The post was last updated on September 5, 2022
We all probably know the feeling of downloading interesting-sounding articles onto our computers, thinking we’ll read them “at some point”. And then we’ll never look at them again. However, sometimes those papers come to form the core background literature for our doctoral (or later) research. But once the thesis is done, what do you do with all those neatly sorted and zotero’ed papers?
Why not share them?
Below there is a list of references related to various themes of “doing doctoral studies”. All of them are somehow focused on doctoral researchers (individual-level) rather than doctoral education as a system. The list is in no way exhaustive: to keep it somehow manageable, the list only includes journal articles, written in English. Most of the articles have been published between 2010 and 2021, but there are also a few older ones in the mix.
The list will hopefully be helpful for those thinking of doing research on any aspect of doctoral studies—or for those who want to focus on a more holistic viewpoint, like I did in my own thesis.
The list will be updated twice a year.
Supervision and support
Agné, H., & Mörkenstam, U. (2018). Should first-year doctoral students be supervised collectively or individually? Effects on thesis completion and time to completion. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(4), 669–682.
Ahmed, U., Umrani, W. A., Pahi, M. H., & Shah, S. M. M. (2017). Engaging PhD Students: Investigating the Role of Supervisor Support and Psychological Capital in a Mediated Model. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 10(2).
Baptista, A. V. (2011). Challenges to doctoral research and supervision quality: A theoretical approach. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 3576–3581.
Bastalich, W. (2017). Content and context in knowledge production: A critical review of doctoral supervision literature. Studies in Higher Education, 42(7), 1145–1157.
Bell, A. (2016). Intercultural postgraduate supervision: Reimagining time, place and knowledge. Higher Education Research & Development, 35(1), 193–195.
Boehe, D. M. (2016). Supervisory styles: A contingency framework. Studies in Higher Education, 41(3), 399–414.
Boud, D., & Lee, A. (2005). ‘Peer learning’ as pedagogic discourse for research education. Studies in Higher Education, 30(5), 501–516.
Caliskan, O., & Holley, K. (2017). Doctoral student support programs in diverse national contexts. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 9(4), 565–576.
Cohen, A., & Baruch, Y. (2021). Abuse and Exploitation of Doctoral Students: A Conceptual Model for Traversing a Long and Winding Road to Academia. Journal of Business Ethics.
Cornér, S., Löfström, E., & Pyhältö, K. (2017). The relationships between doctoral students’ perceptions of supervision and burnout. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 12, 091–106.
Cree, V. E. (2012). ‘I’d Like to Call You My Mother.’ Reflections on Supervising International PhD Students in Social Work. Social Work Education, 31(4), 451–464.
Deshpande, A. (2017). Faculty Best Practices to Support Students in the ‘Virtual Doctoral Land’. Higher Education for the Future, 4(1), 12–30.
Dowling, R., Gorman-Murray, A., Power, E., & Luzia, K. (2012). Critical Reflections on Doctoral Research and Supervision in Human Geography: The ‘PhD by Publication’. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 36(2), 293–305.
Duke, D. C., & Denicolo, P. M. (2017). What supervisors and universities can do to enhance doctoral student experience (and how they can help themselves). FEMS Microbiology Letters, 364(9).
Fenge, L.-A. (2012). Enhancing the doctoral journey: The role of group supervision in supporting collaborative learning and creativity. Studies in Higher Education, 37(4), 401–414.
Green, B. (2005). Unfinished business: Subjectivity and supervision. Higher Education Research & Development, 24(2), 151–163.
Gunnarsson, R., Jonasson, G., & Billhult, A. (2013). The experience of disagreement between students and supervisors in PhD education: A qualitative study. BMC Medical Education, 13(1), 134.
Hair, M. (2006). Superqual: A tool to explore the initial expectations of PhD students and supervisors. Active Learning in Higher Education, 7(1), 9–23.
Heath, T. (2002). A Quantitative Analysis of PhD Students’ Views of Supervision. Higher Education Research & Development, 21(1), 41–53.
Kandiko, C. B., & Kinchin, I. M. (2013). Developing discourses of knowledge and understanding: Longitudinal studies of Ph.D. supervision. London Review of Education.
Kaur, A., Kumar, V., & Noman, M. (2021). Partnering with doctoral students in research supervision: Opportunities and challenges. Higher Education Research & Development, 1–15.
Kiley, M. (2009). Identifying threshold concepts and proposing strategies to support doctoral candidates. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 46(3), 293–304.
Lee, A. (2008). How are doctoral students supervised? Concepts of doctoral research supervision. Studies in Higher Education, 33(3), 267–281.
Lindahl, J., Colliander, C., & Danell, R. (2020). The importance of collaboration and supervisor behaviour for gender differences in doctoral student performance and early career development. Studies in Higher Education, 1–24.
Lindén, J., Ohlin, M., & Brodin, E. M. (2013). Mentorship, supervision and learning experience in PhD education. Studies in Higher Education, 38(5), 639–662.
Löfström, E., & Pyhältö, K. (2017). Ethics in the supervisory relationship: Supervisors’ and doctoral students’ dilemmas in the natural and behavioural sciences. Studies in Higher Education, 42(2), 232–247.
Orellana, M. L., Darder, A., Pérez, A., & Salinas, J. (2016). Improving doctoral success by matching PhD students with supervisors. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 11, 87-103.
Malfroy, J. (2005). Doctoral supervision, workplace research and changing pedagogic practices. Higher Education Research & Development, 24(2), 165–178.
Mantai, L., & Dowling, R. (2015). Supporting the PhD journey: Insights from acknowledgements. International Journal for Researcher Development, 6(2), 106–121.
Overall, N. C., Deane, K. L., & Peterson, E. R. (2011). Promoting doctoral students’ research self-efficacy: Combining academic guidance with autonomy support. Higher Education Research & Development, 30(6), 791–805.
Parker-Jenkins, M. (2018). Mind the gap: Developing the roles, expectations and boundaries in the doctoral supervisor–supervisee relationship. Studies in Higher Education, 43(1), 57–71.
