This document provides 10 tips for undertaking a part-time PhD from Dr. Hazel Hall based on her experience supervising and completing part-time PhDs. The tips address deciding if a part-time PhD is right, choosing supervisors and a topic, getting employer support, presenting research along the way, accepting feedback, and ensuring the thesis contributes new knowledge to the field. Key advice includes only pursuing a part-time PhD if committed to independent study for 6 years, choosing a stable supervisory team, negotiating support from employers, and publishing parts of the research as it is completed.
Undertaking a part-time LIS PhD: 10 tips in 20 minutes
1. Undertaking a part-time LIS PhD
10 tips in 20 minutes
Dr Hazel Hall, Emeritus Professor, Edinburgh Napier University
h.hall@napier.ac.uk @hazelh
Slides presented at Routes and experiences of doing an LIS PhD
18th November 2022
3. ‘Travel’ advice
Tips for those thinking about taking this route (2)
Tips for those seeking a starting point (3)
Tips for the journey itself (5)
5. Tip 1: Only pursue the part-time PhD route if you can
answer yes to the following questions
Can you work independently?
Are you resilient, e.g. can you handle criticism,
overcome failure, embrace uncertainty?
Do you enjoy reading and writing?
Can you commit to up to six years to part-time study?
8. Tip 2: Consider a Masters in Social Research
Methods first
Tests commitment to further study
Provides foundational knowledge that you would
otherwise need to gain on your own at PhD stage
Gives a head start on PhD topic e.g. dissertation
Adds to existing qualifications
11. Tip 3: Choose your supervisors wisely
Someone famous may have little time for you
Someone established may retire before you complete
Someone mid-career may change jobs before you
complete
Someone junior may not have sufficient experience
The team needs experience, expertise, stability, with a
DoS who will review your work closely
12.
13. Tip 4: Negotiate employer support
Payment of tuition fees
Payment of conference fees
Study leave – to complete research, attend events
Often most easily achieved if you register for your PhD
within your own (academic) institution
14. Tip 5: Select your topic with care
Is there a genuine gap in knowledge to fill?
Do you have an enduring passion for the topic?
Does your supervision team share your passion?
Is the topic suitable for part-time study?
If the topic relates to your current role, what happens if
you change jobs or are made redundant?
15. This academic librarian researched public libraries
in a longitudinal study with employer support
17. Tip 6: Keep records (a)
To stay on track - especially when there are breaks
To gain realistic estimate of working rate and time to
completion
To avoid repeating unnecessary work
18.
19. Tip 6: Keep records (b)
To test out your ideas/thinking – privately, or publicly
21. Tip 7: Present and publish as you go
To develop your academic writing skills
To access feedback from beyond the supervision team
To create files for later writing of thesis chapters
To widen your network
To establish yourself as a name in the field
To generate enthusiasm for writing the big, final
paper(s) at the end
22.
23. Tip 8: Embrace feedback and accept criticism
From supervision team at supervision meetings, e.g.
on draft thesis chapters
From internal colleagues, e.g. presenting at research
group seminars on on-going work
From wider community, e.g. conference papers,
journal articles, contributions to doctoral fora
24.
25. Tip 9: Ensure that your thesis makes obvious
That you have made a contribution to knowledge
That your work will interest academic peers
That you have completed your apprenticeship as a
researcher
26. Tip 10: Back up everything
Different media
Different places
Different people
27. Undertaking a part-time LIS PhD
10 tips in 20 minutes
Dr Hazel Hall, Emeritus Professor, Edinburgh Napier University
h.hall@napier.ac.uk @hazelh
Slides presented at Routes and experiences of doing an LIS PhD
18th November 2022