Doctoral education Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This chapter discusses both theoretical and practical dimensions of transdisciplinary education that fosters the stated aim of doctoral studies, namely the capacity to do original research. Despite this definition, few if any doctoral... more

This chapter discusses both theoretical and practical dimensions of transdisciplinary education that fosters the stated aim of doctoral studies, namely the capacity to do original research. Despite this definition, few if any doctoral programs explicitly address the creative dimension of scholarship. Here I outline the design of a transdisciplinary Ph.D. program (started in 2005) that places creativity at the heart of doctoral studies. The doctoral degree is also explicitly transdisciplinary, addressing issues from the perspective of pertinent knowledge rather than the framework provide by a single discipline.

Becoming a researcher is one of the roads travelled in the emotional, social, and intellectual process of PhD journeys. As such, developing a researcher identity during doctoral study is a social undertaking. This paper explores instances... more

Becoming a researcher is one of the roads travelled in the emotional, social, and intellectual process of PhD journeys. As such, developing a researcher identity during doctoral study is a social undertaking. This paper explores instances and practices where doctoral students identify as becoming researchers. Based on interviews with 30 PhD students from two Australian metropolitan universities, this paper presents students' experiences of moments when they feel like researchers. The paper finds identification as a researcher occurs early on in the PhD, and such instances are underpinned by external and internal validation of the student as a researcher. Validation is gained through research outputs (mainly publications), doing research, and talking about research. Such experiences are often mundane, occur daily, and constitute personal, social, informal, and formal learning opportunities for researcher development. Supervisors are largely absent as students draw on multiple individuals on and off campus in assuming a researcher identity.

Quality health care is an issue of concern worldwide, and nursing can and must play a major and global role in transforming the healthcare environment. Doctorally prepared nurses are very much needed in the discipline to further develop... more

Quality health care is an issue of concern worldwide, and nursing can and must play a major and global role in transforming the healthcare environment. Doctorally prepared nurses are very much needed in the discipline to further develop and expand the science, as well as to prepare its future educators, scholars, leaders, and policy makers. In 1968, the Master of Science in Nursing Program was initiated in Turkey, followed by the Nursing Doctoral Education Program in 1972. Six University Schools of Nursing provide nursing doctoral education. By the graduating year of 2001, 154 students had graduated with the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (Ph.D.), and 206 students were enrolled in related courses. Many countries in the world are systematically building various collaborative models in their nursing doctoral education programs. Turkey would like to play an active role in creating collaborative nursing doctoral education programs with other countries. This paper centres on the structure and model of doctoral education for nurses in Turkey. It touches on doctoral programs around the world; describes in detail nursing doctoral education in Turkey, including its program structure, admission process, course units, assessment strategies and dissertation procedure; and discusses efforts to promote Turkey as a potential partner in international initiatives to improve nursing doctoral education.

When Louis Pasteur remarked that chance favours the prepared mind, he was commenting on the important role played by serendipity in scientific discovery. That role is well known (most know of the story of Fleming’s accidental discovery of... more

When Louis Pasteur remarked that chance favours the prepared mind, he was commenting on the important role played by serendipity in scientific discovery. That role is well known (most know of the story of Fleming’s accidental discovery of penicillin) but much of the literature focuses on the STEM disciplines, on ‘big’ science, and concentrates on the work of established scientists. There is virtually no discussion of the role of serendipity in the doctoral research arena, an arena which contributes significantly to contemporary scientific endeavour and the associated publications. This article reports the initial results from a survey of doctoral students and PhD graduates which explores how serendipity contributes to the PhD process and also the forms serendipity takes in this arena. Following the conceptual differentiation of serendipity from accident or chance, the article explores the intersection of serendipity with doctoral research. Most respondents reported serendipitous occurrences happening in the doctoral experience, with the most important involving them stumbling across unexpected and unsearched-for literature, meeting others who proved to be significant for both their research and also their future development and careers, and finding project-related artefacts which expanded their projects and thinking. There were also reports of second-hand serendipity a hitherto uncommented on phenomenon. Many of the serendipitous occurrences involved a social context and actors other than the doctoral student, placing a focus on the researcher as someone with the ability and opportunities to make connections rather than simply relying on luck.