Pyhältö, K., Vekkaila, J., & Keskinen, J. (2015). Fit matters in the supervisory relationship: Doctoral students and supervisors perceptions about the supervisory activities. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 52(1), 4–16.
Schneijderberg, C. (2021). Supervision practices of doctoral education and training. Studies in Higher Education, 46(7), 1285–1295.
Ting Wang, & Li, L. Y. (2011). ‘Tell me what to do’ vs. ‘guide me through it’: Feedback experiences of international doctoral students. Active Learning in Higher Education, 12(2), 101–112.
Vehviläinen, S., & Löfström, E. (2016). ‘I wish I had a crystal ball’: Discourses and potentials for developing academic supervising. Studies in Higher Education, 41(3), 508–524.
Vekkaila, J., Rautio, P., Haverinen, K. & Pyhältö, K. (2017). Doctoral students’ social sup-port profiles and their relationship to burnout, drop-out intentions, and time to candidacy. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 12, 157-173.
Wang, L., & Byram, M. (2019). International doctoral students’ experience of supervision: A case study in a Chinese university. Cambridge Journal of Education, 49(3), 255–274.
Watts, J. H. (2008). Challenges of supervising part-time PhD students: Towards student-centred practice. Teaching in Higher Education, 13(3), 369–373.
Wisker, G., Robinson, G., Trafford, V., Warnes, M., & Creighton, E. (2003). From Supervisory Dialogues to Successful PhDs: Strategies supporting and enabling the learning conversations of staff and students at postgraduate level. Teaching in Higher Education, 8(3), 383–397.
Woo, H., Jang, Y. J., & Henfield, M. S. (2015). International Doctoral Students in Counselor Education: Coping Strategies in Supervision Training. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 43(4), 288–304.
Mentoring
Abbott-Anderson, K., Gilmore-Bykovskyi, A., & Lyles, A. A. (2016). The Value of Preparing PhD Students as Research Mentors: Application of Kram’s Temporal Mentoring Model. Journal of Professional Nursing, 32(6), 421–429.
Bäker, A., Muschallik, J., & Pull, K. (2020). Successful mentors in academia: Are they teachers, sponsors and/or collaborators? Studies in Higher Education, 45(4), 723–735.
Bell-Ellison, B. A., & Dedrick, R. F. (2008). What do Doctoral Students Value in their Ideal Mentor? Research in Higher Education, 49(6), 555–567.
Carpenter, S., Makhadmeh, N., & Thornton, L.-J. (2015). Mentorship on the Doctoral Level: An Examination of Communication Faculty Mentors’ Traits and Functions. Communication Education, 64(3), 366–384.
Curtin, N., Malley, J., & Stewart, A. J. (2016). Mentoring the Next Generation of Faculty: Supporting Academic Career Aspirations Among Doctoral Students. Research in Higher Education, 57(6), 714–738.
Gearity, B., & Mertz, N. (2015). From “Bitch” to “Mentor”: A Doctoral Student’s Story of Self-Change and Mentoring. The Qualitative Report.
Grimwood, M., & Hetherington, R. (2021). A neglected area: Supervision development opportunities for doctoral researchers involved in undergraduate and masters project mentoring. International Journal for Academic Development, 1–13.
Katz, C. C., Elsaesser, C., Klodnik, V. V., & Khare, A. (2019). Mentoring Matters: An Innovative Approach to Infusing Mentorship in a Social Work Doctoral Program. Journal of Social Work Education, 55(2), 306–313.
Ku, H.-Y., Lahman, M. K. E., Yeh, H.-T., & Cheng, Y.-C. (2008). Into the academy: Preparing and mentoring international doctoral students. Educational Technology Research and Development, 56(3), 365–377.
Lewinski, A. A., Mann, T., Flores, D., Vance, A., Bettger, J. P., & Hirschey, R. (2017). Partnership for development: A peer mentorship model for PhD students. Journal of Professional Nursing, 33(5), 363–369.
Nokkala, T., Aarnikoivu, M., & Kiili, J. (2021). Multidisciplinary Peer-Mentoring Groups Supporting Knowledge Sharing in Doctoral Education. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 1–14.
Paglis, L. L., Green, S. G., & Bauer, T. N. (2006). Does adviser mentoring add value? A longitudinal study of mentoring and doctoral student outcomes. Research in Higher Education, 47(4), 451–476.
Soltovets, E., Chigisheva, O., & Dmitrova, A. (2020). The Role of Mentoring in Digital Literacy Development of Doctoral Students at British Universities. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 16(4).
Mental health and well-being of doctoral researchers
Barry, K. M., Woods, M., Warnecke, E., Stirling, C., & Martin, A. (2018). Psychological health of doctoral candidates, study-related challenges and perceived performance. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(3), 468–483.
Devine, K., & Hunter, K. (2016). Doctoral Students’ Emotional Exhaustion and Intentions to Leave Academia. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 11, 035–061.
Jackman, P. C., Jacobs, L., Hawkins, R. M., & Sisson, K. (2021). Mental health and psychological wellbeing in the early stages of doctoral study: A systematic review. European Journal of Higher Education, 1–21.
Janta, H., Lugosi, P., & Brown, L. (2014). Coping with loneliness: A netnographic study of doctoral students. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 38(4), 553–571.
Juniper, B., Walsh, E., Richardson, A., & Morley, B. (2012). A new approach to evaluating the well-being of PhD research students. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 37(5), 563–576.
Levecque, K., Anseel, F., De Beuckelaer, A., Van der Heyden, J., & Gisle, L. (2017). Work organization and mental health problems in PhD students. Research Policy, 46(4), 868–879.
Lonka, K., Ketonen, E., Vekkaila, J., Cerrato Lara, M., & Pyhältö, K. (2019). Doctoral students’ writing profiles and their relations to well-being and perceptions of the academic environment. Higher Education, 77(4), 587–602.
