PhD

Steven Franklin lays bare the questions and doubts that go through his mind as he sits down to work on his thesis

Despite all that’s been done to improve doctoral study, horror stories keep coming. Here three students relate PhD nightmares while two academics advise on how to ensure a successful supervision

Tara Brabazon on an argument that the doctorate is undergoing change

Covering interview travel expenses creates financial hardships for early career academics, says Rachel Yoho

Fiona Dobbie is loving life as a PhD student, and hopes any midlife crisis it represents will end on graduation day

Research finds that working overseas can boost PhD holders’ salaries 

Typography expert’s rules for making messages easier to read elicit both praise and claims of pedantry

Doctoral students who downplay their part-time status forget that they excel in key ways, says Rebecca Gelding

Competition for postdoctoral fellowships is fierce, so your application needs to stand out as realistic, coherent and compelling. Here, five Stanford University scientists reveal 10 tips from their own experiences when attempting to secure a place

Elena Tobolkina got the job opportunity of a lifetime at Oxford, but the cost of childcare and housing took it away

The final few months of a PhD can often be the hardest, so here are a few tips from a doctoral candidate who recently submitted her thesis

Advice on how to cope with all the work and when to say no to opportunities

Doctoral student Ana Kedveš asked her colleagues to submit the strangest questions they have faced

Former Scotland international rugby player Colin Gregor reflects on how he combined his PhD with his job

Former international rugby player Colin Gregor is one of a growing number of students to balance a PhD with a career

They think I’m a rising star, says a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford, but my hopes of a real career in science are sinking

PhD advice: from choosing the right topic to getting through your thesis

Deluge of submitted papers leads journals to fall back on alma mater prestige, research suggests

Kevin Haggerty and Aaron Doyle offer tips on making postgraduate study even tougher (which students could also use to avoid pitfalls if they prefer)

The life of an early career researcher is a challenging one, finds Catherine Fletcher, as she heads to city number six

This guide gets right to the heart of the virtues that make a scholar, Robert Eaglestone discovers

Isolation is a necessary part of the PhD process, but peer networks and co-working can often combat students’ anxieties. Holly Else reports

Isolation is part of the experience, but peer support groups and co-working can combat loneliness and quell students’ self-doubt

Five students on how doctoral study changed them and their futures

Scholar Siân Lindsay’s research on doctoral completion has yielded valuable insights and practical advice

Academics discuss how supervisors shaped their teaching

We speak to City University London’s oldest graduate, who received his PhD in engineering at the age of 83

Brian Martin suggests how junior researchers can fight against the well-kept secret of academic exploitation

Fewer than half of those new to research can expect long-term academic careers

Moving to a different sphere of study can be a fruitful - and liberating - experience

Welcome to the Times Higher Education PhD surgery with Tara Brabazon, professor of education at Charles Sturt University, Australia.

There are some important dos and don’ts to bear in mind when choosing someone to oversee your doctoral thesis, advises Tara Brabazon

The viva, the final hurdle to gaining a PhD, is labour-intensive, not conducted to any national standard and is dreaded by students who fear an examiner will capriciously halt their career. Is it still fit for purpose? asks Elizabeth Gibney

In this guide, Tara Brabazon gives her top 10 tips for doctoral failure

PhD interview practice doesn't mean just a trial run. If done well, it can even help the student refine their thesis, say Penny Tinkler and Carolyn Jackson.