Improving the clarity of doctoral admissions webpage information: a UK institutional case study

ABSTRACT

This paper explores data from an institutional case study on doctoral admissions at one UK university. Using a multi-part design, this paper first shares the results of a desk review of institutional webpages, and then reports on empirical research with academic directors of postgraduate research (n = 12), doctoral programme officers (n = 8), doctoral supervisors (n = 19), and doctoral researchers (n = 15) on their perceptions of, and interactions with, doctoral admissions webpage information. The webpage review identified seven categories of information departmental doctoral admissions webpages typically convey. The study reveals that doctoral admissions webpages have complex functions and diverse intended audiences. We document the key activity of webpage work and how this is divided. We also highlight potential information gaps for certain audiences. Our paper aims to contribute insights to create more transparent and accessible doctoral admissions information for all potential applicants. We conclude by sharing recommendations to enhance the quality of such information.

KEYWORDS:

• Admissions
• doctoral education
• doctoral supervision
• webpage information

Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciate the collaboration of other members of the research team including Ahmad Akkad, Emily F. Henderson, and Julie Mansuy, who contributed to our wider project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The pages reviewed are departmental guidelines for doctoral admissions, not individual supervisor pages.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by University of Warwick Enhancing Research Culture funding.

Notes on contributors

Dangeni

Dr Dangeni is a Professional Development Adviser in the Learning and Teaching Development Service at Newcastle University. Her research and teaching focus broadly on the teaching and learning provision in the wider context of the internationalisation of higher education. She is particularly interested in research and practices around international students’ access, engagement and success in postgraduate taught (PGT) and postgraduate research (PGR) settings.

James Burford

Dr James Burford  is Associate Professor in Global Education and International Development at the Department of Education Studies, and Deputy Director of Doctoral Education and Academia Research Centre (DEAR), University of Warwick. His current projects focus on doctoral admissions, reasonable adjustments and mitigating circumstances in doctoral education and distance doctoral education in the wake of COVID-19.

Sophia Kier-Byfield

Dr Sophia Kier-Byfield  is a postdoctoral researcher based within the George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling, University of South Wales. Previously, she was Research Fellow at the Department of Education Studies, University of Warwick. Sophia’s research interests include inequalities in higher education, feminist pedagogies, and the power of storytelling for marginalised communities.