Category Archives: scholarly identity

unlearning who you are and what you know? starting the doctorate

Posted on August 1, 2022 by pat thomson

No-one arrives at a doctorate as a blank slate. Everyone brings with them particular histories – we have life experiences and personal pathways which are classed, raced, gendered; work experiences and sometimes long professional careers; as well as educational histories. … Continue reading →

Posted in 'mature' doctoral researcher, academic writing, identity, mature age PhD, outsider, professional doctorate, scholarly identity, starting the PhD | Tagged identity, outsider, starting the PhD | 3 Comments

after the viva/defence – then what?

Posted on April 26, 2021 by pat thomson

There is no return to normal. There is no going back to what there was before. You have to find new ways of going on. I could be talking about the pandemic here. Yes indeed. But I’m not. I’m actually … Continue reading →

Posted in after-care, identity, post-PhD slump, scholarly identity, viva | Tagged identity, Pat Thomson, post PhD, post-PhD slump, scholarly identity, viva | 1 Comment

threshold concepts in academic writing

Posted on February 26, 2018 by pat thomson

Please note, I write my blog on weekends. It is not part of my workload, nor in my job description. I support the #USS strike. Many of you probably know what the term a ‘threshold concept’ means. My understanding of … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, identity, scholarly identity, text work/identity work, threshold concept | Tagged Kevin Roozen, Meyer and Land, Pat Thomson, text work identity work, threshold concepts, writing identity | 7 Comments

how to be a scholar

Posted on September 14, 2012 by pat thomson

As a much younger woman I considered the possibility of an academic career, but in the end I didn’t do it. One of the major reasons was that, at the time and where I was, a lot of academic life … Continue reading →

Posted in academic life, Alison Lee, feminist critique, scholarly identity, scholarship | Tagged academic identity, Alison Lee, scholar | 5 Comments

doctoral training and the messiness of research

Posted on July 9, 2012 by pat thomson

This post is written by Simon Bailey, a Research Fellow in the Business School at the University of Manchester. As a unique contribution to knowledge, doctorates are by definition very individual things. Though planning is very important, plans must be … Continue reading →

Posted in doctoral education, learning, mess, PhD, research methods, research project, scholarly identity | Tagged doctoral education, follow your nose, messy research, Simon Bailey | 1 Comment

what’s at stake for an early career researcher in going for publication in a top ranked journal ?

Posted on March 18, 2012 by pat thomson

I often get asked in workshops whether early career researchers should aim to get into a top journal. I want to give the first two parts of my answer in this post. My first response – WHO IS SAYING THIS … Continue reading →

Posted in acceptance, emotional labour, journal, online publishing, peer review, publishing, rejection, scholarly identity, top ranked journal | Tagged citations, emotional labour, identity, pat thomson. publishing, rejection, top ranked journals | 9 Comments

a convert to the european phd defence

Posted on December 22, 2011 by pat thomson

I’ve just examined another PhD. It wasn’t the usual experience. It wasn’t the UK style report followed by a viva. Nor was it a lengthy report Australian style. Rather, it was the full-on European defence. I was one of two … Continue reading →