Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface to the third edition (p. xv)
• 1 Becoming a postgraduate (p. 1)
• Action summary (p. 5)
• The nature of postgraduate education (p. 1)
• The psychology of being a postgraduate (p. 4)
• The aims of this book (p. 4)
• 2 Getting into the system (p. 6)
• Choosing the institution and field of study (p. 6)
• Distance supervision? (p. 8)
• Choosing your work context (p. 10)
• Selecting your supervisor (p. 11)
• Becoming a research student (p. 13)
• Myths and realities of the system (p. 14)
• The 'ivory tower' (p. 14)
• Personal relationships (p. 14)
• Teamworking (p. 15)
• 'Scientific method' (p. 16)
• Action summary (p. 18)
• 3 The nature of the PhD qualification (p. 19)
• The meaning of a doctorate (p. 19)
• Becoming a fully professional researcher (p. 21)
• Differences between the MPhil and the PhD (p. 23)
• Aims of supervisors (p. 26)
• Aims of examiners (p. 28)
• Aims of universities and research councils (p. 29)
• Mismatches and problems (p. 31)
• Action summary (p. 32)
• 4 How not to get a PhD (p. 33)
• Not wanting a PhD (p. 33)
• Not understanding the nature of a PhD by overestimating what is required (p. 35)
• Not understanding the nature of a PhD by underestimating what is required (p. 38)
• Not having a supervisor who knows what a PhD requires (p. 39)
• Losing contact with your supervisor (p. 40)
• Not having a thesis (p. 42)
• Aims of students (p. 24)
• Taking a new job before finishing (p. 43)
• Action summary (p. 44)
• 5 How to do research (p. 46)
• Characteristics of research (p. 46)
• Intelligence-gathering--the 'what' questions (p. 47)
• Research--the 'why' questions (p. 47)
• Characteristics of good research (p. 48)
• Research is based on an open system of thought (p. 48)
• Researchers examine data critically (p. 49)
• Researchers generalize and specify the limits on their generalizations (p. 49)
• Basic types of research (p. 50)
• Exploratory research (p. 50)
• Testing-out research (p. 50)
• Problem-solving research (p. 51)
• Which type of research for the PhD? (p. 51)
• The craft of doing research (p. 53)
• Self-help and peer support groups (p. 54)
• Electronic peer groups (p. 56)
• Action summary (p. 57)
• 6 The form of a PhD thesis (p. 58)
• Understanding the PhD form (p. 58)
• Background theory (p. 59)
• Focal theory (p. 60)
• Data theory (p. 61)
• Contribution (p. 61)
• The concept of originality (p. 63)
• Detailed structure and choice of chapter headings (p. 65)
• Psychological aspects (p. 75)
• Writing the thesis (p. 66)
• Action summary (p. 72)
• 7 The PhD process (p. 74)
• Enthusiasm (p. 75)
• Increasing interest in work (p. 77)
• Isolation (p. 75)
• Transfer of dependence from the supervisor to the work (p. 77)
• Boredom (p. 79)
• Frustration (p. 80)
• A job to be finished (p. 81)
• Euphoria (p. 83)
• Others 'getting in first' (p. 83)
• Practical aspects (p. 85)
• Time management (p. 85)
• The duration of the process (p. 87)
• The stages of the process (p. 89)
• Redefining long-term and short-term goals (p. 91)
• The importance of deadlines (p. 93)
• To publish or not to publish prior to submission? (p. 95)
• Teaching whilst studying for a PhD (p. 97)
• Casual teaching (p. 97)
• Teaching assistantships (p. 98)
• Action summary (p. 98)
• 8 How to manage your supervisor (p. 100)
• What supervisors expect of their doctoral students (p. 100)
• Supervisors expect their students to be independent (p. 100)
• Supervisors expect their students to produce written work that is not just a first draft (p. 102)
• Supervisors expect to have regular meetings with their research students (p. 103)
• Supervisors expect their research students to be honest when reporting on their progress (p. 104)
• Supervisors expect their students to follow the advice that they give, when it has been given at the request of the postgraduate (p. 105)
• Improving tutorials (p. 110)
• Supervisors expect their students to be excited about their work, able to surprise them and fun to be with! (p. 105)
• The need to educate your supervisor (p. 107)
• How to reduce the communication barrier (p. 109)
• Changing supervisors (p. 113)
• Joint supervision (p. 116)
• Inappropriate personal relationships in supervision (p. 118)
