Navigating the PhD pathway

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.

Assoc Prof Murray Drummond

Dr Shaun Filiault

Ms Deb Agnew

Many things to consider

• Do I want to do a PhD?

• Some people call it a ‘journey’ but it is high risk journey with no guarantee at the end

• Why do I want to do a PhD?

• What will be at the end of my PhD?

• Who can help me attain my PhD?

My supervisor

• Is my supervisor important to my PhD?

• Yes (He/She is integral to entire PhD experience)

Choosing a supervisor

• Have experience in supervising – To provide a sound educational experience

• Should be fully conversant with student’s research area– They should have a level expertise in the area in which you

are studying– This can also be methodology– While track record is important you have to be able to ‘get

along’

• Have an ability to mentor– Should serve as a good role model of what a professional

researcher/academic does

• Have the ability to be a colleague and friend

• Note: Don’t be afraid to find out about your potential supervisor from other people ie previous or current PhD students, other academics

Establishing the supervisory relationship

• Start early developing a good working relationship ie timelines, expectations, openness and honesty

• Should be encouragement, guidance and personal support along the entire process

• Never too late to change or modify the relationship ie things happen throughout the PhD process or you may not have been comfortable from the outset

• Try engaging with supervisor (may take some independent

moderation)

• Get to know each other well– Remember that while you want your supervisor to

understand your PhD load, they will also have many tasks to complete as a part of their academic role

A PhD in a land far away …

• Usually three choices in a PhD process:

– Do I want to do a PhD?– With whom do I want to do my PhD? – What to research?

• As an international student, one more choice:

– Do I want to undergo the stress of an international move, at the same time as a PhD?

My Story

• Early 2006: Knew I wanted to do a PhD about men’s body image

– Used the literature as a guide: Whose articles do I like?

• Aug. 2005 – Dec. 2005: Make initial contacts (e-mails): Are you taking any PhD students next year? Interested in my area of research?

• Initially, all Americans ... That’s just how it’s done• Feb 2006: But, I really like this Drummond guy …

but he’s in Australia … Eh, what harm can an e-mail do?

– Uh oh … We actually get on … Why not toss in an app?

My Story

• Accepted to 3 schools:– Cornell (accept/deny)– Flinders (clinical psych)– UniSA (human movement)

How do decide?

• Do your homework!– PhD is more than just academic: Know where you’re moving to– Picking the right supervisor: They can make or break you– Finances, finances, finances– The X factor

“Down Under”

• “Cultural difference in the presence of sameness” (Young 2009)

• Was not anticipating cultural differences:

– American arrogance – Superficial similarities of industrialised, English

speaking country

• Unprepared for degree of culture shock experienced …

The Iced Coffee Story

The scenario:• July 13th 2006

• Post USA > Adelaide flight (33 hours plus delays)

• 3 suitcases X 25 kilograms each (“my life”)

• “Time for a pick-me up”

!

Doing the PhD

• Your initial idea will not resemble your final product

• Your PhD will not win a Nobel Prize. Get over it, then get done with it.

• An isolating experience: Find support networks beyond the supervisor

• Negotiated roles with your supervisor

• Set deadlines for yourself

• Marathon, not a sprint

• Find non-academic activities and friends

PhD by Publication

• Unique opportunity to develop publication skills“The thesis-by-publication may be useful to future doctoral candidates to not only gain the skills necessary for writing journal-style articles, but also provides the opportunity to engage in debate, review, and revision earlier than would be possible through a

traditional model of thesis” (conclusion of my thesis!)

• Intellectual challenge: Discrete but unified• Practical challenge: Few extant models• Job market advantage: Proven track record• Job market disadvantage: Data is mined; need

to do new research!

Deb’s Adventure

• Started my PhD at UniSA

• Received scholarship offers from Adelaide and UniSA and had to choose which uni

• How to decide?

– Processes– What is expected – Supervisors– Scholarship value

Major hurdles

• Difficult first year

• Not being given permission from the AFL

• Rewrite research proposal

• Do I really want to do this?

• Murray changed unis

• Change direction and university

The good stuff

• Great lifestyle- get to spend 3 years learning about a subject I am interested in, lots of variety day to day

• Get to meet people you may not normally associate with

• Travel opportunities

• Grow as a person

PhD Thesis

• Entering the final few months of my PhD

• Important to have personal deadlines or it will never get finished

• Also important to have ‘time out’ with outside interests

Opportunities

• Tutoring

• Lecturing

• Academic Internship Program

• Mentor Program

What’s next?

• Started PhD with a goal of working in the AFL

• Now heading in the direction of an academic career

• PhD can do just about anything

• Where you think you will end up may not be where you end up