The Power of an Effective Community in Creating Networked Researchers: Outcomes beyond a Thesis
Getting the Most Out of Your Doctorate
ISBN: 978-1-78769-908-3, eISBN: 978-1-78769-905-2
Publication date: 24 April 2019
Abstract
Uncertainty, overwhelmed, doubtful, anxious … and so the list of emotions of the doctoral candidate goes on. Yet, we can move from not just surviving emotional and cognitive challenges to thriving and embracing the challenges through the creation of a support network. While family and friends might be one supportive network, they often fail to understand the lived experience of doctoral research, so it is critical to establish a professional network early in the candidature. This may form naturally if you are researching within a laboratory setting, but for many doctoral candidates engaged in social science research, finding a place in a professional network may not be straightforward. In this chapter, co-written by doctoral students and their supervisor, the processes and power of creating a network are shared and explored in the hope of supporting others to achieve the same. The chapter presents ideas for creating or finding a place in a network but more importantly for recognizing the power of the network to ensure successful outcomes beyond the completion of the thesis. While completion of the thesis is a primary aim of the doctoral candidature, we argue the quality of the candidature experience can shape the future of the graduate and subsequently the next generation of academics.
Keywords
Citation
Bissaker, K., Kupke, S., Dawadi, D., Pokhrel, K., Alexander, V., Shearer, J., Stephenson, H., Henderson, L. and Nawab, A. (2019), "The Power of an Effective Community in Creating Networked Researchers: Outcomes beyond a Thesis", Dollinger, M. (Ed.) Getting the Most Out of Your Doctorate (Surviving and Thriving in Academia), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 63-82. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78769-905-220191011
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Kerry Bissaker, Sue Kupke, Divya Dawadi, Kamal Pokhrel, Vanessa Alexander, Jo Shearer, Helen Stephenson, Lesley Henderson and Ali Nawab