First-year PhD Students Research Articles

The online information behaviour of first-year PhD students: addressing SDG 4

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to contribute to sustainable development in higher education by exploring the online information behaviour (OIB) of first-year full-time PhD students. In the case of first year PhD students, there is a high demand for information to complete their tasks and to finalise their studies. The quality of the education these postgraduate students acquire is dependent on their ability to access quality information devoid of barriers. In other words, there seems to be a lack of research on the online information behaviour of postgraduates in their first year of doctoral studies. Design/methodology – The study examined this phenomenon through the case study method, using the interpretivism paradigm and the quantitative approach. Using convenient and purposive sampling methods, 10 first-year PhD students were sampled from the University of Ghana's student population for 2023. A structured interview schedule was used as the instrument for data collection from the participants of the study. Findings – First-year PhD students are faced with online information-seeking barriers such as poor internet connectivity, limited access to online databases and resources, inability to access the needed paid online resources due to financial constraints, information overload, difficulty in acquiring requisite information and lack of information literacy skills and financial resources. These challenges tend to influence the quality of education they receive negatively given the inequalities in their information literacy skills against the literacy skills of second to final-year PhD students. Practical Implications and Conclusion – The study will contribute to literature on the information-seeking behaviour of first-year PhD students. The lack of information on the subject in Ghana is an issue this study seeks to address. The study has shown that postgraduate students at the University of Ghana do not understand their information needs, although they depend heavily on information for their work and survival.

Meeting reports

This Biochemical Society sponsored event, that took place from 20 to 22 November 2023, was organized by first-year PhD students from EMBL sites across Europe. The event gathered 160 participants from 25 countries to explore the impact of collective behaviour in various biological realms, from molecular interactions to ecological systems.

Instrumentalism and the publish-or-perish regime

Motivated by concerns about the nature and implications of the current publish-or-perish culture in the academe, we firstly examine based on which perceptions and interpretations individual researchers at universities cope with, survive, or even flourish, in the context of the publish-or-perish regime. Secondly, we probe, following a critical agenda of fostering non-instrumentalist understandings of research, to which extent local conditions may impact these perceptions, interpretations, and ways of coping. We conducted interviews with 32 researchers from six different research units in European universities across all ranks of the academic hierarchy, from first-year PhD students to very senior professors. Our focal descriptive category is instrumentalism: the degree to which an instrumentally rational understanding of research as a means of producing publications as items of countable performance dominates the entire research process from its very beginning. In our study we find notably heterogeneous forms of instrumentalism, which we have termed modes of instrumentalism, from purposely instrumentalist to critical non-instrumentalist modes. We identify and describe local research cultures as mediating the perceptions of individual researchers, and thus the influence of the global publish-or-perish regime on them. Based on our conceptualisation of degrees and modes of instrumentalism and the local research cultures we sketch some measures for fostering non-instrumentalist research cultures that would help in resisting the undesirable effects of the publish or perish regime.

Mental health and working constraints of first-year PhD students in health and science in a French university: a cross-sectional study in the context of occupational health monitoring

ObjectivesTo assess the mental health and working constraints perception of first-year PhD in France.DesignIt is a cross-sectional study.SettingThe study was conducted by the team of the Lyon 1 University’s Occupational...

Disparities in perceived disciplinary knowledge among new doctoral students

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine whether there are differences in beginning doctoral students’ perceptions of the disciplinary knowledge required to be successful in doctoral education and identify pre-doctoral characteristics and experiences that explain these differences.Design/methodology/approachThis study relied on survey data of first-year PhD students enrolled at a large, research-intensive university. Survey responses were matched to institutional information, missing data were imputed and responses were weighted to account for groups’ differential probabilities of being included in the analytical sample. The authors used regression analysis to examine the relationship between students’ background characteristics, anticipatory socialization experiences, academic performance and perceived levels of disciplinary knowledge.FindingsThe study findings indicated significant differences in doctoral students’ perceived levels of disciplinary knowledge. Students who identify as female or URM had significantly lower levels of perceived disciplinary knowledge than students who identify as male or non-URM. Moreover, several anticipatory socialization experiences were significantly and positively related to perceived disciplinary knowledge.Originality/valueWhile there is evidence that doctoral students start graduate school with varying identities and experiences, little is known about how students perceive their abilities and knowledge. This study reported that students differ in their self-assessment of disciplinary knowledge as they embark on doctoral work with implications for academic identity development and student success.

