The final observable product of a successful doctoral programme is typically a thesis that has been critically examined by senior academics and considered to demonstrate a significant contribution to knowledge. However, it is a conviction underpinning this special issue that the doctorate should be acknowledged, explored and understood as a process which is expectedly imbued with unexpected challenges for the doctoral candidate. Negotiating these challenges is a necessary part of the process. The doctoral research process has been metaphorically described as a "journey" (Edwards & Mackay, 2012; McAlpine & Amundsen, 2009; Rath & Mutch, 2014; Skakni, 2018a, 2018b). While the doctoral journey has the potential to present destabilising experiences, discomfort and cognitive dissonance, candidates bring their own reasons and motivations to the process (Skakni, 2018b). According to Skakni (2018b), "the act of engaging in doctoral studies lies on a set of individuals' desires, intentions and aspirations, which serve as a driving force oriented toward the future" (p. 200). As such, the doctoral journey presents both facilitating and constraining opportunities that help nourish the quest for self, intellectual quests and professional quest (Skakni, 2018b).