The case study discussed here addressed the linked questions of the whether or not male and female academics have different experiences and perceptions of promotion, and if they have, what factors may be involved. The study drew on... more

The case study discussed here addressed the linked questions of the whether or not male and female academics have different experiences and perceptions of promotion, and if they have, what factors may be involved. The study drew on analyses of the survey responses, the university's polices and procedures for academic promotion, promotion statistics, and interviews with key staff. The case study revealed a picture of a "graying" male senior academic workforce, and of a younger and female workforce in the entry and middle ranks. However, the study showed that women are seeking to advance their academic careers in a different environment to that of their predecessors. Academic workloads and staff-to-student ratios are increasing at the same time that traditional opportunities and informal support for advancing academic careers are diminishing. The low numbers of women in senior academic roles suggest that there may be too few to be effective in offering the informal support and rolemodelling which in the past assisted academic career advancement. The paper suggests a number of strategies to improve the promotion experiences and perceptions of women academics.

During the global lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an unprecedented wave of innovation in the university sector. For the most part, this has involved the substitution of online delivery for face-to-face... more

During the global lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an unprecedented wave of innovation in the university sector. For the most part, this has involved the substitution of online delivery for face-to-face teaching, shielding students’ education from the worst effects of the crisis. While the pivot to remote teaching has been remarkably successful, there is a general desire by both faculty and students to return to the social interaction and practical, hands-on learning that only a more traditional campus-based university experience allows. However, there have been some aspects of education that the move to online delivery has significantly improved, to the extent that it is hard to see why we would return to “business as usual” after the crisis.

In South Africa, doctoral education is usually organized in a traditional supervision model, but the practice of supervision differs across academic units and supervisors. In her comparison of PhD experiences in British universities,... more

In South Africa, doctoral education is usually organized in a traditional supervision model, but the practice of supervision differs across academic units and supervisors. In her comparison of PhD experiences in British universities, Chiang identified two research training structures: Teamwork and Individualist. These different structures affected the research environment, the relationships between supervisor and supervisee, and the experience of doctoral study. Can such differences be observed in South African universities?
In a qualitative study of four academic units from different disciplines, I was able to detect four patterns of practice in the ways in which doctoral supervision and research activities were organised. This paper characterizes these patterns of practice and discusses their impact on the doctoral experience.

This study explores doctoral students’ views about the support schemes and resources deployed to run PhD programs at one public university in Ethiopia. The research used questionnaire, interview and documentary evidence as principal data... more

This study explores doctoral students’ views about the support schemes and resources deployed to run PhD programs at one public university in Ethiopia. The research used questionnaire, interview and documentary evidence as principal data collection tools and involved 164 doctoral students at four purposely selected colleges of the university. The findings reveal that the human resource, facilities, support systems, financial assistance, climate (working environment), workshop and conference opportunities, provision of special trainings, and opportunities for publication of research papers are rated by doctoral candidates as highly deficient across all the four colleges. The findings of the study further indicate that the provisions of doctoral education at the sample university is far below the demands of PhD students for a diverse scheme of support which is regarded as critical to the quality of training they receive and the timely completion of their studies. It is argued that the provision of PhD programs will continue to be seriously hampered unless a significant improvement is made in terms of overhauling both the national direction set and the support mechanisms put in place.

In this book chapter, we explain how linguistic competence is about more than an ability to communicate as a native or non-native speaker. It is also about identity – including thoughts about where we come from, where we belong, and what... more

In this book chapter, we explain how linguistic competence is about more than an ability to communicate as a native or non-native speaker. It is also about identity – including thoughts about where we come from, where we belong, and what we feel we have access to. Most importantly, linguistic competence refers straight to all what we would like to share with our readership.
In the main section, I talk about choosing this doctorate and arising from that choice leaving home and my native country/culture and University behind to challenge the unknown and put my career, and life too, at stake. In this section therefore I provide a brief autobiographical context followed by a reflection on how the linguistic and cultural challenges I faced as an international doctoral student intersected and influenced the (re)formation of my professional and scholarly identities. I explore this intersectionality through the unique context of academic literacy and, in particular, how I came to associate the spoken language with the functional professional sphere and the written language with the deeper academic sphere.
The last point to stress is about English thought to become the vehicle through which to express my emotions, both in speaking and writing.