Health Professions Students' Assessment of an Interprofessional Rural Public Health-Focused Rotation: A Pilot Study Based on the Community-Oriented Primary Care Approach.

Using a community-oriented primary care (COPC) approach, the format for this interprofessional rural rotation was a public health focused team project based in a local health department and primary care setting. The target audience included fourth-year dental students, fourth-year undergraduate students in imaging science, second-year master of public health students, third-year medical students enrolled in the MD/MPH program, second-year nurse practitioner students, fourth-year pharmacy students, second-year MSN nursing students, and first-year PhD students. The specific learning objectives of the curriculum were drawn from emphasis areas of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative’s competency domains and included the development of students’ knowledge to function as a member of an interprofessional team to (1) engage diverse health care professionals, (2) communicate with team members to clarify each member’s responsibility in executing components of a public health intervention, (3) choose effective communication tools and techniques, (4) integrate knowledge and experience of other professions, and (5) engage themselves and others to constructively manage disagreements.Additional learning objectives centered on 10 competencies from the Master’s Degree in Public Health Core Competency Project. Assessment of 13 student participants, as a group, showed increased perceived knowledge in 4 out of 5 selected interprofessional emphasis areas and 9 out of 10 public health competencies. Our curriculum provides promising evidence for one interprofessional rural education model with proven short-term effectiveness among six health professions disciplines, in increasing student knowledge in interprofessional emphasis areas and public health competencies.

Stressors in early-stage doctoral students

ABSTRACTStress during doctoral study is common; however, its presence is of concern to students as it has a deleterious impact on well-being and performance, and to the university which has a duty of care to students and the desire to promote a supportive research environment. This article reports on the qualitative findings from an online survey that sought to identify students’ experiences related to stress during the early-stage doctoral study. All newly enrolled PhD students at the University of Otago (New Zealand) received invitations to participate and respond to two questions related to stress during the early-stage doctoral study. In total, 152 survey responses were acquired from 352 first-year PhD students (response rate 43.2%). Nine main areas of concern were identified from an inductive thematic analysis of participants’ responses. Key stressors were time pressure, uncertainty about doctoral processes, sense of belonging in scholarly communities, and financial pressures. Some findings are contrary to previous research with novel perceptions on the student–supervisor relationship, different financial issues, and transition stresses contrary to previous research; this may reflect the changed academic landscape of doctoral studies. Findings provide insight into potential support strategies to better support early-stage PhD students.

When Resolve Falters: Poor Fit with Adviser Reduces Benefits of Newcomer Proactive Personality

The importance of newcomer proactive personality to adjustment is a well- established finding. However, there may be cases in which proactivity is not an advantage. In this study, we investigated whether the benefits of proactive personality are limited by newcomers’ perceptions of similarity to their advisor. We surveyed 179 first-year PhD students upon entry into their program and then biweekly for two months. We found that the benefits of proactive personality were dampened when advisees’ initial impression was that their values, personality, and interests differed substantially from their advisor. Proactive personality had a less positive effect on newcomer pride and role clarity and a less negative effect on newcomer social isolation when perceived similarity was low. These effects started early and persisted–there was great rank order stability across time in pride, role clarity, and social isolation. These results suggest that organizations that wish to get the most from proactive newcomers should not only attend to newcomers’ proactive tendencies, but also to their perceptions of similarity to their supervisors.

EuCheMS ECC7 in Liverpool: Chemistry and More!

EuCheMS ECC7 in Liverpool: Chemistry and More!

