PhD Thesis Research Articles

Mapping cognitive biases in multidisciplinary team (MDT) decision-making for cancer care in Scotland: a cognitive ethnography study protocol

IntroductionThe efficiency of multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in cancer care hinges on facilitating clinicians’ cognitive processes as they navigate complex and uncertain judgements during treatment planning. When systems and workflows are...

Values in English and Swedish Pre School Teachers: a comparative case study in early childhood settings

ABSTRACT This doctoral case study research aims to explore the values of English and Swedish pre-school teachers, focusing on their roles and the experiences they provide for 3 and 4-year-old children. Values are beliefs held by individuals to which they attach special worth or priority; and this research recognises that values are personalised and shaped by the social, cultural and political contexts in which the teachers are situated and they act as a prism through which practice is realised. The theoretical framework titled, situated pedagogy is used to help contextualise. Two ‘day in the life of’ videos were filmed (in a Swedish and an English pre-school) using polyvocal ethnography to capture two teachers’ multiple ‘voices’. This aim was to ascertain their values through ongoing dialogue, telling and retelling of their ‘stories’ provoked by their reflections on the video footage. The findings revealed many similarities in the teachers’ values, especially regarding relationships, a play-based pedagogy, valuing parents as partners, the layout of the environment and types of resources utilised, valuing the voice and rights of the child. It is concluded that these similarities are shaped by the underpinning educational policy and the curricula in the teachers’ respective countries.

Conceptualising distance doctoral study after COVID-19: are we post-distance now?

While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many educational practices, it has also acted as an amplifier, accelerating emergent trends. One such trend concerns the nature of distance doctoral education that, even before the pandemic, was characterised by conceptual ambiguity. This article re-considers the meaning of “distance doctoral education” in a context where the on/off-campus binary has been profoundly disrupted. In this paper, we locate off-campus doctoral education in the intersecting literatures on distance and doctoral education, then advance the “post-” framework we use to conceptualise contemporary off-campus and distance doctoral study. Empirically, our paper draws on insights from a 2022 survey of 521 distance doctoral students, which demonstrate the complexity and variation evident in the manifestations of “distance” reported. We propose that we may have entered a post-distance doctoral education terrain, where previous conceptualisations of distance or proximity are altered. Our paper offers implications for thinking about doctoral education in such a context.

The 6Ps of Preparing a Manuscript: Prior Preparation Prevents Potentially Poor Performance.

The process of writing a scientific document, whether it be a PhD thesis, a paper, review, chapter, book or even a book series, always begins with only one word. Why can writing a manuscript be so difficult to start? If there are sufficient data for the task, there is only one reason; vacillation. To address this serious and psychologically debilitating issue, this perspective will discuss the ethos of publishing and provide a solution for vacillation. The concept of sufficient novel data will be examined along with the criteria for identifying an appropriate home for a manuscript. The bare process of preparation will be described, which ultimately relies on discipline, routine, formatting and further discipline, with the ultimate goal being the production and quality control of a manuscript of the highest quality that you can achieve. The value of the secondary literature, namely reviews, chapters and books will be highlighted, specifically with regard to the building of a reputation and leaving a lasting legacy. The psychology of publishing, particularly dealing with success and failure will be covered, as this topic is often overlooked, and can have serious and deleterious mental health consequences. A balanced view of publication metrics will be given, showing that such factors are in some cases, purely a business strategy for publishing houses. Ideas to build one's career through networking, reviewing and being an ambassador for one's discipline are also given. As a former member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Natural Products (2018-2022), an overview of the manuscript writing process from a personal and professional perspective is emphasized to encourage all to avoid the trials and tribulations of procrastination.

Evaluation of PhD Theses in the Field of Social Studies Education in the USA and Turkey (2018-2024)

In this study, it is aimed to examine the doctoral theses prepared in the field of social studies education in the USA and Turkey between the years 2018-2022 in terms of various categories. For this purpose, 113 doctoral theses accessed through ProQuest database and 121 doctoral dissertations accessed from YÖK Thesis Center database were analyzed by document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods. Theses examined in the study were analyzed in terms of 7 different categories such as the year, the university, research approach, research design, study group/sample, data collection tools and the subject. According to the findings obtained from the research, in both countries between 2018-2022, at least the thesis in the field of social studies education was prepared in 2020, while the year 2021 was the year in which the most theses were prepared in this sense. While “University of South Carolina” is the university where the most theses are produced in the USA, “Gazi University” comes first in Turkey. While more qualitative research approach, research designs and data collection tools were preferred in the USA, mixed research approach was mostly preferred in studies in Turkey. While researchers in the USA mostly work with teachers, the most studied sample/study group in Turkey is students. While doctoral theses in the field of social studies education in the USA were mostly prepared on teaching methods, due diligence, teacher self-efficacy, education policies and curriculum, theses in Turkey were generally prepared on teaching methods, value and skill acquisition. The results of the research show that the studies in the field of social studies education in Turkey tend to repeat, especially in terms of subject. In this sense, it is thought that this study can be a guide for researchers in Turkey to produce different and original researches.

