PhD – the basics: 2. Shape of the PhD

This short series of sessions are designed for candidates commencing their studies. They cover some of the fundamentals of the PhD thesis, including research design, literature review, and the problems of supervision – all the things you will need to be thinking about as you begin your studies.

The sessions are informal and you are welcome to drop into them on an individual basis, or attend the entire series. Some of the topics may well be covered by your own institutions or department. You may, however, find a different angle on the same topic useful.

Shape of the PhD and Explanatory Strategies – In this session we will ask: what is a PhD? What is it to write a PhD? We will look at questions of form, structure and content, and problems of authorship. We will ask: how is a research degree different from a taught degree? What does it mean to make a significant new contribution to knowledge, and how will you go about doing it? What kinds of explanatory strategies are there and which are most relevant to your project?