Nielsen, I., Newman, A., Smyth, R., Hirst, G., & Heilemann, B. (2017). The influence of instructor support, family support and psychological capital on the well-being of postgraduate students: A moderated mediation model. Studies in Higher Education, 42(11), 2099–2115.
Pyhältö, K., Toom, A., Stubb, J., & Lonka, K. (2012). Challenges of Becoming a Scholar: A Study of Doctoral Students’ Problems and Well-Being. ISRN Education, 2012, 1–12.
Ryan, T., Baik, C., & Larcombe, W. (2021). How can universities better support the mental wellbeing of higher degree research students? A study of students’ suggestions. Higher Education Research & Development, 1–15.
Schmidt, M., & Hansson, E. (2018). Doctoral students’ well-being: A literature review. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 13(1), 1508171.
Stubb, J., Pyhältö, K., & Lonka, K. (2011). Balancing between inspiration and exhaustion: PhD students’ experienced socio-psychological well-being. Studies in Continuing Education, 33(1), 33–50.
Sverdlik, A., C. Hall, N., & McAlpine, L. (2020). PhD Imposter Syndrome: Exploring Antecedents, Consequences, and Implications for Doctoral Well-Being. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 15, 737–758.
Socialization and access to research cultures; networks
Anderson, T. (2017). The doctoral gaze: Foreign PhD students’ internal and external academic discourse socialization. Linguistics and Education, 37, 1–10.
Boden, D., Borrego, M., & Newswander, L. K. (2011). Student socialization in interdisciplinary doctoral education. Higher Education, 62(6), 741–755.
Campbell, T. A. (2015). A Phenomenological Study on International Doctoral Students’ Acculturation Experiences at a U.S. University. Journal of International Students, 5(3), 285–299.
Deem, R., & Brehony, K. J. (2000). Doctoral Students’ Access to Research Cultures-are some more unequal than others? Studies in Higher Education, 25(2), 149–165.
Elliot, D. L., Baumfield, V., & Reid, K. (2016). Searching for ‘a third space’: A creative pathway towards international PhD students’ academic acculturation. Higher Education Research & Development, 35(6), 1180–1195.
Elliot, D. L., Baumfield, V., Reid, K., & Makara, K. A. (2016). Hidden treasure: Successful international doctoral students who found and harnessed the hidden curriculum. Oxford Review of Education, 42(6), 733–748.
Elliot, D. L., Reid, K., & Baumfield, V. (2016). Beyond the amusement, puzzlement and challenges: An enquiry into international students’ academic acculturation. Studies in Higher Education, 41(12), 2198–2217.
Gardner, S. K. (2010). Keeping up with the Joneses: Socialization and Culture in Doctoral Education at One Striving Institution. The Journal of Higher Education, 81(6), 658–679.
Gardner, S. K. (2008). Fitting the Mold of Graduate School: A Qualitative Study of Socialization in Doctoral Education. Innovative Higher Education, 33(2), 125–138.
González, J. C. (2006). Academic Socialization Experiences of Latina Doctoral Students: A Qualitative Understanding of Support Systems That Aid and Challenges That Hinder the Process. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 5(4), 347–365.
Gopaul, B. (2011). Distinction in Doctoral Education: Using Bourdieu’s Tools to Assess the Socialization of Doctoral Students. Equity & Excellence in Education, 44(1), 10–21.
Holliday, A. (2017). PhD students, interculturality, reflexivity, community and internationalisation. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 38(3), 206–218.
Pilbeam, C., & Denyer, D. (2009). Lone scholar or community member? The role of student networks in doctoral education in a UK management school. Studies in Higher Education, 34(3), 301–318.
Roksa, J., Jeong, S., Feldon, D., & Maher, M. (2018). Socialization Experiences and Research Productivity of Asians and Pacific Islanders: “Model Minority” Stereotype and Domestic vs. International Comparison. In H. Park & G. Kao (Eds.), Research in the Sociology of Education (Vol. 20, pp. 155–179). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Twale, D. J., Weidman, J. C., & Bethea, K. A. (2016). Conceptualizing Socialization of Graduate Students of Color: Revisiting the Weidman-Twale-Stein Framework. The Western Journal of Black Studies, 40(2), 80–94.
Weidman, J. C., & Stein, E. L. (2003). Socialization of Doctoral Students to Academic Norms. Research in Higher Education, 44(6), 641–656.
Zeivots, S. (2021). Outsiderness and socialisation bump: First year perspectives of international university research students. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 41(2), 385–398.
Doctoral experience, learning, and satisfaction
Anttila, H., Sullanmaa, J., & Pyhältö, K. (2021). Does It Feel the Same? Danish and Finnish Social Science and Humanities Doctoral Students’ Academic Emotions. Frontiers in Education, 6, 758179.
Appel, M. L., & Dahlgren, L. G. (2003). Swedish Doctoral Students’ Experiences on their Journey towards a PhD: Obstacles and opportunities inside and outside the academic building. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 47(1), 89–110.
Brodin, E. M. (2016). Critical and creative thinking nexus: Learning experiences of doctoral students. Studies in Higher Education, 41(6), 971–989.
Brodin, E. M., & Avery, H. (2020). Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration and Scholarly Independence in Multidisciplinary Learning Environments at Doctoral Level and Beyond. Minerva, 58(3), 409–433.
Cai, L., Elliot, D. L., He, R., Liu, J., Makara, K. A., Pacheco, M., Shih, H.-Y., Wang, W., & Zhang, J. (2019). A conceptual enquiry into communities of practice as praxis in international doctoral education. Journal of Praxis in Higher Education, 1(1), 11–36.
Callary, B., Werthner, P., & Trudel, P. (2015). The Lived Experience of a Doctoral Student: The Process of Learning and Becoming. The Qualitative Report.
Chakraverty, D. (2020). PhD Student Experiences with the Impostor Phenomenon in STEM. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 15, 159–179.
Cheng, M., Taylor, J., Williams, J., & Tong, K. (2016). Student satisfaction and perceptions of quality: Testing the linkages for PhD students. Higher Education Research & Development, 35(6), 1153–1166.
