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
Feeling overwhelmed by your PhD? Your problem might be smaller than it feels
One tiny PhD problem can turn into Godzilla remarkably quickly.
It starts innocently enough: “This section of my literature review isn't working.” Then you spend three hours moving the same paragraphs around until somehow - impressively - you've made it WORSE.
Fiddlesticks.
Why doing a PhD can knock your confidence (even if you’ve always been good at academia)
Something came up recently in my Momentum PhD community that highlighted one of the most frustrating things about PhD life. One of our members asked whether anyone else had ever felt a bit foolish for not realising quite how difficult doing a PhD would be…
The Hidden Curriculum of Qualitative PhD Research
I’m guessing you’re here because you’ve chosen to do a qualitative study for your PhD but things have started to feel a bit… slippery. You like how qualitative approaches value people’s lived experiences and you’re researching something you genuinely care about so that’s why you felt drawn to it. However, recently you seem to have unlocked a whole new level of confusing and it’s all gone a bit Alice in Wonderland.
Read someone else's PhD thesis and now feel awful about yours?
People told you it was a good idea to read other people’s published PhD theses, so you could see what doctoral research “looks like” when it’s written up. It sounded like a sensible idea at the time, didn’t it? Then you went and read a few PhD theses.
Why the PhD often gets harder after you become more knowledgeable
“I can feel there’s an argument in here somewhere. I just can’t get hold of it yet.” Said thousands of people across the globe trying to finish a qualitative doctoral thesis…
Why smart PhD researchers constantly feel like they’re doing it wrong
You might feel like you’re doing your PhD wrong. You’re probably not. What’s likely happening instead is this:
You’re looking at the things you’re doing - which feel like metaphorical academic faceplants - and interpreting them as evidence your research isn’t “good enough”.
Why the PhD is one of the first times many intelligent people cannot clearly tell how well they are doing
Why do so many intelligent PhD researchers constantly feel unsure whether they are “doing it right”? This article explores one of the hidden psychological challenges of doctoral research: learning to work within uncertainty when the usual markers of progress, feedback, and success become much less visible.
Why your qualitative PhD feels so uncertain - and why that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong
If your qualitative PhD has started to feel uncertain - like your themes might be wrong, your data isn’t enough (or somehow too much), and you’re not sure whether any of it is actually rigorous enough, this post unpacks why that feeling shows up, and what it really means.
Procrastination in your qualitative PhD isn’t the problem - it’s the solution
Procrastinating on your qualitative PhD? It may not be laziness. Discover why procrastination often acts as a protective response to deeper challenges in qualitative research and writing.
Feeling behind in your qualitative PhD? Why it happens and what to do about it
Almost every PhD researcher feels behind at some point. This post explores why that perception happens, how to redefine progress, and how to move forward with steadiness rather than self-doubt.
Feel like quitting your qualitative PhD? Read this before you decide
Almost every PhD researcher reaches a point where quitting feels tempting. Before you make any decisions, this post unpacks what that feeling really signals and how to respond constructively.
How to restart your qualitative PhD after a break (without spiralling)
Stepped away from your PhD and now unsure how to begin again? This post walks you through how to restart gently, rebuild clarity, and regain momentum after a break.
PhD guilt: Why you never feel like you’ve done enough (and how to stop the cycle)
Worked all day on your PhD and still feel like it wasn’t enough? This post unpacks why PhD guilt shows up so often and how to stop it running your life.
“Am I doing my PhD right?” What to do when your research feels all over the place
If your PhD feels messy, confusing, or “wrong,” you’re not alone. Here’s why that doubt shows up and how to stop it derailing your progress.
The myth of the perfect PhD morning routine (and how to create one that actually works)
If 5am PhD routines make you feel like a failure by breakfast, this post will help you design a morning that actually fits your life.
How to stop procrastinating over your PhD (without being too hard on yourself)
Procrastinating on your PhD? This blogpost explains why it happens - and how to restart gently, without guilt, burnout or impossible productivity rules.
Stuck in your qualitative PhD? Why progress often feels invisible (and what to do)
Feeling stuck in your qualitative PhD? Learn why progress in qualitative research often feels invisible and how to move forward.
PhD Burnout - How to prevent it when you’re balancing work and study, 3 more top tips
Doing the PhD juggle? Here are three strategies to try when you feel like you’re losing the battle balancing work and study!
PhD Work Life Balance | Three ways to stay sane when juggling study with part-time or full-time work!
PhD and a full-time or part-time job? Struggling with the juggling?! You’re not alone - but there are some tweaks and changes you can make to supercharge your productivity. Let me share three of them with you …
How to crush your PhD without being a perfectionist!
Ever spent hours fretting over a paragraph? Ever hesitated to send a draft to your supervisor because it’s “not ready yet” (even though it’s fine!)? Then you might be a little bit of a perfectionist!