Your PhD journey
Your doctoral journey: what to expect
Although each is unique, you can expect to encounter some or all of the following waymarkers on your doctoral journey...
Registration to the programme
To avail of both on-campus and online university resources, you must be correctly registered to your programme.
Induction to PhD programme
Induction/Orientation to your programme is an important first step in understanding where you fit in the higher education institution (HEI), your responsibilities and the responsibilities of the HEI to you. This may be organised by your school/department, college, faculty or centrally by the HEI.
Student card, library and buildings access
When registered to your programme you will receive a student card which will give you access to the library and other university facilities including where relevant, building access.
Initial supervisory meeting with your principal supervisor
Your supervisor is there to advise you and guide you as you formulate your research plan. Within the first few months of your PhD you should be able to identify major tasks and work out the order in which they should be done.
Setting Expectations with respect to work practices, feedback, frequency of meetings
It is important to discuss how you and your supervisor will interact with each other over the course of your programme e.g. what are your working hours, what is the preferred communication method, how often can you expect to formally meet, how will you report on progress and how will feedback on your work be provided.
Building your support community
Connecting with other PhD students through local School/department activities, PhD societies, and informal social groups will help you navigate your way though your PhD journey.
Supervisor meetings
Regular meetings with your supervisor will ensure that you stay on track with your research.
Develop research question and taking ownership of the project
A research plan is a structure which you design to organise your thoughts about your topic and schedule the specific tasks that you need to do, while building towards the successful completion of a structured programme of research. Keep in mind that the objectives and goals you set yourself in your plan should be specific, challenging and achievable within a defined timeframe.
Literature review and writing
Review the relevant literature so that you can demonstrate where your research will fit within the specific subject area. The literature review will be part of the introductory chapter of your thesis so you can start writing up this work at this early stage.
Research methods discussion
Working with your supervisor you will discuss what research method(s) is/are appropriate for you to progress your research and explore whether you require upskilling in the required methodology.
Skills needs assessment and discipline-specific training
Your supervisor will help you identify what discipline -specific training that you need to develop to progress your research and where this training is available.
Data management strategy
A data management plan is a living document that helps you consider how you will organise your data, files, research notes and other supporting documentation throughout the length of the programme. The aim is to help you find these easily, keep them safe and have sufficient documentation to be able to re-use them throughout your research and beyond.
Research integrity and ethics
In the first year you must ensure that all or any ethical requirements associated with your research are addressed. Comprehensive online Research Integrity Training is available to all research students and it is highly recommended that you complete the course. In some HEIs it is a compulsory element of the PhD programme.
Monitoring of progress
Your supervisor will monitor your day to day progress but in addition, every HEI has a formal process for assessing your progress which is normally carried out once a year. You should familiarise yourself with the requirements for progressing in your school/department.
Research activity and writing
In the middle years, you will spend the majority of your time on your research activity but in parallel you will be planning your thesis i.e how best to present your work, the overall structure and what the HEI requirements are.
Dissemination of research
Communicating your research is an essential part of a PhD so take every opportunity to disseminate your research through local School seminars, research events and national or international conferences.
Publications
In some disciplines it is expected that an output of your research will be publication(s) of your research results in a discipline- specific periodical journal during your PhD programme. In other disciplines it is more usual to publish when the PhD is complete. You should discuss what is appropriate for you with your supervisor.
Skills assessment & appropriate training
Skills needs assessment is an ongoing conversation throughout your PhD.
Ongoing personal and professional skills development
On graduating with a PhD degree it will be expected that, in addition to having produced a body of research, you will also have developed a set of generic and transferable skills that will enhance employability and career development. Keeping a record of your professional development can be helpful in building your CV.
Supervisory meetings
Regular meetings with your supervisor will continue throughout your programme.
Monitoring of progress
Your progress will continue to be monitored by your Supervisor and through formal assessment steps.
Career development
You are encouraged to engage with the career service while mid-way through your PhD programme so that you actively engage in your professional development and consider opportunities available to you post graduation.
Contribution to teaching (if relevant)
Autonomy
As you enter the final year of your programme you will increasingly have developed a degree of autonomy from your supervisor as you mature into an independent researcher confident in your own ideas and decisions in your research.
Research activity
Research activity will continue in your final year but you will need to be strategic to ensure that the work can be completed in sufficient time to make your thesis submission deadline.
Dissemination of research
As your research is culminating into a thesis you should take any opportunity available to you to disseminate your findings via seminars, conferences, publications etc.
Supervisory meetings
Regular meetings with your supervisor will continue as you prepare your final thesis.
Writing and thesis preparation
While it is expected that you will be writing up your research as you progress through your programme, this year you will put increasing emphasis on the final thesis. You will have a thesis submission date that you are working towards.
Career development
The career service will be there to help you identify your unique skills set and guide you to appropriate career opportunities.
The PhD thesis is the most important part of a doctoral research degree: the culmination of at least four years of work towards producing an original contribution to your academic field. Creative arts may have additional outputs such as exhibition, performance, artistic work.
Your thesis is your argument: the conclusions you’ve arrived at through surveying existing scholarship in your literature review and combining this with the results of your own original research.
The viva voce/oral examination is the final assessment for a PhD, the purpose of which is to prove that your research is original, that you understand its contribution to knowledge and importantly that your work is your own.
At the end of the viva voce you will be provided with feedback before receiving the final report. Most students are required to make some edits to the thesis prior to being awarded the degree.
Want to learn more about how PhD students could benefit your business, find out how you can better engage with PhD students with the skills you are looking for or interested in funding a PhD programme with an Irish HEI? Visit the links below to contact these HEIs directly.
Atlantic Technological University
Dundalk Institute of Technology
Munster Technological University
RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences
South East Technological University