Cumming, J. (2009). The doctoral experience in science: Challenging the current orthodoxy. British Educational Research Journal, 35(6), 877–890.
Disney, T., Harrowell, E., Mulhall, R., & Ronayne, M. (2013). Doctoral researcher skill development: Learning through doing. Planet, 27(2), 14–20.
English, R., & Fenby-Hulse, K. (2019). Documenting Diversity: The Experiences of LGBTQ+ Doctoral Researchers in the UK. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 14, 403–430.
Evans, L. (2011). The scholarship of researcher development: Mapping the terrain and pushing back boundaries. International Journal for Researcher Development, 2(2), 75–98.
Evans, C., & Stevenson, K. (2010). The learning experiences of international doctoral students with particular reference to nursing students: A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 47(2), 239–250.
Gardner, S., & Gopaul, B. (2012). The Part-Time Doctoral Student Experience. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 7, 063–078.
Gildersleeve, R. E., Croom, N. N., & Vasquez, P. L. (2011). “Am I going crazy?!”: A Critical Race Analysis of Doctoral Education. Equity & Excellence in Education, 44(1), 93–114.
Hopwood, N., & Paulson, J. (2012). Bodies in narratives of doctoral students’ learning and experience. Studies in Higher Education, 37(6), 667–681.
Jazvac‐Martek, M. (2009). Oscillating role identities: The academic experiences of education doctoral students. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 46(3), 253–264.
John, T., & Denicolo, P. (2013). Doctoral Education: A Review of the Literature Monitoring the Doctoral Student Experience in Selected OECD Countries (Mainly UK). Springer Science Reviews, 1(1–2), 41–49.
Jung, J. (2018). Learning experience and perceived competencies of doctoral students in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Education Review, 19(2), 187–198.
Kiley, M. (2003). Conserver, Strategist or Transformer: The experiences of postgraduate student sojourners. Teaching in Higher Education, 8(3), 345–356.
Maunula, M. (2015). Building Individual Expertise in Doctoral Studies the Significance of Everyday Experiences and Changing Contexts. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 174, 2326–2330.
McAlpine, L., Pyhältö, K., & Castelló, M. (2018). Building a more robust conception of early career researcher experience: What might we be overlooking? Studies in Continuing Education, 40(2), 149–165.
McAlpine, L., Skakni, I., & Pyhältö, K. (2020). PhD experience (and progress) is more than work: Life-work relations and reducing exhaustion (and cynicism). Studies in Higher Education, 1–15.
Parker, R. (2009). A learning community approach to doctoral education in the social sciences. Teaching in Higher Education, 14(1), 43–54.
Pifer, M. J., & Baker, V. L. (2014). “It could be just because I’m different”: Otherness and its outcomes in doctoral education. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 7(1), 14–30.
Pyhältö, K., Stubb, J., & Lonka, K. (2009). Developing scholarly communities as learning environments for doctoral students. International Journal for Academic Development, 14(3), 221–232.
Sakurai, Y., Pyhältö, K., & Lindblom‐Ylänne, S. (2012). Factors affecting international doctoral students’ academic engagement, satisfaction with their studies, and dropping out. International Journal for Researcher Development, 3(2), 99–117.
Sakurai, Y., Shimauchi, S., Shimmi, Y., Amaki, Y., Hanada, S., & Elliot, D. L. (2021). Competing meanings of international experiences for early-career researchers: A collaborative autoethnographic approach. Higher Education Research & Development, 1–15.
Sato, T., & Hodge, S. R. (2009). Asian international doctoral students’ experiences at two American universities: Assimilation, accommodation, and resistance. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 2(3), 136–148.
Shacham, M., & Od‐Cohen, Y. (2009). Rethinking PhD learning incorporating communities of practice. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 46(3), 279–292.
Stevens-Long, J., Schapiro, S. A., & McClintock, C. (2012). Passionate Scholars: Transformative Learning in Doctoral Education. Adult Education Quarterly, 62(2), 180–198.
Turner, G., & McAlpine, L. (2011). Doctoral experience as researcher preparation: Activities, passion, status. International Journal for Researcher Development, 2(1), 46–60.
Vekkaila, J., Pyhältö, K., & Lonka, K. (2013). Experiences of Disengagement – A Study of Doctoral Students in the Behavioral Sciences. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 8, 061–081.
Zhao, C., Golde, C. M., & McCormick, A. C. (2007). More than a signature: How advisor choice and advisor behaviour affect doctoral student satisfaction. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 31(3), 263–281.
Doctoral researcher identities and agency
Archer, L. (2008). Younger academics’ constructions of ‘authenticity’, ‘success’ and professional identity. Studies in Higher Education, 33(4), 385–403.
Baker, V. L., & Lattuca, L. R. (2010). Developmental networks and learning: Toward an interdisciplinary perspective on identity development during doctoral study. Studies in Higher Education, 35(7), 807–827.
Botelho de Magalhães, M., Cotterall, S., & Mideros, D. (2019). Identity, voice and agency in two EAL doctoral writing contexts. Journal of Second Language Writing, 43, 4–14.
Byram, M., Hu, A., & Rahman, M. (2019). Are researchers in Europe European researchers? A study of doctoral researchers at the University of Luxembourg. Studies in Higher Education, 44(3), 486–498.
Cotterall, S. (2015). The rich get richer: International doctoral candidates and scholarly identity. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 52(4), 360–370.
Fotovatian, S. (2012). Three constructs of institutional identity among international doctoral students in Australia. Teaching in Higher Education, 17(5), 577–588.
Holley, K. A. (2015). Doctoral education and the development of an interdisciplinary identity. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 52(6), 642–652.
Hopwood, N. (2010). A sociocultural view of doctoral students’ relationships and agency. Studies in Continuing Education, 32(2), 103–117.
Malfroy, J., & Yates, L. (2003). Knowledge in action: Doctoral programmes forging new identities. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 25(2), 119–129.
McAlpine, L. (2012). Shining a light on doctoral reading: Implications for doctoral identities and pedagogies. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 49(4), 351–361.