Doctoral education as a field has witnessed a rich proliferation of new practices and frameworks since the 1990s, and clearly continues to attract much interest. This paper was initially published as part of the emergence and... more

Doctoral education as a field has witnessed a rich proliferation of new practices and frameworks since the 1990s, and clearly continues to attract much interest. This paper was initially published as part of the emergence and consolidation of the Professional Doctorate in Australia and elsewhere. It argues the importance of locating innovation and change in doctoral studies in new social conditions of culture and economy, with a particular focus on debates concerning ‘Mode 1’ and ‘Mode 2’ forms of knowledge. In making a case for the distinctive research value of the Professional Doctorate, it outlines a ‘hybrid’ curriculum comprising the interplay between the Academy (i.e. the university), the Profession and the Workplace. The paper continues to be a reference-point for professional practice-referenced doctoral education.

Given its importance to institutions, policy-makers and intending students, there is a surprising lack of research exploring the reasons students choose to undertake a research degree. What studies there are tend to be largely descriptive... more

Given its importance to institutions, policy-makers and intending students, there is a surprising lack of research exploring the reasons students choose to undertake a research degree. What studies there are tend to be largely descriptive and the topic lacks a theoretically informed framework through which student decisions can be examined and comparative work developed. We outline such a framework drawing on self-determination theory and social cognitive career theory. Our framework comprises five categories: autonomy; relatedness; competence and self-efficacy; outcome expectations; and, goals. To assess its utility, the framework is used to interrogate data generated through a series of focus groups involving PhD students studying in Australia in the area of information and communications technology. The framework proved capable of organizing data in a robust, comprehensive and coherent way.

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the social shaping of practices of collaborative authoring in doctoral programs which have led to the achievement of aca-demic excellence in the natural sciences and in education.... more

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the social shaping of practices of collaborative authoring in doctoral programs which have led to the achievement of aca-demic excellence in the natural sciences and in education. Toward that end, we inter-viewed 9 leaders of Finnish national centers of excellence doing science research and 12 Finnish and European leaders of educational research communities both of whom were engaged in supervising article-based doctoral dissertations consisting of international refereed articles co-authored by students and their supervisors. Qualitative analyses of the interviews revealed various ways that supervisors socially facilitate academic activity of their students. Their methods, which are expanding from natural to such social sciences as education, included guiding students in structuring articles, selecting publication forums, framing their investigations according to journal-specific requirements, and addressing review feedback collectively. Despite receiving a great deal of support, doctoral students were usually first authors of their articles. While doctoral students needed much support in the first article, their contribution became increasingly central in subsequent ones. Because of rising academic standards, however, senior researchers’ support continued to be important in later articles. Intellectual socialization to shared academic knowledge practices effectively boosts the development of academic competence allowing doctoral students gradually to make more productive contribution to joint knowledge-creation efforts.

New approaches to doctoral supervision - implications for education developers

The aim of this research is to discover the views, practices and advice of experienced doctoral educators on how doctoral students in the fields of business and management may be encouraged and supported to write for publication, in order... more

The aim of this research is to discover the views, practices and advice of experienced doctoral educators on how doctoral students in the fields of business and management may be encouraged and supported to write for publication, in order to promote their development as future academics. The data used in the study came from an online questionnaire survey completed by 54 individuals worldwide, who teach and/or supervise on doctoral business/management programmes. The job titles of the survey participants include dean, director of doctoral programmes, full/titled/chaired professor, and associate professor. Our survey participants unanimously agree that it is imperative for doctoral students who intend to pursue an academic career in higher education to achieve publications before they graduate, and that institutions and supervisors should share the responsibility to equip students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to become effective and successful academic authors. The paper concludes with recommendations for students, institutions and supervisors/advisors. To our knowledge, this is the first international study that has explored the attitudes and practices of experienced doctoral educators to doctoral publishing, in the contexts of student development for an academic career, and doctoral supervisors acting as career mentors alongside their supervisory role.

