So what is a PhD even though this is a pretty basic question a lot of students in academics don’t have a clear answer and that matters because the way you think of a PhD and what a PhD means and what it’s for affects the way you approach it.
Common definitions of PHD
Often hear things like it’s an original contribution to the body of knowledge now this has some truth to it but I think there’s more to it than simply being original and I think there’s also a problem with this definition in that it focuses only on the output without really telling you anything about the process.
Another definition I’ll hear is that a PhD is about becoming an independent researcher I really dislike this because I don’t think there’s any such thing as an independent researcher yes of course you need to be able to make your own decisions and conduct your own research but you need other people and thinking of it as becoming independent often leads people to try and do everything themselves Most professional academics collaborate with and consult with others and you shouldn’t have to figure it all out on your own.
Another definition I’ve heard is that some people say a PhD means you’re the world’s leading expert in your subject and if that’s the case then I’ll give mine back because I certainly wasn’t the world’s leading expert in my own research area.
often I’ll also hear metaphorical definitions like it’s a driving license for research or a PhD as a journey or a PhD is a marathon not a Sprint but these really don’t tell you very much so we need a definition that gives us some insight into the process and what’s required while also differentiating it.
A PhD as the pinnacle of the education system
A PhD is the pinnacle of the education system from other types of qualifications now at a basic level we can see a PhD as the highest level academic qualification you can get and some people see it this way when I ask them why they decided to do a PhD they’ll say that it’s because the wanted a way of completing their education so see a PhD as the absolute pinnacle but if we run with this idea if we view the education system as like a pyramid with a PhD.
At the top and primary or Elementary School at the bottom once we get past the levels of compulsory education then as you go from one level to the next some people leave and those who choose to and who have the grades to qualify to move up to the higher levels so what you end up with is only the people who’ve done very well at all the other levels of the education system who then go on to do PHDs.
The differences between a PhD and other qualifications
well there’s a problem with thinking of a PhD this way and the problem is that throughout the education system throughout those earlier levels, there’s a certain consistency to the way things are done you have a set syllabus and there’s a set timetable so everyone on the same course does the same thing at the same time and then everybody does the same exams at the end but in a PhD, there is no set syllabus and no set timetable you have to develop and manage.
you have our unique project and at the end, there is no standard exam you have a defense That’s Unique based on your work there are other differences too in an undergraduate degree for example;
you’re generally dealing with well-established knowledge and you’re given information in a carefully designed order to help you learn but in a PhD, you’re working at the blurry edge of knowledge where you have to dive into the Tangled mess of academic literature which isn’t written or structured to help you learn because it’s written for an expert audience and to make it even more difficult much of that material will be contradictory So in so many ways the conditions and the requirements of a PhD are not only different to those in the previous levels of the education system they are the exact opposite so even if you did exceptionally well throughout your education up to this.