McAlpine, L., & Amundsen, C. (2009). Identity and agency: Pleasures and collegiality among the challenges of the doctoral journey. Studies in Continuing Education, 31(2), 109–125.
McAlpine, L., & Lucas, L. (2011). Different places, different specialisms: Similar questions of doctoral identities under construction. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(6), 695–706.
McAlpine, L., Jazvac‐Martek, M., & Hopwood, N. (2009). Doctoral student experience in Education: Activities and difficulties influencing identity development. International Journal for Researcher Development, 1(1), 97–109.
Mewburn, I. (2011). Troubling talk: Assembling the PhD candidate. Studies in Continuing Education, 33(3), 321–332.
Monk, S., & McKay, L. (2017). Developing identity and agency as an early career academic: Lessons from Alice. International Journal for Academic Development, 22(3), 223–230.
Nguyet Nguyen, M., & Robertson, M. J. (2020). International students enacting agency in their PhD journey. Teaching in Higher Education, 1–17.
Pyhältö, K., & Keskinen, J. (2012). Doctoral Students’ Sense of Relational Agency in Their Scholarly Communities. International Journal of Higher Education, 1(2), p136.
Schriever, V. (2021). Merging Motherhood and Doctoral Studies: An Autoethnography of Imperfectly Weaving Identities. The Qualitative Report, 26(6), 1962-1973.
Sweitzer, V. (Baker). (2009). Towards a Theory of Doctoral Student Professional Identity Development: A Developmental Networks Approach. The Journal of Higher Education, 80(1), 1–33.
Xu, L., & Hu, J. (2020). Language feedback responses, voices and identity (re)construction: Experiences of Chinese international doctoral students. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 57(6), 724–735.
Xu, X., & Hjalmarson, M. (2022). Education Doctoral Students’ Self-Study of Their Identity Development: A Thematic Review. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 17, pp. 201-225.
Motivation, background, and commitment
Guerin, C., Jayatilaka, A., & Ranasinghe, D. (2015). Why start a higher degree by research? An exploratory factor analysis of motivations to undertake doctoral studies. Higher Education Research & Development, 34(1), 89–104.
Lambie, G. W., Hayes, B. G., Griffith, C., Limberg, D., & Mullen, P. R. (2014). An Exploratory Investigation of the Research Self-Efficacy, Interest in Research, and Research Knowledge of Ph.D. in Education Students. Innovative Higher Education, 39(2), 139–153.
Lynch, M., R Salikhova, N., & Salikhova, A. (2018). Internal Motivation among Doctoral Students: Contributions from the Student and from the Student’s Environment. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 13, 255–272.
Martinsuo, M., & Turkulainen, V. (2011). Personal commitment, support and progress in doctoral studies. Studies in Higher Education, 36(1), 103–120.
Naidoo, D. (2015). Understanding non-traditional PhD students habitus – implications for PhD programmes. Teaching in Higher Education, 20(3), 340–351.
Tress, B., Tress, G., & Fry, G. (2009). Integrative research on environmental and landscape change: PhD students’ motivations and challenges. Journal of Environmental Management, 90(9), 2921–2929.
Wiegerová, A. (2016). A Study of the Motives of Doctoral Students. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 217, 123–131.
Zhou, J. (2015). International students’ motivation to pursue and complete a Ph.D. in the U.S. Higher Education, 69(5), 719–733.
Doctoral journeys, doctoral progress, holistic approaches to doctoral studies
Aarnikoivu, M. (2020). The spatiotemporal dimension of doctoral education: A way forward. Studies in Higher Education, Online first, 1–13.
Ampaw, F. D., & Jaeger, A. J. (2012). Completing the Three Stages of Doctoral Education: An Event History Analysis. Research in Higher Education, 53(6), 640–660.
Aziato, L. (2015). Learning from a Lived Experience of a PhD: A Reflexive Ethnography of Two Journeys. International Journal of Higher Education, 4(4), p199.
Barnacle, R., & Mewburn, I. (2010). Learning networks and the journey of ‘becoming doctor’. Studies in Higher Education, 35(4), 433–444.
Beňová, K. (2014). Research(er) at home: Auto/ethnography of (my) PhD. European Journal of Higher Education, 4(1), 55–66.
Bosanquet, A., Mantai, L., & Fredericks, V. (2020). Deferred time in the neoliberal university: Experiences of doctoral candidates and early career academics. Teaching in Higher Education, 25(6), 736–749.
Calatrava Moreno, M. del C., & Danowitz, M. A. (2016). Becoming an interdisciplinary scientist: An analysis of students’ experiences in three computer science doctoral programmes. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 38(4), 448–464.
Cumming, J. (2010). Doctoral enterprise: A holistic conception of evolving practices and arrangements. Studies in Higher Education, 35(1), 25–39.
Cutforth, N. (2013). The Journey of a Community-Engaged Scholar: An Autoethnography. Quest, 65(1), 14–30.
Elliot, D. L. (2021). A ‘doctoral compass’: Strategic reflection, self-assessment and recalibration for navigating the ‘twin’ doctoral journey. Studies in Higher Education, 1–14.
Gardner, S. K. (2008). “What’s too much and what’s too little?”: The Process of Becoming an Independent Researcher in Doctoral Education. The Journal of Higher Education, 79(3), 326–350.
Gardner, S. K., & Holley, K. A. (2011). “Those invisible barriers are real”: The Progression of First-Generation Students Through Doctoral Education. Equity & Excellence in Education, 44(1), 77–92.
Hay, A., & Samra-Fredericks, D. (2016). Desperately seeking fixedness: Practitioners’ accounts of ‘becoming doctoral researchers’. Management Learning, 47(4), 407–423.
Khan, J. (2022). A Stressed Present and a Scared Future: An Autoethnography of a Migrant Scholar in Finland. Journal of International Students, 12(S2).
Lahenius, K., & Martinsuo, M. (2011). Different Types of Doctoral Study Processes. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 55(6), 609–623.