Despite recent research, doctoral pedagogy remains something of a 'black box'. This article explores the 'mysterious activity' (Green, 2005, p. 151) which transforms research apprentices into licensed scholars by drawing on longitudinal... more

Despite recent research, doctoral pedagogy remains something of a 'black box'. This article explores the 'mysterious activity' (Green, 2005, p. 151) which transforms research apprentices into licensed scholars by drawing on longitudinal interviews with six graduate students who travelled to Australia to undertake doctoral study. The article first discusses difficulties associated with the term "international students". It then argues that, given the economic benefits to Australian universities of participation by increasing numbers of international students (Bullen & Kenway, 2003), attention needs to be paid to the quality of students' learning experiences. The article also incorporates the author's dual perspectives as full-time doctoral student/researcher and experienced academic. The findings suggest that effective doctoral pedagogy is based on a mutually respectful relationship between student and supervisor supported by a flexible learning structure which enables modelling of scholarly practices and opportunities for scaffolded participation and reflection. However, as good doctoral pedagogy cannot be guaranteed, PhD students need to develop sufficient understanding of the doctoral endeavour to enable them to manage their own learning.

One of the continual challenges facing professors who prepare TK-12 school leaders through the professional educational doctorate (Ed.D. degree), is ensuring a theory-to-practice framework, curriculum, and pedagogy. Furthermore,... more

One of the continual challenges facing professors who prepare TK-12 school leaders through the professional educational doctorate (Ed.D. degree), is ensuring a theory-to-practice framework, curriculum, and pedagogy. Furthermore, professors of doctoral programs whose orientation is social justice, often face the dilemma of how to infuse it as a cross-cutting issue with the theory-practice paradigm. Community-based learning (CBL), when embedded with social justice claims, can serve as a bridge between theory and practice, providing doctoral students with opportunities to achieve both goals. This qualitative case study engaged with this dilemma by investigating the efficacy of a community-based learning component that had been infused into a core doctoral leadership course. Through interviews with doctoral students, we sought to understand their perception of its connection to the program's social justice orientation, as well as the benefits, challenges, and recommendations for the efficacy of community-based learning. Students' input guided future course revisions that establish a clearer relationship among social justice themes, the program's learning outcomes, and the theory-praxis paradigm.

Emergent leadership is the direction of group activities by individuals that are members of a group without formal or nominative leadership. Their fellow group members attribute emergent leadership to people in groups. Doctoral cohorts... more

Emergent leadership is the direction of group activities by individuals that are members of a group without formal or nominative leadership. Their fellow group members attribute emergent leadership to people in groups. Doctoral cohorts are groups of students that work toward a degree in a manner that is synchronous. Projects and coursework make it necessary for collaboration and emergent leadership to occur within cohorts of doctoral students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and to describe the experiences of students in a cohort model doctoral program at a state university in New England with emergent leadership. This research can lead to further work in the area of groups without formal leadership in disciplines beyond graduate higher education, including emergent leadership in non-profit and for-profit organizations.

This handbook is about professionals working in doctoral education. It has many contributors and combines their knowledge and different experiences with the findings gathered through an international, mostly European survey, and... more

This handbook is about professionals working in doctoral education.
It has many contributors and combines their knowledge and different
experiences with the findings gathered through an international, mostly
European survey, and interviews undertaken within the framework of
an EU funded project. Contributors to this handbook currently work,
or have worked, in different places across Europe and are often situated
in central units supporting doctoral education, either as academics
in full or part-time management positions, or as doctoral education
professionals.

This study investigated PhD students' conceptions of writing and how they saw themselves as writers. The Writing Process Questionnaire was created to analyse PhD students' ideas of academic writing. In addition, it was of interest, what... more

This study investigated PhD students' conceptions of writing and how they saw themselves as writers. The Writing Process Questionnaire was created to analyse PhD students' ideas of academic writing. In addition, it was of interest, what the relation between conceptions of writing and the PhD students' well-being was. The participants were 669 PhD students from a major Finnish university who volunteered to fill in a questionnaire. The present study covered scales for measuring six distinct theoretical constructs that were created by forming sum variables of 26 questions: Blocks, Procrastination, Perfectionism, Innate ability, Knowledge transforming, and Productivity. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to verify the six-dimension construct. Exhaustion, stress, anxiety and lack of interest all correlated positively with Blocks, Procrastination, and Perfectionism, and negatively with Productivity. Confirmatory factor analysis conducted by LISREL confirmed the six-factor structure of the writing scale. In conclusion, there is good evidence that the questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool, and it captures some essential aspectsof academic writing process and its emotional dimensions.

