Eva O. L. Lantsoght - The A-Z of the PhD Trajectory

Eva O. L. Lantsoght

The A-Z of the PhD Trajectory A Practical Guide for a Successful Journey

To Adeline

In this book, you can find information about the major milestones in your PhD trajectory, and how to reach them. We also discuss the soft skills that support the research process. This book is mostly aimed at PhD students in sciences and engineering. In particular, the topics that are discussed in this book are: defining your research question, developing a literature review, preparing and executing experiments, time management, scientific writing, academic presentations, and preparing for a career after the PhD.

You can find two parts in this book: the formal course text, which runs from Chap. , and a glossary with reference items, organized from A to Z. This glossary can serve as a reference for common terms related to the PhD trajectory, and you can look up terms for inspiration and advice after completion of the course. Most entries will also refer you to relevant chapters in the course text.

I have written this book as a course text for PhD students, to offer material that can support students throughout their PhD trajectory, and to turn the tide in the trend of PhD students dropping out of their programs because they are lacking the right tools or support. In the Netherlands, for example, about 15% of all PhD candidates graduate within 4 years, and 70% after 8 years [ will teach you the ropes of doing research and take you on as his/her apprentice during your PhD trajectory. But supervisors are busy people, often supervising a large number of students. To help students learn the transferable research skills they need, universities are offering more and more courses and workshops. This book, and its associated course or series of workshops, offers a structured way for introducing research skills to PhD students. Consider this book as an invitation to explore techniques and to use what works for you. Please dont take this book as a cookbook that will exactly tell you how to get your PhD. During your PhD trajectory, you will grow from student into independent scholar, a path that is nonlinear, deeply personal, and at times very messy and confronting. For this reason, this book focuses on planning and self-reflection steps that are different for every person on the PhD trajectory. Consider this book as your toolbox: you can use it to learn skills, and then apply these skills on an as-needed basis.

What you will learn in this book is how to achieve the goals of your PhD trajectory (i.e. fulfilling the requirements for graduation) within a reasonable amount of time. Youll learn how to identify your goals (the major milestones of the PhD trajectory), plan for them, and carry them out successfully. Well be discussing planning, time management skills, and the ability to manage ones self and energy frequently throughout this book.

You wont find the following topics in this book: a more technical discussion on qualitative versus quantitative methods, statistical analysis of data, and programming languages. For these topics, you can refer to textbooks that address these specific elements and skills that you may or may not need during your PhD.

You dont need any prior knowledge on research skills to read this book. A course on research skills can stand alone within a doctoral studies program. The chapters are written so that they are suitable as a course text in a course taught over a single academic period, taught throughout workshops, or for self-study if your university does not offer courses to support learning about research skills.

The second part of the book is a reference manual that you can use throughout your PhD trajectory. You can pick up this material at any point during your PhD trajectory and explore the concepts from the second part as you need them. From the glossary, you can revisit elements of the first part. The references to the relevant chapters are provided with the glossary items.