Whether you’re toiling through the depths of thesis research, about to embark on further study or supervising others on the journey, these 23 stories will entertain and inspire.
At times humorous, poignant and uplifting, there’s plenty to learn from the struggles and success of those who survived a thesis to tell the tale. The real-world advice and hundreds of tips and tricks will help you make the most of this significant stage of your life.
Contents
Introduction | Marilyn Waring and Kate Kearins
Acknowledgements
PhD – Permanent hair damage? Permanent head damage? | Hishamuddin Mohd Hashim (Sam)
Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD: Continuous study and its advantages and disadvantages | Helen Tregidga
Being a student – again | Christine Byrch
Jabasi Kusaihan Man | Rob Lock
Approaching autobiography in thesis research | George Gair
Talanoa in the Cook Islands | Repeta Puna
What was the question again? | Greg Coyle
Stress about PhD or PhD about stress? | Mark Le Fevre
Supervision and super-vision: Reflections on the supervision experience | Adreanne Ormond
Maintaining momentum to publish and finish in three years (almost) | Belinda Luke
Reflexivity – on getting there | Ruth Choudharey
Managing a project, becoming obsessed, and getting through | Paul Wells
Managing project PhD in mid-life | Karen Webster
Fencing off the black hole | Julienne Molineaux
Pushing the boundaries: Too far for some | David Harris
The importance of sharing experiences when completing a PhD | Riri Ellis
Patience is a virtue | Mireille (Mimi) Johnson
Postgraduate study in my second language | Chanthana (Peddy) Wech-o-sotsakda
Navigating the competing worlds and lived realities of a PhD candidate | Michelle Schaaf
Journey into te reo Māori | Karen Webster
The nine myths of the doctorate: A beautiful conspiracy | Nicky Black
Appendix 1: Summary of useful advice
Appendix 2: Books about thesis writing
Professor Kate Kearins completed her PhD in 1997 focusing on power relations in local government. Since, she has reoriented much of her research towards business engagement with sustainability. Kate has authored over 100 academic papers, with more than 50 of these appearing in refereed journals on an eclectic mix of management, organisational and accounting topics. She favours interpretive and critical approaches, with an emphasis on discourse, textual and case-based methods. She has been joint-recipient of several international awards for case research and won the AUT Vice-Chancellor’s award for Excellence in Research Supervision in 2009.
Dr Marilyn Waring is known internationally for her groundbreaking work in political economy, development assistance and human rights, and for her classic work, Counting for Nothing – what men value and what women are worth. In New Zealand she is a distinguished public intellectual, a leading feminist thinker, and an environmentalist. She served 3 terms in New Zealand’s parliament after election at the age of twenty-three. Professor Waring works in the Institute of Public Policy at AUT University, focusing on the supervision of post graduate theses. She has been a Member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, the Councils of Creative New Zealand and Massey University, the QEII National Trust, the Institute of Judicial Studies, and is a member of the Boards of the Association of Women in Development (AWID) and the Canadian Index of Well Being.
From deep fug to ‘What was the question again?’, from maintaining momentum to permanent hair damage, this book is a must for every ambitious student, would-be supervisor, and university administrator. – Dr Ariel Salleh, University of Sydney