How do doctoral students interpret the idea of being part of a doctoral community at an English business school?

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to elicit the views of students on their experiences of being part of a doctoral community. In doing so, this paper will shed light on the success of doctoral schools and the degree to which students identify with the wider community of postgraduate researchers.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted an in-depth interview method based on interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).FindingsThe findings indicate that Higher Education still has some way to go before all students identify as being part of a doctoral school. The data suggest that significant differences exist between PhD and Doctor of Business Administration students on their perceptions of being part of a doctoral community.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the growing corpus of work produced through IPA, and also provides insights into the development of a doctoral school.