Online doctoral students may be at especially high risk for not completing their program. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize and critically analyze the body of research examining factors associated with persistence among online... more

Online doctoral students may be at especially high risk for not completing their program. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize and critically analyze the body of research examining factors associated with persistence among online doctoral students, a relatively understudied population. Consistent with the notion that integration and institutional factors exert more influence on doctoral persistence than student characteristics, with the exception of leadership and motivation, few student-related characteristics examined were found to be associated with online doctoral student persistence. However, findings should be considered in light of the limitations of the existing research. Based on this critical integrative review of the literature, implications for research and practice as well as recommendations for next steps are offered.

The history, culture and practices of Central America are inadequately addressed in teacher preparation and professional development across the United States, and especially in California based on my analysis of teacher preparation... more

The history, culture and practices of Central America are inadequately addressed in teacher preparation and professional development across the United States, and especially in California based on my analysis of teacher preparation (http://www.ctc.ca.gov/html.,
2001). Information about the histories, cultures and practices add to the linguistic and pedagogic knowledge-base of bilingual and non-bilingual teachers of Central American immigrant students. To this end, this article documents the experiences of Central American immigrant families residing in the Los Angeles area and includes analyses from focus group data, participant observations and interviews collected at the Central American Resource Center, CARECEN, and with Central American families living in this area of Los Angeles. Selected folklore and writing by Central American youth in the Los Angeles area are interspersed within this article. Implications for practice conclude this study.

About third-level higher education, part 1

This study utilizes a critical race theory framework to explore the ways race and gender influence Black doctoral students' socialization experiences. Themes about the varied roles and identities of important socialization agents emerged... more

This study utilizes a critical race theory framework to explore the ways race and gender influence Black doctoral students' socialization experiences. Themes about the varied roles and identities of important socialization agents emerged from the data. Managing expectations, engaging in help-seeking behavior, and developing fulfilling mentoring relationships, also proved instrumental to these students' retention and persistence in doctoral study. Furthermore, their experiences offer insights about the complexity of navigating the various relationships, including, but not limited to the traditional mentor-protégé, student–advisor relationship in doctoral studies as Black students. Through their narratives, participants describe vivid experiences of fear, distrust, and betrayal that halted their development as scholars. They also share stories of support, care, and triumph as the potential of supportive relationships are realized. Implications for praxis, theory, and future research are discussed.

Se describe el "Método de 100 horas para escribir la tesis doctoral". Consiste en un método diseñado específicamente para los estudiantes que están en graves apuros y que apenas cuentan con unas semanas o días para redactar y entregar la... more

Se describe el "Método de 100 horas para escribir la tesis doctoral". Consiste en un método diseñado específicamente para los estudiantes que están en graves apuros y que apenas cuentan con unas semanas o días para redactar y entregar la tesis. Para su elaboración se examinaron más de 4500 tesis doctorales y de maestría.
WEBINAR SOBRE EL MÉTODO DE 100 HORAS EN https://fb.watch/2sLc8nPyis/

The paper shows my investigation of all private hospitals and several officals and doctors around Region VIII in Philippines. Actually, I started making this as a Microsoft Access to clarify the results in the form of table, query, form... more

The paper shows my investigation of all private hospitals and several officals and doctors around Region VIII in Philippines. Actually, I started making this as a Microsoft Access to clarify the results in the form of table, query, form and report but since Academia doesn't support the file type so I transferred it in Microsoft Word.

Abstrac t— The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to understand how Black male doctoral degree recipients’ make sense of their professional identity. Three major research questions guided our analysis: (a) How do Black male... more

Abstrac t— The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to understand how Black male doctoral degree recipients’ make sense of their professional identity. Three major research questions guided our analysis: (a) How do Black male doctoral degree recipients define their professional identity? (b) What factors do Black male doctoral recipients attribute to the development of their professional identity? (c) What is the role of race in the development of Black male doctoral degree recipients’ professional identity? Three major themes were identified. Implications for research, theory, policy and several campus constituencies, including graduate faculty and mentors/advisors are noted. Key Terms— Black Men, Higher Education, Professional Identity

The doctoral dissertation is defined as an original contribution to a field. By definition, this makes the dissertation a creative product, and the result of a creative process. The creative process of doctoral work has historically not... more

The doctoral dissertation is defined as an original contribution to a field. By definition, this makes the dissertation a creative product, and the result of a creative process. The creative process of doctoral work has historically not been highlighted. The same is true for education as a whole. While there is an increasing call for greater creativity in education, they remain aspirational. In this article we describe the underlying premises and some of the practices of a doctoral degree that has been designed with the intention of foregrounding the creative process.

