guess is that they feel they ought to have more of a … Continue reading →

Posted in doctoral research, literature mapping, literature review, literature themes, metaphor, uncertainty, wonder | Tagged literature work, not knowing, Pat Thomson, Rugg and Petrie, uncertainty | 11 Comments

the discussion chapter – it’s about taking flight

Posted on February 28, 2013 by pat thomson

A long time ago I visited the albatross sanctuary on the Otago Peninsula in New Zealand. I was there at a time when the fledglings were exercising their wings, but had not yet reached the point where they were able … Continue reading →

Posted in academic title, discussion, flying metaphor, metaphor, thesis | Tagged metaphor of flying, Pat Thomson, thesis, writing the discussion | 7 Comments

a methodological metaphor – what detective are you?

Posted on February 7, 2013 by pat thomson

One of the basic requirements for research in the humanities and social sciences is that the researcher must take a position. Well not any old position, but one in relation to the practice of research. This is often thought of … Continue reading →

Posted in crime fiction, doctoral research, epistemology, evidence, metaphor, methods chapter, ontology, philosophy | Tagged crime fiction, detective, metaphor, Pat Thomson, philosophy | 6 Comments

location – another metaphor for writing about your research

Posted on January 17, 2013 by pat thomson

There are a lot of geographical metaphors used in research talk. We routinely speak about fields of study, mapping the literatures, surveying the literatures. Location is another one of those borrowed-from-geography metaphors and it’s one I‘m particularly fond of. Locating … Continue reading →

Posted in abstracts, academic writing, journal, literature review, location, metaphor, Tiny Text | Tagged location, metaphor, Pat Thomson, Tiny Text | 2 Comments

a metaphor for the thesis

Posted on January 7, 2013 by pat thomson

I like a good metaphor. I like thinking about the metaphors that we use to describe academic work too. I particularly like thinking about how changing metaphors can help re-orient the actual doing of academic work. We all know, I’m … Continue reading →