• Action summary (p. 119)
• 9 How to survive in a predominantly British, white, male, full-time academic environment (p. 121)
• Part-time students (p. 121)
• Overseas students (p. 123)
• Ethnic minorities (p. 129)
• Racial harassment (p. 131)
• Women students (p. 132)
• Difficulties concerning legitimacy of topics and methodology (p. 133)
• Problems of communication, debate and feedback (p. 134)
• Scarcity of academic role models (p. 135)
• Sexual harassment and exploitation (p. 137)
• Gay and lesbian students (p. 140)
• Heterosexist harassment (p. 140)
• Mature students (p. 141)
• Students with disabilities (p. 143)
• Harassment of people with a disability (p. 143)
• Action summary (p. 144)
• 10 The formal procedures (p. 147)
• Registration (p. 147)
• Grants and research support (p. 149)
• Upgrading to doctoral student status (p. 150)
• The examination system (p. 150)
• Giving notice of submission (p. 150)
• The appointment of examiners (p. 151)
• Submitting the thesis (p. 151)
• The oral examination--the 'viva' (p. 152)
• Preparing for the viva (p. 153)
• The results of the examination (p. 155)
• The appeals procedures (p. 158)
• Litigation (p. 159)
• Action summary (p. 160)
• 11 How to supervise and examine (p. 161)
• What students expect of their supervisors (p. 161)
• Students expect to be supervised (p. 162)
• Students expect supervisors to read their work well in advance (p. 164)
• Students expect their supervisors to be available when needed (p. 165)
• Students expect their supervisors to be friendly, open and supportive (p. 166)
• Students expect their supervisors to be constructively critical (p. 167)
• Students expect their supervisors to have a good knowledge of the research area (p. 168)
• Students expect their supervisors to structure the tutorial so that it is relatively easy to exchange ideas (p. 169)
• Students expect their supervisors to have sufficient interest in their research to put more information in the students' path (p. 171)
• Students expect supervisors to be sufficently involved in their success to help them get a good job at the end of it all! (p. 171)
• Establishing a role model (p. 172)
• Teaching the craft of research (p. 173)
• Giving effective feedback (p. 173)
• Introducing a structured 'weaning' programme (p. 179)
• Maintaining a helpful 'psychological contract' (p. 182)
• Encouraging students' academic role development (p. 184)
• Supervising your research assistant (p. 185)
• Outcomes of good supervision (p. 186)
• How to examine (p. 186)
• The oral examination (p. 189)
• Action summary (p. 191)
• 12 Institutional responsibilities (p. 192)
• University responsibilities (p. 193)
• Providing support to students (p. 193)
• A structured induction procedure (p. 193)
• Facilities for departments to support doctoral research activity (p. 195)
• A handbook for university research degree students (p. 195)
• Language support where necessary (p. 196)
• Providing resources for supervisors (p. 197)
• The training of supervisors (p. 197)
• Monitoring of students' progress (p. 200)
• Teaching credit for doctoral supervision (p. 198)
• Faculty/departmental doctoral research tutor (p. 198)
• Providing appropriate regulations (p. 199)
• Registration (p. 199)
• Upgrading from MPhil to PhD registration (p. 200)
• Appointment of external examiners (p. 201)
• Providing a forum for review of the PhD (p. 201)
• The PhD as a series of projects (p. 202)
• Intellectual copyright and appropriate recognition for doctoral students' work (p. 202)
• The PhD in a practice-based discipline (p. 205)
• Departmental responsibilities (p. 206)
• Establishing a departmental research tutor (p. 206)
• Improving the selection of students into the department (p. 209)
• Selection of supervisors (p. 210)
• Developing guidelines on appropriate supervisory behaviour (p. 211)
• Support groups for research students (p. 212)
• Considering and, if appropriate, establishing a doctoral programme (p. 213)
• The American doctoral programme (p. 214)
• The scientific research programme (p. 215)
• The doctoral cohort system (p. 217)
• Conclusion (p. 218)
• Action summary (p. 218)
• References (p. 220)
• Index (p. 223)

Author notes provided by Syndetics