Technicians and scholars in pursuit of the PhD: some reflections on doctoral study

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Abstract
Doctoral education has undergone wide-scale change during the past decade. Concerns about submission rates, debates about the role and amount of formal research training which should contribute to the doctoral process, together with the development of taught doctorates, have combined to challenge traditional notions of the doctorate as a scholarly knowledge based endeavour. This paper draws on ESRC funded research with PhD graduates who experienced doctoral study during this period of change and what some would see as confusion around the role and purpose of the UK doctorate. Based on detailed qualitative interviews, the paper raises important issues about the value and outcomes of doctoral study, about student self-perception and the capacity of the modern doctorate to yield both substantive knowledge and craft skills.