How Can the University Library Better Meet the Information Needs of Research Students? Experiences From Ulster University

ABSTRACTThis article investigates academic library needs of doctoral students. The study identifies PhD students' information literacy training needs and explores current levels of library engagement, barriers to use, and gaps in existing services. First-year PhD students at Ulster University (UU) were surveyed and interviews were undertaken with three students. Findings show that just over half the respondents start their research from the Library's e-journal interface or library databases and these resources are also their main research tools. Minimal use was made of social media or apps. Students' ability to correctly identify different source types within a reference did not match the confidence they expressed in their own abilities, and two thirds were not aware of basic e-book capabilities. However, over 90% of the respondents strongly agreed that the university library service was essential for their research. The article concludes with a number of recommendations on improving library services for PhD students.

Correction for Time-to-Credit Gender Inequities of First-Year PhD Students in the Biological Sciences.

Correction for Time-to-Credit Gender Inequities of First-Year PhD Students in the Biological Sciences.

Time-to-Credit Gender Inequities of First-Year PhD Students in the Biological Sciences.

Equitable gender representation is an important aspect of scientific workforce development to secure a sufficient number of individuals and a diversity of perspectives. Biology is the most gender equitable of all scientific fields by the marker of degree attainment, with 52.5% of PhDs awarded to women. However, equitable rates of degree completion do not translate into equitable attainment of faculty or postdoctoral positions, suggesting continued existence of gender inequalities. In a national cohort of 336 first-year PhD students in the biological sciences (i.e., microbiology, cellular biology, molecular biology, developmental biology, and genetics) from 53 research institutions, female participants logged significantly more research hours than males and were significantly more likely than males to attribute their work hours to the demands of their assigned projects over the course of the academic year. Despite this, males were 15% more likely to be listed as authors on published journal articles, indicating inequality in the ratio of time to credit. Given the cumulative advantage that accrues for students who publish early in their graduate careers and the central role that scholarly productivity plays in academic hiring decisions, these findings collectively point to a major potential source of persisting underrepresentation of women on university faculties in these fields.

Focusing the Lens to Share the Story: Using Photographs and Interviews to Explore Doctoral Students’ Sense of Well-being

Aim/Purpose: This study explores PhD students’ transition into graduate school, which can be a challenging experience for many. Background: Using photographs and in-depth interviews, this study provides nuanced insight into influences on first-year PhD students’ lived experiences, with a specific focus on these students’ perceptions of doctoral student well-being. Methodology: Twenty-nine first-year biomedical science PhD students from 15 research institutions were asked to take photographs (Participant Produced Images) to illuminate significant influences on their research skill acquisition. The participant-produced photographs were discussed within in-depth phone interviews allowing for a deeper understanding of their lived experiences. Contribution: While students were asked to identify factors influencing their research skill acquisition, unexpectedly, what emerged from these data was students’ clear focus on their concern for their physical and mental well-being. The researchers posit that students’ ability to create a “work-life balance” is the foundation of doctoral student success, especially in the early years of doctoral training. Findings: Findings suggest that it is essential to create a PhD culture in which students feel valued, supported, and nourished, both physically and mentally, for them to develop into successful researchers, teachers, and mentors. Recommendations for Practitioners: Findings suggest that doctoral programs must support a more collaborative work environment for students and help novice students create a work life balance, perhaps by encouraging them to pursue stimulating or fun activities outside their school environment. It is imperative for doctoral students to be confident during their doctoral studies, as a lack of confidence tends to breathe life into poor work habits that stymie well-being and happiness. Recommendation for Researchers: If doctoral programs support a culture that facilitates student well-being, those programs will likely produce happier researchers and teachers who see scholarship and learning as fun. This positive mindset is likely to cascade down within their learning environments and foster positive and productive scholarship and instruction. This mindset and paradigm shift will set a significant precedence for future doctoral learners. Impact on Society: This study encourages and advances timely and “actionable” dialogue around how to better support doctoral students’ sense of well-being, especially in science disciplines. Future Research: Given study results, exploring mental health and well-being issues with faculty can help elevate mental health awareness in academia.

