Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate and illustrate the potential relationships between doctoral students' life histories and educational experiences and their methodological understanding and assumptions. Design/methodology/approach: The qualitative research design consisted of life-history interviews with nine doctoral researchers in the UK in disciplines relating to the social sciences. Findings: The study indicated that the students' methodological assumptions may be understood as a socially constructed product of their life histories and academic experiences. Experiences of postgraduate research training were presented as having the potential to unlock the methodological consciousness required to re-frame these experiences, improve understanding and resolve methodological conflict. Originality/value: This paper provides an insight into the complex nature of the development of methodological understanding and a provocation for considering methodological becoming through the lens of socialisation. This may have utility for both doctoral students and educators.