The PhD Life Raft Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Nicole Patrie is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Safety and Justice Studies at MacEwan University, and a PhD student in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, specializing in Adult Education. Nicole has been involved in prison education at all levels: as a teacher, administrator, and now researcher, for over 15 years. Her research focus is on the role of education and learning in the criminal justice system. 

In this episode Nicole shares her own journey as a first generation PhD scholar.

We talk about a range of challenges from practical resources to self-confidence.  

We discuss hidden support systems and the importance of accessing the help you need.  Nicole encourages us all to ‘pay it forward’.

Nicole ends with an encouraging mantra that every PhD researcher needs to remember!

Contact details: website, email, social media

https://nicolepatrie.weebly.com/

patrien2@macewan.ca

@nicolepatrie.bsky.social 

@patrie_nicole (twitter)

For a transcript of this episode go to www.thephdliferaft.com

If you would like to receive a useful weekly email from the PhD Life Raft you can sign up here for ‘Notes from the Life Raft’: https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft

Vicky Laina is a learning scientist with a focus on educational technologies in mathematics teaching and learning. She designs and studies learning experiences where the use of technology can support epistemic transparency and collaborative thinking amongst youth, with the goal of helping students reimagine what doing mathematics can look and feel like. Vicky has lived, worked and studied in 5 different countries and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria.  

In this episode we explore the challenges and benefits of being an international PhD student.

Vicky shares tips about the application process and funding options.

She also opens up about the logistical problems of international study and how she navigated them.

We reflect on the cultural differences that may impact on your work but also on how the experience of studying abroad can enrich your journey.

You can make contact with Vicky here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasilikilaina/

For a transcript of this episode go to www.thephdliferaft.com

If you would like to receive a useful weekly email from the PhD Life Raft you can sign up here for ‘Notes from the Life Raft’: https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft

Dr Elizabeth Yardley graduated from Aston Business School in 2007 with a PhD exploring young parent’s experiences of stigma. She has worked in UK universities since then, teaching and researching a range of social science subjects including sociology, social policy and criminology. In 2021, she set up Degree Doctor to help overwhelmed PhD students experiencing a range of issues including perfectionism and imposter syndrome. Her resources not only help students with the how-to elements of a PhD but support them as they navigate the messy and magical emotions of the doctoral journey.  

In this episode we discuss the challenges of procrastination during a PhD journey - including fear of failure and criticism.  We consider how procrastination can turn small tasks into massive ones, creating a vicious cycle of delay and emotional distress.

Elizabeth offers some practical strategies for dealing with procrastination as well as highlighting the underlying issues that may be at play.

She also emphasizes the importance of self compassion and leaves us with a game-changing top tip to help you keep your momentum going.

You can find out more about Elizabeth’s work here: 

Degree Doctor YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@DegreeDoctor 

Degree Doctor Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thedegreedoctor/ 

Degree Doctor Website https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/  

Direct link to Procrastination First Aid Worksheet https://www.thedegreedoctor.com/procrastination-first-aid-opt-in 

Etsy Shop - PhD Planners and Study Guides https://theplanningprofessor.etsy.com (Use code PHDLIFERAFT33 for 33% off anything in the shop) 

For a transcript of this episode go to www.thephdliferaft.com

If you would like to receive a useful weekly email from the PhD Life Raft you can sign up here for ‘Notes from the Life Raft’: https://mailchi.mp/f2dce91955c6/notes-from-the-life-raft

This week I talk to Professor Vernon Trafford about what a PhD examiner is looking for in your thesis.

Vernon Trafford is Professor Emeritus at Anglia Ruskin University, UK and Research Associate at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. He has held visiting professorships in India, Scandinavia, Singapore, South Africa and consultancies for the British Council, OECD, UNICEF and the World Bank. His publications, conference presentations and workshops relate to the nature of doctorateness. 

In this conversation Vernon talks about his own unconventional route into academia.

We then dive into the issue of examiner expectations of a thesis.  Vernon outlines 4 different stances which your examiner might take - they may be attending to the philosophical underpinnings of the entire piece of work; they may be looking at evidence of scholarship; they may be seeing to identify post-doctoral capability as a supervisor or researcher; and/or they may be looking for  maturity of understanding by candidates of what they've done. 

