“Higher education as a social aspiration, as an instrument or means of ignited minds was missing. For achieving the status of a developed nation by 2020, there is no choice but to significantly increase the access with quality in higher education for generating the ignited minds”
(Dr. Abdul Kalam)
Everyone of us, who is looking to do PhD or pursuing it, at some point must a question how to lead a successful PhD life? Or what to do to fit in and survive the rigorous period.
If you have the same question then you are at the right place.
Being a post-doctoral researcher, I know the pain, the good and bad of PhD life. I take this opportunity to share my thoughts regarding some important issues influencing PhD life and the successful submission of the PhD thesis.
You should read the post till the end and encourage your friends and even your PhD guides to read it, so that all of us can be benefited from my experiences and thoughts.
[lwptoc]
# Introduction to PhD Life
Knowledge is recognized as one of the important factors in the development of the economic status of an individual or a country. The doctoral degree is perceived by most academic institutions as the pinnacle of educational achievement.
Through doctoral education, future faculty are trained, and Graduate student supervision involves a lengthy personal and professional relationship between student and supervisor. This demanding process, usually stretching over several years, is made more complex by the increasing numbers and diversity of students.
Consequently, the supervisory process requires constant adjustment, great sensitivity, and interpersonal skills on the part of both professors and students.
# Issues in Doctoral Studies
Problems and issues can occur in many areas of the doctoral journey. I am going to discuss some common issues are briefly:
- Lack of Scientific Knowledge and Instrument Handling Expertise
- Designing of the Doctoral Program
- Infrastructure and Funding Issues
- Doctoral Writing and Research
- Employment and Career-Related Issue
- Issues Around the Student-Supervisor Relationship
# Lack of Scientific Knowledge and Instrument Handling Expertise
The research methodology and work culture in some universities and institutes are not systematic. Many researchers undertake research work without having actual knowledge of the research methods. This scenario warrants the need for some sort of short-term training for instrument handling and imparting technical skills to researchers prior to undertaking research activities.
Principal investigators and members of the research team bear primary responsibility for protecting research subjects and ensuring that their participation in the research is based on an adequate understanding of the study. It has been rightly said:
[easy-tweet tweet=”“It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skills” By: Wilbur Wright” template=”qlite”]
# Designing of the Doctoral Program
An understanding of what works, and what does not, in training and developing doctoral students is important, as these young researchers are the potential backbone of all research programs and, as such, are instrumental in the discovery and implementation of new skills and knowledge.
Researchers of the future will need to be able to work across the increasingly porous boundaries between university, industry, government, and community sectors. Undergraduate students should take up their research topic after much thought and discussions. And some among them develop on the same topic for their Post Graduate (PG) and M.Phil dissertations and later for PhD Such an approach will greatly contribute to making one an authority in one’s research area.
This will ensure an urge for innovation and intellectual curiosity. ‘It is really important that applicants have a broader knowledge and understanding of science beyond their immediate study area.
# Infrastructure and funding issues
In India’s quest for global competitiveness in science, technology, and trade, universities and related institutions have to play a major role as providers of high caliber human resources and as repositories of national intellectual wealth in the R&D sector.
Every research initiative usually requires extensive investment and the rewards of such an investment are usually minuscule or long term oriented. Research institutes need to be funded very well to ensure quality researchers are attracted, likewise, ensuring the basic needs of chemicals and instrumentation and imposing extreme standards by ensuring fellowships to all students enrolled for a research program.
In most research institutes there is a dearth of infrastructure due to some hard and fast guidelines and regulations, leading to the omnipresent shortage of quality instrumentation and high-quality chemical products & laboratory supplies usually taking months and sometimes years to place and receive orders.
# Doctoral Writing and Research
Thesis writing and research focused on the increasing need for students to write well and publish, and to do so earlier with an increased emphasis on quality is an important issue in a doctoral degree. Many leading academic departments have required their respective master’s and doctoral students to publish at least one and two to three research articles in scholarly journals, respectively, as part of their degree requirements. Universities and research institutes also need to do a better job of training scientists to explain their work.
Students who are majoring in science should be required to take courses on how to communicate scientific research to the public. Those courses could include information on technical writing, but also should teach communication skills helpful in addressing the public.
In terms of research productivity, the picture is not encouraging enough. India has 7.8 scientists per 1,000 population compared to 180.66 in Canada, 139.16 in the Russian Federation, 53.13 in Korea and 21.15 in the U.S. Though the number of institutions participating in research in India increased in the last 10 years, 80% of the publications come only from 10% of the institutions.
Currently, the practical relevance of research to the economic and societal progress is not sufficiently recognized in India. Indian talent is more recognized overseas and where there is a chance to prove and succeed, talent moved there. Celebrated Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen is a case in point.