Evolution or Revolution in EE/SE Research? A Collaborative Dialogue From First-Year PhD Students

AbstractThe AAEE 2014 research symposium in Hobart provided a privileged space for researchers and practitioners within environmental education and sustainability education (EE/SE) to come together and create dialogues about education for sustainability research. This essay is a critical reflection from postgraduate researchers about the symposium and the EE/SE research landscape more broadly. The authors interrogate contemporary research frameworks and practices, and deliberate on how current perceptions enable and inhibit performance within EE/SE research. The authors ask provocative questions and encourage readers to imagine for themselves what a new research landscape, freed of calcified frameworks and entrenched systems, might look like. The essay then draws on an ecological systems perspective as a means of reimagining EE/SE research within a more emergent landscape that values inclusivity, democracy, collaborative inquiry and curiosity.

Academy for PhD Training in Statistics (APTS)

The aims of APTS are to equip first-year PhD students in statistical sciences in the UK with clear “mental maps” of some important areas in the discipline, and to help them gain confidence and resources (analytical and computing tools, literature entry-points) so that they are enabled to find out more for themselves. The intention is thereby to address (as far as UK statistics PhD students are concerned) the issue raised in the 2004 International Review of UK Research in Mathematics, that New PhD’s from the UK usually have less breadth and experience than their peers from other countries (Section 2.2 on Post-Graduate Education).

The BREW workshop series: a stimulating experience in PhD education

Over recent years, five European PhD programmes have organized a series of 'Bioinformatics Research and Education Workshops'. These workshops address the needs of first-year PhD students and have been designed to combine a maximum of educational impact and scientific stimulation with a minimum of financial and administrative effort. We describe the BREW experience and argue that this type of event constitutes an attractive component of PhD education in computational biology and beyond.

Introduction

Theoretical modeling has evolved into a very important tool in biochemistry and biophysics and ranges from elementary modeling of quantitative structure–activity relationships, electrostatic maps, or docking to classical molecular dynamics simulations or sophisticated quantum chemical treatments. Theoretical biochemists have over the years successfully addressed a wide variety of topics, such as enzymatic reactions, drug design, DNA structure and function, biomimetics, and of course the recent applications in the area of bioinformatics. The field, both in terms of areas of applications as well as new or combined methodologies, grows rapidly, and new developments are being made in a seemingly endless flow. In March 2003, a symposium was arranged in the field of Theoretical Biophysics, at the Donostia International Physics Center, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, in the beautiful city of Donostia/San Sebastian, in Northern Spain. The aim of the symposium was not only to present explicit results from recent modeling studies but also to allow for presentations of novel methodologies and to do so in a setting that allowed for plentiful discussions and exchange of knowledge and ideas. To this end, it was decided to significantly limit the number of participants, to allow for a more intimate setting. The symposium thus brought together 45 participants, ranging from senior researchers to first-year PhD students, representing a total of 18 universities from seven countries. Several of the presentations in the more applied areas were devoted to enzyme catalysis, such as radical enzymes, peptide bond cleavage, biochemical Claisen rearrangements, and phosphate ester hydrolysis. We also saw several contributions on drug design. Alzheimer's disease, antimetastatic and anticancer drugs, antibiotics, and antioxidants were among the topics covered in the presentations. Other applications dealt with modeling of ion channels or reactions in interstellar clouds leading to organic and prebiotic molecules. In the more methodology-oriented parts, much emphasis was put on new quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics hybrid methods or quantum chemically based dynamics simulations. Also, other recent developments, such as time-dependent density functional theory for excited state properties and dynamics, new molecular dynamics simulations techniques, and new approaches in theoretical electrochemistry were covered. The meeting generated much discussion, as well as a splendid array of social activities: in all, a most successful event, providing valuable new insights in an informal setting. It is our hope that the articles presented in the symposium proceedings will give an indication of some of the excellent science being conducted in the area of theoretical biophysics.