Mantai, L. (2015). Feeling like a researcher: Experiences of early doctoral students in Australia. Studies in Higher Education, 1–15.
Mitchell, T., & Carroll, J. (2008). Academic and research misconduct in the PhD: Issues for students and supervisors. Nurse Education Today, 28(2), 218–226.
Nori, H., H Peura, M., & Jauhiainen, A. (2020). From Imposter Syndrome to Heroic Tales: Doctoral Students’ Backgrounds, Study Aims, and Experiences. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 15, 517–539.
Oliver, E. A. (2012). Living flexibly? How Europe’s science researchers manage mobility, fixed-term employment and life outside work. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(18), 3856–3871.
Poole, B. (2015). The rather elusive concept of ‘doctorateness’: A reaction to Wellington. Studies in Higher Education, 40(9), 1507–1522.
Ramanayake, U. (2020). My Doctoral Journey: An Autoethnography of Doing Sensitive Research in a Different Cultural Context. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 15, 559–573.
Skakni, I. (2018). Doctoral studies as an initiatory trial: Expected and taken-for-granted practices that impede PhD students’ progress. Teaching in Higher Education, 23(8), 927–944.
Stylianou, M., Enright, E., & Hogan, A. (2017). Learning to be researchers in physical education and sport pedagogy: The perspectives of doctoral students and early career researchers. Sport, Education and Society, 22(1), 122–139.
Trafford, V., & Leshem, S. (2009). Doctorateness as a threshold concept. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 46(3), 305–316.
Weise, C., Aguayo–González, M., & Castelló, M. (2020). Significant events and the role of emotion along doctoral researcher personal trajectories. Educational Research, 62(3), 304–323.
Wellington, J. (2013). Searching for ‘doctorateness’. Studies in Higher Education, 38(10), 1490–1503.
Wilkinson, C. (2020). Imposter syndrome and the accidental academic: An autoethnographic account. International Journal for Academic Development, 25(4), 363–374.
Writing and publishing
Aitchison, C. (2009). Writing groups for doctoral education. Studies in Higher Education, 34(8), 905–916.
Asante, L. A., & Abubakari, Z. (2021). Pursuing PhD by publication in geography: A collaborative autoethnography of two African doctoral researchers. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 45(1), 87–107.
Barrett, T., & Hussey, J. (2015). Overcoming problems in doctoral writing through the use of visualisations: Telling our stories. Teaching in Higher Education, 20(1), 48–63.
Bartkowski, J. P., Deem, C. S., & Ellison, C. G. (2015). Publishing in Academic Journals: Strategic Advice for Doctoral Students and Academic Mentors. The American Sociologist, 46(1), 99–115.
Burford, J. (2017). Not writing, and giving ‘zero-f**ks’ about it: Queer(y)ing doctoral ‘failure’. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 38(4), 473–484.
Caffarella, R. S., & Barnett, B. G. (2000). Teaching Doctoral Students to Become Scholarly Writers: The importance of giving and receiving critiques. Studies in Higher Education, 25(1), 39–52.
Calle-Arango, L., & Ávila Reyes, N. (2022). Obstacles, facilitators, and needs in doctoral writing: A systematic review. Studies in Continuing Education, 1–19.
Carter, S. (2011). Doctorate as genre: Supporting thesis writing across campus. Higher Education Research & Development, 30(6), 725–736.
Cotterall, S. (2011). Doctoral students writing: Where’s the pedagogy? Teaching in Higher Education, 16(4), 413–425.
Doyle, S., Manathunga, C., Prinsen, G., Tallon, R., & Cornforth, S. (2018). African international doctoral students in New Zealand: Englishes, doctoral writing and intercultural supervision. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(1), 1–14.
Ferguson, T. (2009). The ‘Write’ Skills and More: A Thesis Writing Group for Doctoral Students. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 33(2), 285–297.
Guerin, C., & Aitchison, C. (2021). Doctoral writing and remote supervision: What the literature tells us. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 58(6), 624–634.
Guerin, C., Xafis, V., Doda, D. V., Gillam, M. H., Larg, A. J., Luckner, H., Jahan, N., Widayati, A., & Xu, C. (2013). Diversity in collaborative research communities: A multicultural, multidisciplinary thesis writing group in public health. Studies in Continuing Education, 35(1), 65–81.
Holbrook, A., Burke, R., & Fairbairn, H. (2020). Linguistic diversity and doctoral assessment: Exploring examiner treatment of candidate language. Higher Education Research & Development, 1–15.
Huang, J. C. (2010). Publishing and learning writing for publication in English: Perspectives of NNES PhD students in science. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 9(1), 33–44.
Humphrey, R., & Simpson, B. (2012). Writes of passage: Writing up qualitative data as a threshold concept in doctoral research. Teaching in Higher Education, 17(6), 735–746.
Jalongo, M. R., Boyer, W., & Ebbeck, M. (2014). Writing for Scholarly Publication as “Tacit Knowledge”: A Qualitative Focus Group Study of Doctoral Students in Education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 42(4), 241–250.
Joseph Jeyaraj, J., Too, W. K., & Lasito, E. E. (2020). A framework for supporting postgraduate research writing: Insights from students’ writing experiences. Higher Education Research & Development, 1–15.
Kamler, B. (2008). Rethinking doctoral publication practices: Writing from and beyond the thesis. Studies in Higher Education, 33(3), 283–294.
Kwan, B. S. C. (2013). Facilitating novice researchers in project publishing during the doctoral years and beyond: A Hong Kong-based study. Studies in Higher Education, 38(2), 207–225.
Lassig, C. J., Dillon, L. H., & Diezmann, C. M. (2013). Student or scholar? Transforming identities through a research writing group. Studies in Continuing Education, 35(3), 299–314.
Lee, A., & Kamler, B. (2008). Bringing pedagogy to doctoral publishing. Teaching in Higher Education, 13(5), 511–523.
Maher, D., Seaton, L., McMullen, C., Fitzgerald, T., Otsuji, E., & Lee, A. (2008). ‘Becoming and being writers’: The experiences of doctoral students in writing groups. Studies in Continuing Education, 30(3), 263–275.
