Navigating the PhD Journey: Understanding the Role of a PhD Student
The path to earning a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a challenging yet rewarding journey. Within the academic sphere, terms like "PhD student" and "PhD researcher" are often used, sometimes interchangeably, which can lead to confusion. This article aims to clarify the role of a PhD student, their responsibilities, and how they evolve into independent researchers.
Defining the PhD Student
A PhD student is an individual pursuing a PhD qualification or a doctoral degree through research at an institution. Typically, they will be under the guidance of a PhD supervisor in this process. The PhD student's main tasks are centered on gaining knowledge, acquiring research skills and expertise, while gaining exposure to wide-ranging perspectives.
Stages of Education
- Undergraduate Degree: Someone undergoing their undergraduate degree, referred to as an undergraduate.
- Graduate Student: An umbrella term for someone with an undergraduate qualification (bachelors, diploma), they are often performing graduate research in a Masters or PhD program. Even if you have got an undergraduate degree, there are many more options for you to obtain many more qualifications and build on your education. In order to obtain a PhD one must graduate from an undergraduate degree.
- PhD Student: A type of doctoral student but not all doctoral students are PhD students. There are also professional degrees that lead to the person being called Doctor.
The PhD Student's Initial Focus: Learning and Foundation Building
A PhD student engages in during the initial years is to complete the designated coursework that provides a basic foundation upon which to build. Reading and reviewing existing literature related to their area of study is crucial during this stage. It helps them to gain a comprehensive understanding, identify gaps, and situate their topic within the larger field.
PhD students are also expected to attend seminars, workshops, and conferences to equip themselves with the latest developments and be aware of cross-cutting issues within their field of study. As PhD students, they are more in the learning mode where they have to attend set classes, complete course credits, appear in qualifying exams, attend seminars and conferences, and collaborate with colleagues and faculty.
Transitioning to a PhD Researcher
The critical transition takes place when they become a PhD researcher. As a PhD researcher, the key focus is to undertake research activities in a specific domain or field of knowledge. A sense of independence and access to various resources are comparatively greater for a full-fledged PhD researcher. There are various phases during this transition where the candidate is given mentorship by advisors or faculty who provide advice and input. Both PhD students and PhD researchers can enrich their professional development aspirations by participating in workshops and seminars.
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On the other hand, a PhD researcher can describe the PhD student as a post-doctoral researcher, research associate, research assistant, or research fellow. A PhD researcher’s role varies according to the discipline and field in which they are pursuing their degree.
Key Responsibilities of a PhD Researcher
- Formulate research questions: A PhD researcher needs to formulate a research question that will help them conduct further investigation in their existing field of study while identifying and addressing specific gaps in knowledge. To do this, PhD researchers must extensively review available literature on the subject.
- Design experiments: A PhD researcher must, in discussion with their supervisor, proceed to design a clear and methodological design for their research experiments. This follows from the research question that was formulated.
- Collect and analyze data: Once the study design has been established, the next step for the PhD researcher is to begin the data collection process with tools aligned with the research question and study area. Some of the tools of data collection include surveys, interviews, field observations, group discussions, and laboratory experiments. Evaluating the data thus collected becomes the next step in the research process.
- Add to new knowledge: A PhD researcher ultimately must be independent and think critically and innovatively to break new ground within their specific disciplines.
Tools and Strategies for Success
Navigating the PhD journey requires more than just hard work; it also demands effective strategies for staying current and productive. Here are some helpful tips:
- For some fields, it might not be necessary to read entire journals. In that case, pick some keywords and set up a bunch of Google Scholar alerts.
- Choose one social media platform and turn it into a research tool. You might be surprised by the number of scholars and professional associations that use social media.
- Most people at MIT know about the free food listserv. I’m not a member because I don’t need that kind of temptation in my life. Still, I’m a big fan of using listservs to join intellectual communities. I’m also on a few listservs for universities in other cities. Even if I’m never able to attend those events, I know who is working on what where.
Overcoming Challenges and Maintaining Momentum
The transition from coursework to full-fledged research can be daunting. It is important to take a break. I gave myself a little over a month to relax. I worked on lower-stakes projects, read fiction, attended departmental lectures, caught up with colleagues. But once the New Year rolled around, a new sense of panic set in. Without the motivating pressure of exams to keep me working at a breakneck pace, how would I ever stay up-to-date in my fields?
The Broader Context of Language and Terminology
As you progress down the academic pathway it can become confusing to work out what the appropriate terminology is for your current level of education. Is it PhD student? Is it graduate student? Is the PhD student the same as a graduate?
There are many diverse influences on the way that English is used across the world today. We look at some of the ways in which the language is changing. I’m sure a lot of people would agree that we live in strange times. But do they have to be so strange that Area 51 is making headlines? And what’s this about fish the look like aliens. Current = present time or flow (water/electricity). Currant = small dried grape or berry used in cakes. Aural relates to hearing; oral relates to speaking. Confused by 'aloud' vs 'allowed'? One means speaking so others hear, the other is all about permission. Confused by "passed" vs. "past"? Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children.
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Making up new "job titles", especially if they can be misinterpreted, is not a good idea, as unilateral "bug fixing" of a language does not work: communication requires both parties to buy into the premise.
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