Lone scholar or community member? The role of student networks in doctoral education in a UK management school

Abstract

Doctoral education in the UK embraces both independent self‐directed study and collective shared learning. The extent to which individual doctoral students remain isolated, or become integrated into a network of doctoral students, is a function of the attributes of the individual and the nature of the doctorate and its mode of delivery. Using the techniques of social network analysis, this cross‐sectional study investigated the extent of the connections between doctoral students, and the purposes these connections served amongst the doctoral community, comprising full‐time and part‐time PhD and Doctor of Business Administration students at Cranfield School of Management. The study shows that ties between students served multiple purposes. Generally students were connected to others studying in the same mode and who entered at the same time. Connectivity was unaffected by nationality or gender.

Acknowledgements

We thank Andrew Green for assistance with developing the online questionnaire and the doctoral students at Cranfield School of Management for their time and patience in completing the same. The encouraging comments of the referees were gratefully received.