Doctoral enterprise: a holistic conception of evolving practices and arrangements

Abstract

This article argues that a broader and more holistic conception of doctoral education is required to accommodate the changing nature of the doctoral interface – the points where education, training, research, work and career development intersect. The article begins by examining three different conceptions from the literature that have been used to represent postgraduate research training. It then draws on a research study conducted recently in Australia, from which an integrative model of ‘doctoral enterprise’ has been derived. Underpinned by theories of practice, the model highlights the mutually constituted and continuously evolving nature of doctoral practices and arrangements. The article concludes with a discussion of the model and the implications arising for curriculum and pedagogy.

Keywords:

• doctoral enterprise
• doctoral education
• doctoral practices
• doctoral arrangements
• practice theory

Acknowledgments

This research has been funded through the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Grant program. In developing this article I would like to acknowledge the generous support and encouragement of the project team, namely, Margot Pearson, Terry Evans, Peter Macauley and Kevin Ryland, as well as many other individuals who have commented on initial drafts. In addition, I would like to thank all the candidates and significant individuals who fulfilled the role of informants in the study. While project team members, staff colleagues and external reviewers have offered comments on earlier versions of this article, I am responsible for the final contents published in this journal.