This study contributes to existing methodological knowledge by showing how a transformed research methods curriculum, which is beyond the milieu of schooling, can engage postgraduate students in a critical dialogue on how knowledge is produced in industry and higher education. Initial insights are drawn from two interpretive studies that employed…

This paper analyses three crucial research skills: problem identification, data collection and hypothesis formation. It concludes that science research students should be taught about the creative process as they are under pressures that can inhibit creative thought. They should also be taught the importance of tacit knowledge for learning how to…

Researched PhD graduates who completed doctoral study during a period of change in the United Kingdom and confusion around the role and purpose of the doctorate. Based on qualitative interviews, the paper raises issues about the value and outcomes of doctoral study, student self-perception, and the capacity of the modern doctorate to yield both…

In recent years a fundamental change has occurred in research-degree education in the United Kingdom, with a reconceptualization of the doctorate as a training period for future researchers. This reform is examined both within the wider international trend toward greater centralized control of graduate education and, more narrowly, in terms of how…

This book provides a practical, realistic understanding of the process of doing research for a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) from a British viewpoint. The work discusses many issues often left unconsidered, such as the emotional investment made by students and its effects, the skills required by an effective supervisor, and the importance of time. The…

This collection of conference papers includes contributions from the United Kingdom and the United States on the research function of higher education. Part 1 considers the national systems, focusing on three subthemes: past and present trends, issues in funding research, and connections with industry. Papers include: "The Dynamics of…

This practical guide offers a British perspective to beginning, pursuing, and completing a research degree and is designed to aid graduate students in addressing a wide range of new and unfamiliar roles, expectations, and needs. Some issues addressed are specific to foreign students. An introductory section describes the guide's rationale and…