Education Challenges Among Early Career Researchers in Medical Informatics.

There is limited knowledge about early career researchers' challenges when studying the interdisciplinary field of Medical Informatics (MI). We conducted a qualitative content analysis through semi-structured interviews with early career researchers in MI, including individuals pursuing Master's, PhD, and postdoctoral research programmes, across two higher education institutions in the UK. We identified five challenges, including understanding biological jargon, interpreting biological data, interdisciplinary communication, understanding mathematical/statistical concepts, and programming difficulties. These insights and suggested actions to address those challenges can help to improve MI education.

System networks as a resource in L2 writing education

Abstract This paper argues for the value of system networks as a diagnostic tool in L2 writing education. We report on an investigation of Chinese students learning to write in English over a period of a year in Year 9 of high school, characterizing their choices in the system of modality in different writing tasks over that period, and we also report on an extension of this investigation based on two additional sampling points, Year 12 of high school and Year 3 of university. Our findings indicate that even when we sample L2 texts from three different periods in education, the expansion in the use of the meaning potential embodied in the system of modality is quite limited – as long as we focus on texts from one register. We have also seen from Xuan’s (2015. A longitudinal study of Chinese high school students learning English based on systemic functional text analysis. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University PhD thesis) study of Year 9 writing tasks from a few different registers that there was no clear sense of progression throughout the year. The results show that careful selection and ordering of texts from registers that afford learners with complementary opportunities over time to engage with and master different parts of the resources of the system of modality can be recommended in L2 writing education.

Innovative Exercise for Nursing PhD Students: Addressing Biases During Integrative Literature Reviews.

Nursing PhD students face the difficulty of conducting integrative literature reviews that may lead to bias and lack of rigor particularly in the literature search, data evaluation, and data analysis stages. This article describes the development and use of an arts-based learning exercise to identify potential biases and improve on the critical and writing skills of students during the integrative literature review process. The exercise consisted of visits to the university's museum, moderated discussions with nursing faculty and the museum educator, visual analyses of artwork, building art portfolios, and writing assignments. The exercise was modified over 3 years based on student feedback. Students reported the exercise helped in critical and writing skills, in identifying areas of potential bias, and in enhancing the methodological rigor of the review process. Conducting literature reviews is integral in doctoral nursing education and this innovative exercise can facilitate this process. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(X):XXX-XXX.].

Kenneth Walters. 14 September 1934 — 28 March 2022

Kenneth (Ken) Walters was a leading international figure in the field of rheology. He applied his mathematical training to the analysis of many common test procedures, and contributed to the formulation of nonlinear constitutive equations for viscoelastic fluids. He also pioneered computational studies in rheology, and engaged in fruitful collaborations with industry—notably the oil and china clay industries. He was born in Swansea, South Wales, and he remained a devoted Welshman throughout his life. He studied under James Oldroyd at Swansea and was awarded the PhD degree in 1959. In 1960, after a stint in the USA, he was appointed as a lecturer at Aberystwyth, and he remained there until his death in 2022. He built a very strong research team at Aberystwyth, which became a dominant factor in the rheological scene in the United Kingdom. He was a keen promoter of rheology and assisted in the organization of many conferences and meetings. He was the founding editor of the Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics , and authored or co-authored four well-known books on rheology plus several tracts of a religious nature—Ken was always a devoted Christian. He was also a very able sportsman, especially at cricket and golf. He is survived by his wife Mary, three children and seven grandchildren.

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.

An Analysis of PHD and Master's Thesis on Marketing Communication Conducted Between 1999-2023 in Communication Research

Marketing communication is a process that covers both consumer behavior and businesses' development of new marketing strategies. For this reason, marketing communication is a comprehensive subject area that has gained a significant place in academic studies, especially in the last 20 years, and on which scientific research has been conducted. Both the growing capacities and production volumes of businesses and the changing consumer make it necessary to carry out marketing studies. In this context, the aim of this study is to conduct detailed research on the theses completed in the national literature in the field of marketing communication. In this context, as a result of the detailed examination conducted through the National Thesis Center (YOKTEZ), 64 master's and 17 doctoral theses completed on marketing communication between 1999 and 2023 were identified. 8 of these theses could not be accessed (since they were not accessible via YOKTEZ), and 81 of them were evaluated using the content analysis method. In the study, data provided from documents; It is discussed under seven subheadings: type of thesis, gender, university, department, method, data collection and analysis technique and year category. As a result of the analysis, information was obtained about the nature, trends and prominent elements of academic postgraduate theses in the field of marketing communication. In particular, it is noteworthy that female researchers have a higher rate of writing master's theses on marketing communications and that the highest number of theses are in the field of Public Relations and Promotion. These findings show how important factors such as gender and field of expertise in the field of marketing communications are reflected in research.