We talk about the role of independent chairs within the Viva and why you shouldn’t listen to the viva horror stories!

Vernon outlines features that mean your thesis is more likely to pass and the importance of explaining what your research was about and what your “contribution to knowledge” is.

He also talks about the importance of smiling and if working towards making the viva as pleasurable activity as it can be.

You can find out more about Vernon’s work here: http://vernontrafford.com/

You can find his book Stepping Stones to Achieving Your Doctorate here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stepping-Stones-Achieving-your-Doctorate/dp/0335225438/ref=la_B0034PPLCA_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365518855&sr=1-1

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Do you want to Detox Your PhD?  Find out more about The PhD Life Raft course here:  https://emmab.kartra.com/page/detoxyourphd

This week’s episode picks up on some of the themes from last week in terms of negotiating caring responsibilities alongside completing research work but it also explores the importance of supporting diversity and inclusion in academia.

Jen Leigh is a Senior Lecturer in Higher Education and Academic Practice within the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Kent and, amongst many other things, the Vice-Chair (People) of WISC (Women in Supramolecular Chemistry).

In this episode Jen talks about her journey through two very different PhD experiences and what she learnt about the importance of choosing a good supervisor and of having a supportive community around you.

Jen outlines the work of WISC and explores the equality, diversity and inclusion issues that the association addresses through activities such as mentoring schemes and skills workshops and we discuss this as a model with the potential to be rolled out into other disciplines - bring on the revolution!!

Here are some helpful links:

WISC's website www.womeninsuprachem.com

The essay in Angewandte Chemie https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202015297

WISC tweets as @suprachem with a dedicated public engagement account @labXX 

Let’s connect!

Sign up to our newsletter here: https://emmab.kartra.com/page/newsletter

Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/phdliferaft/

Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVVWxhoL1DFiXHiJSI4J9Kg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phdliferaft/

Twitter: @thephdliferaft

This week’s episode focuses on the PhD and motherhood as Anna Woolf shares her insights and experiences.   

Anna is a Ph.D. candidate at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Her research examines socially engaged arts, health and applied theatre in relation to teenagers with the complex autoimmune disease juvenile idiopathic arthritis.  

In this interview Anna reflects on her personal connection to her PhD topic.  She also talks about how her life situation has meant that she has needed to work at her own pace through the project.

In this episode Anna identifies the ways in which caring responsibilities force you to focus.  

She talks about ‘slow academia’ and allowing ideas the time to percolate.  Anna talks about the ‘garden of research’ and how it is important to take time to tend to what you are trying to grow as well as allowing for cross pollination.  

Anna emphasizes the importance of a supportive community and of what she calls her “lady-gang”

Here is a link to Anna’s blog post on returning to study after having a baby:  https://motherofalllists.com/2018/08/03/going-back-to-study-after-a-baby-why/

Here is the link to The Slow Academic:  https://theslowacademic.com/

Here is the link to Kim Solga’s blog: https://theactivistclassroom.wordpress.com/

Here is a link to the work of Sue Mayo: http://www.suemayo.co.uk/

Here is a link to PhD and Early Career Researcher Parents: https://www.facebook.com/groups/776957585681408

You can contact Anna: 

anna.woolf.net

IG @socialmediamum

TW @annabosworth

Connect with the PhD Life Raft:

Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/phdliferaft/

Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVVWxhoL1DFiXHiJSI4J9Kg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phdliferaft/

Twitter: @thephdliferaft

This week we are exploring how to enjoy writing your PhD.

Our guest Dee Reynolds is a proofreader and copy editor, and an academic writing mentor.  She is a Professor Emerita (French Studies, University of Manchester) with a long career in research and publishing on topics ranging from French poetry to contemporary dance and neuroscience. 

Dee talks about the pleasure she found in her own PhD journey and the importance of following your gut-instinct and about collaborating with people along the way.  

Dee offers the metaphor of choreography for the process of writing your thesis and discusses how to create flow within your work; the importance of embodied learning; and the elements of a good literature review.

She also stresses the importance of seeking out positive feedback during doctoral study and suggests where you might find it.

You can contact Dee here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/professor-dee-reynolds/ https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=zlEK2pQAAAAJ&hl=en http://www.watchingdance.org/ http://www.aestheticnetwork.manchester.ac.uk/

For more information you can sign up to our newsletter www.thephdliferaft.com

Let’s connect!

