THE WHY OF THIS TEXT.
From the bias of a somewhat distant vision, due to the dates of defense of the doctoral thesis and with it, having concluded a long time ago that long and surely, excessively, winding journey, it is intended to provide a series of advice from predoctoral experiences to the reflection and concrete improvement of this process, which generates better well-being for all the talents who are involved and want to be involved in doctoral development.
In short, it is a constructive contribution for doctoral students, for graduates who want to defend a doctoral thesis, with what it entails, application, acceptance, selection of tutors (hopefully, mentors), research and innovation, publications . , stays… and defense, finally, with correct qualification.
The key lies in choosing an area based on personal conviction and that serves to develop different professional paths in the future, whether research, academic, professional as such (institutions, companies) or hybrids. And as a second step, the selection/assignment of a supervisory talent “…with a proven academic career, who understands your proposal and the methodology you intend to use, and who enters a program in which they train you as best as possible in all things. in which you have gaps that may be useful to cover for the future…” (Pedro Rey Biel, dixit). It can be added that I respect you and be honest throughout the entire process and, furthermore, advising you so as not to get lost along the way, directing you to the most straight-line or at least the best ones that can be walked on: in short, find thesis directors who are They will become mentors.
EXPERIENCES FROM WHICH YOU LEARN AND FROM WHICH YOU IMPROVE.
We can start from experiences that are surely extreme, in the negative, to learn from them and get better. For example, and for an approximate period of five years working on your thesis, we assess the steps: registration, time, courses, part-time or full-time, search for scholarships, (financial) aid, time to publish and teach. teaching, of… If at the end of that journey and when you go to deposit the thesis, the person in whom you have trusted all that time, with whom you have complied with each and every one of his «instructions» tells you, «you will never defend a thesis in this department”, at that moment you feel the emptiness under your feet. And you leave, never to return. What was his hidden agenda that has stolen so much of your vital time and destroyed you even romantically speaking?
In general you don’t recover and give up. Or if it persists, the path is considerably rocky and winding, always in a professional “sapper” position, opening trenches and the path of your march, just to defend yourself.
Another negative experience stems from the lack of honesty and transparency of a thesis director. When he has not published anything for more than five years and suddenly has the possibility of supervising a thesis, the incentives for the student to enroll in the doctoral program under her supervision are perverse to say the least. It does not tell him that the six-year research period is “dead”, nor does it give him his contact information (even if it is public), nor does it tell him that he belongs to a “research group” with other professors who do meet the basic requirements that a director should have. . thesis (at least to qualify for funding) and let time pass knowing that the student does not have the financial resources to finance doctoral studies. All of this contributes to chronic anger during the predoctoral stage, and even generates physical and psychological problems beyond reading the thesis, after a more than tedious closing of its defense, in which the doctoral student had to do work . that he does not correspond to, such as the search for external evaluators for his thesis, which increases the uneasiness and discomfort, as well as the tension in the face of dishonesty.
A DECALOGUE OF ADVICE.
You have “a topic, an idea, an innovation that you want to research and even patent and produce.” Okay, but this research topic, with the project of transferring it to a doctoral thesis, you must frame it. And for this, these tips:
- Select an area/department of your interest, for which you really feel that you want to be there, with a long-term professional objective, also supported by the fact of being a doctor («where do I want to be in 5-10 years after defense ? the thesis?»).
- Investigate who performs the role of tutors/thesis directors, even qualitatively (“ask” their department colleagues, former students, co-authors, researchers related to their research area – for example , look in associations like AES for people who can tell you about your potential thesis director) to have as complete an image as possible about the person with whom you are going to interact for, feasible, at least five years.
- Find out if your potential director or thesis director has a solid and adequate network of contacts that allows you to progress, be involved and connected in the scientific reality of your area of interest, and if he/she is active in the research he/she is involved in. Are you interested in doing (when have you last published? -if it has been more than five years ago, a bad sign- in what type of journals do you publish? Do you publish in journals related to your area of interest? Do you have a six-year period of research? –this is important if you want to obtain a predoctoral contract).
- Know well the deadlines of each university to apply and, if any, what merits they require, to position yourself well. The same with predoctoral contracts if you do not have a job to finance your studies. Make sure that the place you have chosen and your thesis director meet all the requirements.
- After the selection and assignment of a tutor, introduce yourself, first by email, but always looking for the in-person meeting to show “your cards”: what you want to investigate, why you have chosen him or her as a tutor, what professional objectives you intend to achieve.
- Assess the tutor’s predisposition and agree on tutoring deadlines: how to contact (via email, telephone, social networks…), how to meet (times, schedules), what you want to be presented… to generate an agile process where you win time for both parties.
- Make a live, updated schedule, with the deadlines agreed upon with your tutor and, with the official deadlines of the University, for permanence in the doctoral program.
- Be realistic with yourself. Be patient. Be respectful and elegant in your dealings with others (members of the department, collaborating companies, the University, other institutions and organizations, local and international), collaborative and cooperative, creating the best possible alliances for your institution, but also , for you.
- Before enrolling in the doctoral program, search on the doctoral school website of the university/institution where you would like to do so, for the contact of several doctoral students (current and former) so that they can tell you about their experience. If you do not have this information, ask the doctoral school for such contacts (with their prior consent, of course). Don’t let them only talk to you about success rates and the range of possibilities that will be presented to you after completing the thesis. Having the real testimony of several students is important to make the best decision.
- Research whether the doctoral program you would like to enroll in offers regular training appropriate to your interests, and how doctoral students are treated. That is, it is important to know if doctoral students have a workspace, are they taken into account in the organization of scientific events, how possible disputes in the director-doctoral relationship are resolved, if there is any psychological support program during their training. . doctorate, etc.
CONCLUSIONS.
Given the arduous nature of the doctoral path, it is significant to assess how in general one does not want to remember that vital period of dedication to the doctoral thesis (subjectively speaking; and to demonstrate this aspect, a qualitative research process must be launched in this regard to generate the publication corresponding academic). But among these predoctoral trajectories, as statistically necessary, there are happy journeys and others that are truly painful that last several decades, being a “success” if the desired final defense is produced and, with a minimum (generalized) result of “cum laude”.
However, we must look back to analyze who fell by the wayside, who did not even dare to apply to be selected for a doctoral program and who, despite this success and taking advantage of it for their personal and professional lives, continue remembering with some bitterness, at the very least, the reason for that path.
This contribution is intended to precisely pave and illuminate the path towards achieving the title of doctor.
References:
Corcelles, M.Cano, E.Liesa, G.González-Ocampo & M.Castelló(2019)Positive and negative experiences related to the conditions of doctoral study,Higher education research and development38:5, 922-939.
Lynn McAlpine and Judith Norton (2006) Reframing our approach to doctoral programmes: an integrative framework for action and research., Higher education research and development25:1, 3-17.
Rey-Biel P. (2022). Tips to take advantage of a doctorate in Economics. Nothing is free. (https://nadaesgratis.es/pedro-rey-biel/consejos-para-aprovechar-un-doctorado-en-economiaaccessed 10 in 2024).