НАУЧНАЯ ШКОЛА «УГОЛОВНО-ПРОЦЕССУАЛЬНЫЕ, КРИМИНАЛИСТИЧЕСКИЕ И ОПЕРАТИВНО-РОЗЫСКНЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЙ И ОРГАНОВ УГОЛОВНО-ИСПОЛНИТЕЛЬНОЙ СИСТЕМЫ»

The article examines the history of the formation and development of criminal procedure, criminalistic and operational investigative science at the Academy of the FPS of Russia. The functioning of a scientific school is of great importance for improving the effectiveness of the educational process, scientific potential and the status of an educational institution. Consolidation of scientists to jointly solve urgent problems of the penal system, contributes to increasing the scientific activity of the teaching staff, adjuncts, cadets, and ensures the objectivity of the results obtained in the course of research. Thanks to the consistent scientific activity of the departments of criminal procedure and criminalistics and operational investigative activities, a scientific school was established. The authors come to the conclusion about the relevance of the research conducted under the direct supervision of the founders of the scientific school. Their students, who have successfully defended their PhD and doctoral dissertations, continue their active scientific activities, developing the advanced ideas of their mentors.

Applying Behaviour Change Theory to Understand PhD Supervisors' Barriers and Enablers to Supporting PhD Students with Academic and Other-Sector Careers

Most PhD graduates work in sectors beyond academia. However, only 15% of PhD students report discussing other-sector careers with supervisors. The extent to which supervisors feel capable, motivated and have the opportunity to provide support for academic versus other-sector careers is unknown. This project applied behaviour change theory (COM-B; Michie, van Stralen & West, 2011) to assess and compare PhD supervisors’ capability, opportunity and motivation to provide careers support to PhD students for academic versus other-sector careers. An online survey of 39 science-based PhD supervisors at a UK-based University assessed capability, opportunity and motivation to discuss and signpost students to University careers services for academic and other-sector careers (pre-registered: LINK [https://osf.io/hgwdq/]-ANONYMISED). Open-ended questions assessed barriers/enablers to providing support for other-sector careers. However, most reported no training on careers, were unaware of specific University careers resources, and less than one third thought there were sufficient reminders to discuss careers. Supervisors reported significantly greater confidence (_p_<.001), ease (_p_=.002) and enthusiasm (p=.03) to discuss academic careers compared to other-sector careers. Open-ended responses indicated that generally supervisors were motivated to support the career development of students for academic and other-sector careers, and that a quick supervisor guide would be useful. It is recommended that strategies which target supervisors’ capability (training, guide) and opportunity (e.g. reminders) to provide careers support to PhD students are adopted, to ensure students are sufficiently supported for careers within and beyond academia.

New way to shaping India's academic environment: An assessment of the mechanism of integration of education 4.0 to industry‐centric learning

AbstractThe world around us is evolving due to Industrial Revolution 4.0. This revolution is driving the present‐day education, that is, Education 3.0–creative education towards Education 4.0, that is, industry‐centric education. The present academic environment in India is in the process of developing an educational ecosystem, which will incorporate equal access to education for all stakeholders and promote critical thinking, digital literacy, global awareness and scientific reasoning to name a few. Accordingly, it has become prudent to develop and validate a mechanism for assessing the various steps being taken to realign students to Education 4.0. This study involved 300 undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students from eight different schools across diverse program and course outcomes, who were asked to respond to a questionnaire on their own accord. The Pearson product‐moment correlation test was used to statistically analyse the obtained responses. The test results showed that the questions were logical and valid, with a significance level of 0.0115. Furthermore, the reliability of the mechanism was also assessed using Cronbach's α score. This study indicated that three aspects—learning preferences, contribution of learning to knowledge, skills, and personal development, and time spent on learning and nonacademic activities—exhibited high reliability However, two aspects—the emphasis on mental functions and reading and writing—indicated to be of moderate reliability. Thus, it could be said that the questionnaire developed in this study was both reliable and valid for assessing the mechanism being undertaken to realign students to Education 4.0.