Pintrest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/phdliferaft/

Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVVWxhoL1DFiXHiJSI4J9Kg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phdliferaft/

Twitter: @thephdliferaft

We are back for Season Three!!

I do hope that you found some time over Easter to rest and feel ready for the new term?  As if we ever feel ready for the new term?!!

This week’s guest is Jeff Weingarten who is a Professor of Language and Liberal Studies at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, Canada.

Jeff reflects on his own difficult journey through the PhD and how he came to reflect on the narrative he had created for himself.  

He talks about the process towards finding meaning in his work and how he managed his anxiety.

Jeff also talks about negotiating the job market and the importance of acknowledging the range of skills that you bring as a postgraduate scholar.  He also stresses the importance of not being afraid to change direction and “tell yourself a different story”.

Here is a link to Jeff’s article: https://accute.ca/2018/06/11/tell-yourself-a-different-story-an-essay-on-surviving-the-job-market/

Here is a link to the book by David Epstein that Jeff references: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Range-Key-Success-Performance-Education/dp/1509843523/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3L41POJYKS9YL&dchild=1&keywords=david+epstein&qid=1619433854&sprefix=david+eps%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1

You can contact Jeff on twitter: @JAWeingarten

Or via email: jweingarten@fanshawec.ca

Don’t forget to sign up to the newsletter - www.thephdliferaft.com

It’s the last episode of Season Two!

Allan Kilner-Johnson shares his own journey through his PhD and into his mindfulness practice.  Allan is a mindfulness meditation teacher alongside his work as a Senior Lecturer in English Literature and Associate Dean of Postgraduate Research at the University of Surrey.

Allan proposes Jon Kabat-Zinn’s definition of mindfulness as “the awareness of the present moment without judgment”.  

He offers a practical ‘anchoring’ exercise to help ground yourself in the present moment.

Allan encourages PhD students to embrace a contemplative perspective and think about what type of person they want to become through the process of undertaking a PhD.  He also prompts us to remember that, at its best, researching is an embodied practice that engages the full self.

The apps Allan mentions in the episode are:

Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/

Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/

You can connect to Allan here:

www.allankilnerjohnson.com

https://www.instagram.com/allankilnerjohnson/

https://www.facebook.com/allankilnerjohnson

https://twitter.com/thisisallan

Don’t forget about the upcoming ‘Life Raft’ events

The ‘Productive Habits for PhD Students’ session on 25th March has now sold out but there are still a few tickets left for 4th May.  You can book in here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/dr-emma-brodzinski-32701842647

You are very welcome to join us for our live Q&A on 30th March - just book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/dr-emma-brodzinski-32701842647

And there are still some spaces for the PhD Life Raft ‘Retreat in a Box’: 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/phd-life-raft-retreat-in-a-box-tickets-146340812309?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Looking forward to seeing you!

This week’s guest is Nicole Brown - Director of Social Research & Practice and Education Ltd. and Lecturer in Education at the UCL Institute of Education.  Nicole was awarded her PhD in Sociology at the University of Kent for her thesis “The ‘I’ in fibromyalgia: the construction of academic identity under the influence of fibromyalgia”. 

Nicole begins by talking about her own journey through the PhD as a part-time, mature student.

We then talk about what to do with all the ideas that come to you but don’t belong in your current project.

We also explore how a reflective journal can be a powerful tool on your PhD journey - as a means to process material and as a way of documenting your own thoughts and feelings around a subject area.

Nicole outlines the range of forms that a reflective journal might take and offers some ideas for practice.

She also reminds us of the importance of experimentation and why failure is just a mode of learning.

You can find out more about Nicole’s work here: https://www.nicole-brown.co.uk/

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!  

Do you struggle with motivation and productivity?

I know from my own experience how much a habit tracker can help.

You can now download a PhD Life Raft Podcast Habit Tracker for free!

Just sign up here: https://emmab.kartra.com/page/phdhabit

And, if you would like to go into more depth you can join Dr Emma Brodzinski for a special session on ‘Productive Habits for PhD Students’.  You can find out more here:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/dr-emma-brodzinski-32701842647

Keep in touch: www.thephdliferaft.com