Maher, M., Fallucca, A., & Mulhern Halasz, H. (2013). Write On! Through to the Ph.D.: Using writing groups to facilitate doctoral degree progress. Studies in Continuing Education, 35(2), 193–208.
Odena, O., & Burgess, H. (2017). How doctoral students and graduates describe facilitating experiences and strategies for their thesis writing learning process: A qualitative approach. Studies in Higher Education, 42(3), 572–590.
Pickering, C., & Byrne, J. (2014). The benefits of publishing systematic quantitative literature reviews for PhD candidates and other early-career researchers. Higher Education Research & Development, 33(3), 534–548.
Pickering, C., Grignon, J., Steven, R., Guitart, D., & Byrne, J. (2015). Publishing not perishing: How research students transition from novice to knowledgeable using systematic quantitative literature reviews. Studies in Higher Education, 40(10), 1756–1769.
Sala-Bubaré, A., A Peltonen, J., Pyhältö, K., & Castelló, M. (2018). Doctoral Candidates’ Research Writing Perceptions: A Cross-National Study. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 13, 327–345.
Simpson, B., & Humphrey, R. (2010). Writing Across Boundaries: Reflections on the place of writing in doctoral research training for social scientists. Learning and Teaching, 3(1), 69–91.
Stubb, J., Pyhältö, K., & Lonka, K. (2012). The Experienced Meaning of Working with a PhD Thesis. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 56(4), 439–456.
Tyndall, D. E., Forbes III, T. H., Avery, J. J., & Powell, S. B. (2019). Fostering scholarship in doctoral education: Using a social capital framework to support PhD student writing groups. Journal of Professional Nursing, 35(4), 300–304.
Weatherall, R. (2019). Writing the doctoral thesis differently. Management Learning, 50(1), 100–113.
Wisker, G. (2015). Developing doctoral authors: Engaging with theoretical perspectives through the literature review. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 52(1), 64–74.
Careers, employment, and skills
Anastas, J. W. (2006). Employment opportunities in social work education: A study of jobs for doctoral graduates. Journal of Social Work Education, 42(2), 195–209.
Bégin-Caouette, O., Jansson, J., & Beaupré-Lavallée, A. (2018). The Perceived contribution of early-career researchers to research production in Nordic higher education systems. Higher Education Policy, Online first.
Bienkowska, D., Klofsten, M., & Rasmussen, E. (2016). PhD Students in the Entrepreneurial University – Perceived Support for Academic Entrepreneurship: European Journal of Education. European Journal of Education, 51(1), 56–72.
Boulos, A. (2016). The labour market relevance of PhDs: An issue for academic research and policy-makers. Studies in Higher Education, 41(5), 901–913.
Capraro, R. M., & Thompson, B. (2008). The Educational Researcher Defined: What Will Future Researchers Be Trained to Do? The Journal of Educational Research, 101(4), 247–253.
Conti, A., & Visentin, F. (2015). A revealed preference analysis of PhD students’ choices over employment outcomes. Research Policy, 44(10), 1931–1947.
Cook, E. J., Crane, L., Kinash, S., Bannatyne, A., Crawford, J., Hamlin, G., Judd, M-M., Kelder, J-A., Partridge, H., & Richardson, S. (2021). Australian postgraduate student experiences and anticipated employability: A national study from the students’ perspective. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 12(2), 148––168
Craswell, G. (2007). Deconstructing the skills training debate in doctoral education. Higher Education Research & Development, 26(4), 377–391.
Dorenkamp, I., & Weiß, E.-E. (2018). What makes them leave? A path model of postdocs’ intentions to leave academia. Higher Education, 75(5), 747–767.
Germain-Alamartine, E., Ahoba-Sam, R., Moghadam-Saman, S., & Evers, G. (2020). Doctoral graduates’ transition to industry: Networks as a mechanism? Cases from Norway, Sweden and the UK. Studies in Higher Education, 1–16.
Golovushkina, E., & Milligan, C. (2012). Developing early stage researchers: Employability perceptions of social science doctoral candidates. International Journal for Researcher Development, 3(1), 64–78.
Grim, J., Kim, H., S Morton, C., & M DeMonbrun, R. (2021). The Socialization for Teaching: Factors Related to Teaching Career Aspirations for Doctoral Students of Color. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 16, 449–467.
Hancock, S. (2019). A future in the knowledge economy? Analysing the career strategies of doctoral scientists through the principles of game theory. Higher Education, 78(1), 33–49.
Harman, K. M. (2004). Producing ‘industry‐ready’ doctorates: Australian Cooperative Research Centre approaches to doctoral education. Studies in Continuing Education, 26(3), 387–404.
Healy, M., Hammer, S., & McIlveen, P. (2020). Mapping graduate employability and career development in higher education research: A citation network analysis. Studies in Higher Education, 1–13.
Hottenrott, H., & Lawson, C. (2017). Flying the nest: How the home department shapes researchers’ career paths. Studies in Higher Education, 42(6), 1091–1109.
Jackson, D., & Michelson, G. (2015). Factors influencing the employment of Australian PhD graduates. Studies in Higher Education, 40(9), 1660–1678.
Jepsen, D. M., Varhegyi, M. M., & Edwards, D. (2012). Academics’ attitudes towards PhD students’ teaching: Preparing research higher degree students for an academic career. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 34(6), 629–645.
Kitagawa, F. (2014). Collaborative Doctoral Programmes: Employer Engagement, Knowledge Mediation and Skills for Innovation. Higher Education Quarterly, 68(3), 328–347.
Kyvik, S., & Olsen, T. B. (2012). The relevance of doctoral training in different labour markets. Journal of Education and Work, 25(2), 205–224.
McAlpine, L., & Turner, G. (2012). Imagined and emerging career patterns: Perceptions of doctoral students and research staff. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 36(4), 535–548.
McAlpine, L., & Emmioğlu, E. (2015). Navigating careers: Perceptions of sciences doctoral students, post-PhD researchers and pre-tenure academics. Studies in Higher Education, 40(10), 1770–1785.