Campus climate assessment and action: disaggregating the social work experience in Canada

ABSTRACT Climate surveys hold the potential to advance equity in organizations, serving to generate quantitative data on the depth and breadth of climate-related issues, with its forte being those related to belonging, inclusion, and relationships. When administered in a university, it holds the potential to signal the need for improvements, as climate has been associated with engagement, motivation, wellbeing, and retention. The Faculty of Social Work, where an MSW and PhD program are located (Kitchener, Canada), conducted a climate survey in 2020. This article reports on the survey’s content, key findings, action outcomes, and provides recommendations for others considering such an initiative. The survey was a wake-up call for the department, with five concrete outcomes including establishing student caucus groups, a faculty capacity-development initiative to improve teaching, trainings to address microaggressions, improved integration of EDI into hirings, and campaigns to collect identity-based data for faculty and students. We also share two pending initiatives and two derailed initiatives. Recommendations emphasize the importance of disaggregating results to ensure that disparities are identified in the organization.

From academia to addiction: understanding the mechanism behind how academic stress fuels social media addiction in PhD students

From academia to addiction: understanding the mechanism behind how academic stress fuels social media addiction in PhD students

First person – Jacob Odell

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Journal of Cell Science, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Jacob Odell is first author on ‘ N-terminal tags impair the ability of lamin A to provide structural support to the nucleus’, published in JCS. Jacob is a PhD student in the lab of Jan Lammerding at Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA, investigating how cells sense, resist and respond to mechanical forces, with a focus on nuclear lamin proteins.

ECR Spotlight – Soren Coulson

ECR Spotlight is a series of interviews with early-career authors from a selection of papers published in Journal of Experimental Biology and aims to promote not only the diversity of early-career researchers (ECRs) working in experimental biology but also the huge variety of animals and physiological systems that are essential for the ‘comparative’ approach. Soren Coulson is an author on ‘ Regulation of muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and fuel use during exercise in high-altitude deer mice’, published in JEB. Soren conducted the research described in this article while an MSc student in Grant McClelland's lab at McMaster University. He is now a PhD student in the lab of James Staples and Christopher Guglielmo at Western University, London, Ontario, investigating comparative exercise energetics.

UKRAINIAN PHD STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARD AI LANGUAGE PROCESSING TOOLS IN THE CONTEXT OF ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES

Mastering academic writing skills in English is essential for future researchers. At present, AI language processing tools provide high-quality, accessible, and fast assistance for translation, editing, and stylistic enhancement of scientific texts. However, their use within English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses generates mixed reactions among educators and raises ethical concerns. Our study aimed to explore the predominant perceptions of AI language processing tools by PhD students of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) from the viewpoint of their integration into the academic English course taught in the first year of their PhD studies. The study involved 52 PhD students from various NASU institutes. They completed a survey with both closed-ended and open-ended questions regarding their previous and expected use of online translators, writing enhancement tools, and ChatGPT for research writing purposes. The results of the survey show that NASU PhD students have extensive experience with online translators, but are less familiar with writing enhancement tools and less certain about their potential use in the future. Almost a third of the respondents expressed reservations about using ChatGPT for academic writing due to academic integrity concerns. Most of the respondents (66%) agree that the basics of ethical use of AI writing and editing tools should be incorporated into EAP courses. One subgroup of the participants (n = 11) took part in a small-scale additional intervention focused on writing enhancement tools. They were asked to apply Grammarly, QuillBot, and ChatGPT to edit their course projects (presentations of the current state of their dissertation research) and compare these tools according to various criteria. The feedback provided by this subgroup indicates that they were most satisfied with the quality of editing provided by ChatGPT but found Grammarly and QuillBot easier to use and more suitable for superficial grammar checks. We found out that the AI tools helped participants achieve improvements primarily in such aspects as the use of articles, punctuation, use of prepositions, and elimination of redundancy. The study has significant pedagogical implications, promoting the wider use of AI tools in the context of teaching English for Academic Purposes and addressing appropriate teaching techniques and methods.

The online PhD dropout: narratives and meanings of withdrawal

Online doctoral dropout is a persistent yet largely overlooked issue by institutions and researchers. This qualitative study investigated thecandidates’ circumstances leading to withdrawal, its emotional repercussions, and subsequent academic trajectories. We conducted in-depth interviews with ten former part-time online PhD students and employed thematic analysis to identify dominant narratives of withdrawal. Findings showed three narratives: reluctance, grief, and relief. Reluctant dropouts perceived themselves as “being dropped out" and were more inclined to complete their doctorates in the future due to sustained motivation. Grieving dropouts experienced frustration and guilt, still processing a painful experience. Relieved dropouts viewed leaving the PhD as the right decision considering their circumstances and were ready to move forward in their lives. We argue that online doctoral dropout is polysemic and should not be automatically equated to the final chapter of the doctoral trajectory. Recommendations for institutions include implementing exit interviews, follow-up procedures, and re-engagement paths.