# Employment and Career-Related Issue
Among the most difficult decisions during PhD is what to do when we’re finished. We are familiar with the “typical” career track: PhD, postdoc, then a climb through the academic ranks of assistant, associate, and full professorship. Any other path is often looked upon with derision by peers, as though leaving the academic world means you can’t handle the academic track.
At present, it is becoming more and more difficult for PhD graduates to find a job corresponding to their qualifications. And only around 10% of PhD graduates secure temporary post-docs or faculty positions so what that means for those who don’t get such positions. Well, it called for an overhaul of doctoral education, highlighting a rise in unemployment among PhD graduates and raising concerns about the overproduction of PhDs.
In short, job prospects for young science PhDs haven’t been looking so hot these last few years, not only in the life sciences, which have been weak for some time but also in fields like engineering.
# Issues around the Student-Supervisor Relationship
The relationship between the student and their supervisor is paramount to successful and on-time completion of the PhD degree. ‘Supervisor–doctoral student interaction and relationship’ have a major influence on the progress and success of a doctoral student.
A poor relationship with one’s doctoral advisor will ruin a good doctoral project regardless of any or all of the other elements which may support it. Supervisors should inculcate in students the values of communication and facilitation skills, research methods, tools, and technologies, guide quality written work, innovative and adaptive skills.
Group supervision may be promoted aiming at making improvements to the supervision experience by aligning groups of students with groups of supervisors and so subordinating the one-to-one relationship. This approach promise increased supervisory support and strengthens cross-disciplinary approaches.
# Some Spontaneous Strategies To Improve Quality of Research
Quality of research can be improved if the following strategies can be implemented:
- Contact Between Students and Supervisor
- Mutuality and Cooperation Among Students
- Obtaining and Utilizing Supervisor and Student Feed-Back
- Weekly Supervisory Meetings are the Best Pattern
- Strengthening Facilities and Collaborations for Quality Research
# Contact Between Students and Supervisor
Frequent student-supervisor contact in and out of the lab is the most important factor in Phd student motivation and involvement. Supervisor concern helps students get through rough times and keep on working.
Interaction programs should be organized between researchers and other institutions on a regular basis. This will highlight what issues need to be researched, what data is required for conducting research, and how the study will be useful.
One important factor is students’ initiative and interest as the supervisors are very busy so the onus is on the student to show enthusiasm, initiate contact, schedule meetings, seek input, etc.
# Mutuality and Cooperation Among Students
Research is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race. Good output, like good work or publication, is collaborative and social, not competitive, and isolated. In the Phd life working with others often increases involvement in science. Sharing one’s own ideas and responding to others’ reactions sharpens thinking and deepens understanding.
As the students’ own space, the group discussions encourage student exchanges. It helps them to handle difficult experiments and negotiate difficult concepts, thus facilitating a kind of collaborative work not possible individually. One of the benefits is that you build a network of peers who could be your collaborators in the future. I think that’s a good thing.
# Obtaining and Utilizing Supervisor and Student Feed-Back
Research has only lightly touched the area of feedback and the implications these have on student performance. More research can be invested to discover the influence of the feedback, especially with regard to its delivery, timing, and style. Rather than just having a conversation with the supervisor, it is better to be more involved in critiquing each other’s developing work.
Feedback should be given in relation to topic selection, methodology, writing style and layout, the clarity of the student’s work and ideas, the completeness and direction of the work, and the student’s general progress. The supervisor should read the student’s written work thoroughly and provides constructive criticism. Also, advice on the desired amount of reading, experimentation, and analysis will normally be expected.
# Weekly Supervisory Meetings are the Best Pattern
The key attribute of students who finish is that they are passionately connected to their thesis and remain engaged with their research and their supervisor. Weekly meetings are the best pattern for supervision to nurture this connection. There are many reasons for this.
Some postgraduates lack time-management skills and would prefer to be partying, facebooking or tweeting, rather than reading, thinking, and writing. If students know that written work is expected each week, and they have to sit in an office with a supervisor who is evaluating their work, that stress creates productive writing and research.
It is better to provide a tight accountability structure for students. Weekly meetings better accomplish this task.
# Strengthening Facilities and Collaborations for Quality Research
Cutting edge research and collaborations, and bespoke training should be provided that enables students to grow both in terms of their scientific achievements and also in their levels of confidence. The gap in research capacity between low and high resource labs within the institute or with different institutes should be bridged.
Developments in science and technology affect virtually every aspect of our lives in Companies, universities and research and technology organizations understand that leadership in their respective fields depends upon collaborating productively with each other, in ways that support and reinforce their distinct yet complementary missions.
The global trend of funding requirements has moved towards collaborative research in recent times and researchers are encouraged to join research groups inter-departmentally, inter-institutionally, and even internationally. Outcomes of such research are better respected than single-authored ones, so the researcher’s need for recognition also drives collaboration.
The growing complexity of expensive research equipment also calls for collaborative efforts so that these facilities can be shared with greater cost-effectiveness.