Moghadam-Saman, S. (2020). Collaboration of doctoral researchers with industry: A critical realist theorization. Industry and Higher Education, 34(1), 36–49.
Mowbray, S., & Halse, C. (2010). The purpose of the PhD: Theorising the skills acquired by students. Higher Education Research & Development, 29(6), 653–664.
Recotillet, I. (2007). PhD Graduates with Post-doctoral Qualification in the Private Sector: Does It Pay Off? Labour, 21(3), 473–502.
Stephan, P. E., Sumell, A. J., Black, G. C., & Adams, J. D. (2004). Doctoral Education and Economic Development: The Flow of New Ph.D.s to Industry. Economic Development Quarterly, 18(2), 151–167.
Thune, T. (2009). Doctoral students on the university–industry interface: A review of the literature. Higher Education, 58(5), 637–651.
Thune, T. (2010). The Training of “Triple Helix Workers”? Doctoral Students in University–Industry–Government Collaborations. Minerva, 48(4), 463–483.
Walsh, E., Hargreaves, C., Hillemann-Delaney, U., & Li, J. (2015). Doctoral researchers’ views on entrepreneurship: Ranging from ‘a responsibility to improve the future’ to ‘a dirty word’. Studies in Higher Education, 40(5), 775–790.
Degree completion and funding
Castelló, M., Pardo, M., Sala-Bubaré, A., & Suñe-Soler, N. (2017). Why do students consider dropping out of doctoral degrees? Institutional and personal factors. Higher Education, 74(6), 1053–1068.
de Valero, Y. F. (2001). Departmental Factors Affecting Time-to-Degree and Completion Rates of Doctoral Students at One Land-Grant Research Institution. The Journal of Higher Education, 72(3), 341.
E. George, C., Saclarides, E. S., & Lubienski, S. T. (2018). A difference in priorities?: Why US and international students consider leaving doctoral programs. Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, 9(1), 38–57.
Ehrenberg, R. G., Jakubson, G. H., Groen, J. A., So, E., & Price, J. (2007). Inside the Black Box of Doctoral Education: What Program Characteristics Influence Doctoral Students’ Attrition and Graduation Probabilities? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 29(2), 134–150.
Hill, L. H., & Conceição, S. C. O. (2020). Program and Instructional Strategies Supportive of Doctoral Students’ Degree Completion. Adult Learning, 31(1), 36–44.
Horta, H., Cattaneo, M., & Meoli, M. (2018). PhD funding as a determinant of PhD and career research performance. Studies in Higher Education, 43(3), 542–570.
Kearns, H., Gardiner, M., & Marshall, K. (2008). Innovation in PhD completion: The hardy shall succeed (and be happy!). Higher Education Research & Development, 27(1), 77–89.
Laufer, M., & Gorup, M. (2019). The invisible others: Stories of international doctoral student dropout. Higher Education, 78(1), 165–181.
Leijen, Ä., Lepp, L., & Remmik, M. (2016). Why did I drop out? Former students’ recollections about their study process and factors related to leaving the doctoral studies. Studies in Continuing Education, 38(2), 129–144.
A Peltonen, J., Vekkaila, J., Rautio, P., Haverinen, K., & Pyhältö, K. (2017). Doctoral Students’ Social Support Profiles and Their Relationship to Burnout, Drop-Out Intentions, and Time to Candidacy. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 12, 157–173.
Skopek, J., Triventi, M., & Blossfeld, H.-P. (2020). How do institutional factors shape PhD completion rates? An analysis of long-term changes in a European doctoral program. Studies in Higher Education, 1–20.
Sverdlik, A., Hall, N. C., McAlpine, L., Hubbard, K. (2018). The PhD Experience: A Review of the Factors Influencing Doctoral Students’ Completion, Achievement, and Well-Being. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 13, 361–388.
van de Schoot, R., Yerkes, M. A., Mouw, J. M., & Sonneveld, H. (2013). What Took Them So Long? Explaining PhD Delays among Doctoral Candidates. PLoS ONE, 8(7), e68839.
Doing doctoral studies at distance; doctoral studies during COVID
Bireda, A. D. (2019). Doctoral Student Connectedness in Open Distance Learning: A Case of Students and Supervisors. Africa Education Review, 16(5), 16–28.
Bishop-Monroe, R., Di Paulo Harrison, B., Knight, M. E., Corritore, C., Rybarczyk, B. J., & York, A. S. (2021). Preparing Doctoral Students to Teach in an Increasingly Virtual World: A Response to COVID-19 and Beyond. Online Learning, 25(1).
Blake, H., Brown, N., Follette, C., Morgan, J., & Yu, H. (2021). Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and International Students: Experiences and Resolutions Beyond COVID-19. American Journal of Public Health, 111(3), 384–386.
Colpitts, B. D. F., Usick, B. L., & Eaton, S. E. (2020). Doctoral student reflections of blended learning before and during covid-19.Journal of Contemporary Education Theory & Research: 4(2), pp. 3-11.
Donohue, W., Shu-Ju Lee, A., Simpson, S., & Vacek, K. (2021). Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Doctoral Students’ Thesis/Dissertation Progress. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 16, 533–552.
Koole, M., & Stack, S. (2016). Doctoral students’ identity positioning in networked learning environments. Distance Education, 37(1), 41–59.
Nasiri, F., & Mafakheri, F. (2015). Postgraduate research supervision at a distance: A review of challenges and strategies. Studies in Higher Education, 40(10), 1962–1969.
Wikeley, F., & Muschamp, Y. (2004). Pedagogical implications of working with doctoral students at a distance. Distance Education, 25(1), 125–142.
Melina Aarnikoivu is a postdoctoral researcher in the Higher Education Studies (HIEST) team at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research. In her doctoral dissertation, titled “The best drunk decision of my life”. A nexus analysis of doctoral education, she studied doctoral education as a form of social action. Since then, she has been particularly interested in early-career researchers’ academic writing practices and academic wellbeing.