Can academia be a place where engage our creativity and experience the joy of inquiry? I reflect on my educational experiences as a starting point for an exploration of the way that education can be a joyful process if framed as an... more

Can academia be a place where engage our creativity and experience the joy of inquiry?
I reflect on my educational experiences as a starting point for an exploration of the way that education can be a joyful process if framed as an opportunity for what I call "creative inquiry." I outline some dimensions of an attitude of creative inquiry, focusing on Wonder, Passion, Hope, and Conviviality. I then explore a number of different metaphors for inquiry and the way they can frame our attitude and evoke different moods.

Objectives: In preparation for creating a peer-mentoring program for education doctorate (EdD) students, we conducted a literature review to learn about the characteristics of peer-mentoring programs for graduate students and EdD students... more

Objectives: In preparation for creating a peer-mentoring program for education doctorate (EdD) students, we conducted a literature review to learn about the characteristics of peer-mentoring programs for graduate students and EdD students specifically. Method: Our search criteria included articles about peer mentoring for graduate students only; published in peer-reviewed journals since the year 2000; and about programs that involved more experienced students, students farther along in the program, or recent graduates. These criteria resulted in 15 articles. Results: We applied what we learned about program design and characteristics in the creation of a voluntary peer-mentoring program for first year students, including purposeful selection and assignment of mentors and mentees along with stated expectations for the type and frequency of mentor/mentee conversations. Conclusions: More research is needed that addresses a consistent definition of peer mentoring, methodological concerns about research, challenges of these programs, and how certain aspects of peer-mentoring programs relate to program completion rates. Implications for Theory and/or Practice: Continued investigation into the benefits and challenges of mentoring programs will inform our service to students. Investigation into multiple programs and peer mentoring in the later stages of the doctoral journey will strengthen the extant literature about peer mentoring for doctoral students.

The paper presents stories of how a group of doctoral students chose the key disciplinary literature that they read in preparation for their thesis-undertaking (RT). The stories were analyzed in light of current understanding of... more

The paper presents stories of how a group of doctoral students chose the key disciplinary literature that they read in preparation for their thesis-undertaking (RT). The stories were analyzed in light of current understanding of literature reviewing as a situated practice and theory of doctoral education as socio-cognitive apprenticeship. As the stories reveal, key disciplinary literature does not exist 'cut-and-dried'. This applies particularly to undertakings carried out in fields where multiple paradigms exist. The complex epistemic landscapes of the students' research made selecting key literature to review much a difficult task. The task was in many cases facilitated by guidance provided by mentors such as thesis supervisors and panel members. Guidance was provided at various stages of the thesis-undertakings especially when theoretical and methodological issues emerged that called for the mentors' advice, often resulting in new directions and selections of reading. The stories suggest that choices of reading for a thesisundertaking are partly socially mediated and partly driven by contingencies arising in the students' fieldwork. This stands in some contrast to how RT is presented in thesis manuals, which tend to construe RT as an autonomous practice and emphasize search techniques via discipline-specific electronic databases. While not downplaying the importance of independence that students need to develop and that of the product-based approach to RT driven by the generic conventions of a literature review, the paper suggests that the contingent and social dimension deserves some attention in instructional literature and thesis preparatory courses.

Sound has a potent role in the history of teaching and learning, yet sonic andragogy remains uneven, marginalized and undertheorized. A key media intervention is revisioning this historiography and enlivening sonic educational studies.... more

Sound has a potent role in the history of teaching and learning, yet sonic andragogy remains uneven, marginalized and undertheorized. A key media intervention is revisioning this historiography and enlivening sonic educational studies. This article summons the distinctiveness of podcasting, alongside its renewed popularity, with specific attention to the innovations in mode, genre, delivery mechanism, audience and community building capacities when deployed in higher degree programmes. While the PhD differs widely in its international formulation, particularly with regard to the role of coursework, publications and duration of the degree, the national specificities can travel and be shared through sonic deterritorialized media. This article 'punks' the podcast, showing how PhD students can transform the shape of their candidature through sound.