Welcome to my PhD blog
Worried you're doing your PhD all wrong and someone's about to find out? You're in the right place. 😂
In this blog, I cover all the stuff you might need help with. Like writing your literature review, doing your qualitative data analysis, developing your discussion chapter, and trying not to go completely bonkerpants in the process.
I'll help you work out HOW to do all those things everyone keeps telling you to do.
Expect practical PhD advice, based on the unspoken truth that nobody's PhD is nearly as neat as their finished thesis makes it look.
Have a nosey at the latest posts below, or browse by topic to find what you need.
Qualitative Methods | Literature Review | Methodology | Planning and Organisation | Writing Up | Supervision | PhD Mindset | Paradigms, Conceptual and Theoretical Frameworks
Types of Literature Review, Explained: Which one do you need for your PhD?
Okay. So you've been told you need to write a literature review for your PhD. Fair enough. You knew that was coming. Then you start looking into HOW to write one, and all of these WORDS start emerging from the mist. Thematic. Systematic. Scoping. Narrative. Critical. Conceptual.
WHAT?! You thought there was just one type of literature review.
Your PhD literature review no longer fits your findings? That’s normal
The PhD you finish is not the PhD you start. Along the way, this happens:
PhD: (Grabs you by the elbow) "THIS way! Over here!"
You: "Mmmm, but I read all that stuff and wrote thousands of words on the other thing, can't we just stay here?"
The real reason you can’t write your literature review
In those blissfully naive early days of your early PhD journey, the literature review seemed like a fairly innocuous part of the doctoral process. Perhaps it was even one you were looking forward to…
Your literature review isn't Pokémon
Is your literature review starting to make you feel a bit… anxious?
You might be worrying that there are papers (or books) out there that are absolutely central to your research and you haven’t found them yet. Indeed, one thing that plagues your dreams is the scene from your viva when your examiner says…
The problem with your literature review “To Read” folder
Yes, the “graveyard of PDFs”. Where’s yours? Is it on your desktop so it makes you feel guilty every time you sit in front of your computer? Is it tucked away in a “to read” folder somewhere so you don’t have to feel bad about it too often?
Why reading more won’t fix your PhD literature review
As a PhD researcher, you do a lot of reading. It comes with the territory, obviously. There are things about academic literature that you didn’t quite understand until you started studying for a PhD…
Why does my literature review feel disjointed after I’ve analysed my qualitative data?
If your literature review feels disjointed after analysing your qualitative data, the issue isn’t that you need to read more - it’s that your structure no longer reflects your thinking.
When to stop reading for your thematic literature review (and start writing)
If you’re writing a thematic or narrative literature review, endless reading can feel productive - but it often delays real progress. This post explains how to recognise when you’ve read enough and how to shift into structured, critical synthesis.
How to structure your thematic PhD literature review in three clear steps
If your PhD literature review feels overwhelming, it’s usually not a motivation problem - it’s a structure problem. This post explains how to organise a thematic or narrative literature review in three clear steps that move you from summary to synthesis.
How to write and structure a thematic literature review for your qualitative PhD research
Struggling with a messy literature review? Learn how to structure a qualitative literature review using thematic and narrative approaches.
Research gaps in qualitative research: why it’s not really about “finding a gap”
Is your PhD supposed to “find a research gap”? In qualitative research the answer is more complicated. Learn how qualitative studies contribute to academic conversations.
How to write an annotated bibliography for a PhD (and turn it into a literature review)
Learn how an annotated bibliography can help qualitative PhD researchers organise sources and transition into writing a thematic or narrative literature review.
Thematic Literature Review: How to decide what not to include - a guide for qualitative researchers
A thematic literature review isn’t about including everything - it’s about including what matters. This blogpost helps you decide what to leave out without second-guessing yourself.
How to be more critical in a thematic literature review - a guide for qualitative researchers
Being “more critical” isn’t about tearing studies apart. This guide shows qualitative PhD researchers how to move from summary to meaningful analysis in a thematic literature review.
What to do when there is little or no literature on your qualitative research topic (thematic literature review guide)
Can’t find literature for your qualitative research topic? This post shows you how to work with limited or scattered sources and begin building a thematic literature review that actually holds together. For PhD researchers who want more than quick fixes.
Why is a literature review so important in academic research?
Why do a literature review? I know, sounds like a stupid question, but it’s an important one!
Thematic Literature Review - How to write one without getting into a mess
How do you write a thematic literature review that actually holds together? This guide shows you how to move from scattered reading to a structured, coherent set of themes. Ideal for qualitative PhD researchers working through the messy middle of their literature review.
Thematic Literature Reviews - How to develop an initial set of themes
Not sure where to start with your thematic literature review? An initial set of themes is a good place to begin.
Thematic literature reviews and chronological literature reviews. What’s the difference? Which one should you choose for your PhD literature review?
Thematic or chronological? Are you considering one of these structures for your literature review? Understand the difference between them and which works best for your study.
First draft of a thematic literature review - how to get started and develop initial themes
One of the things that catches a lot of qualitative PhD researchers off guard is how much a literature review stutters and splutters in the beginning. It’s like trying to start an old car on a cold morning…