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
Featured Posts
Latest Posts
Why your aims, objectives, and research questions never seem to click in your qualitative PhD
Many PhD students feel like they are repeating themselves when writing research aims, objectives, and research questions. The real issue is usually structural, not stylistic. This article explains how these elements work together to create a coherent qualitative research design.
Writing a PhD research proposal? Use these three sentences to make it clear and persuasive
If your PhD proposal feels vague or overcomplicated, these three key sentences will instantly make it clearer, stronger, and easier to approve.
How to write a qualitative PhD introduction chapter (with examples)
Not sure what goes in a PhD introduction chapter? Here’s a clear six-part structure with examples to help you draft it with confidence.
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.
Qualitative Research Questions - How to develop clear, focused questions (with examples)
Struggling to write qualitative research questions that actually make sense? This guide shows you how to develop clear, focused questions with practical examples and templates.
How to narrow your qualitative PhD topic without getting stuck - a clear approach using the PIC strategy (people, issue / interest, context)
Narrowing your qualitative PhD topic isn’t about finding the “perfect” title. It’s about giving your thinking enough structure to move forward. This post shows you how to use PIC (People, Issue, Context) to develop a focused, workable topic without closing things down too early.
How to write aims and objectives for a qualitative PhD study
Aims and objectives aren’t just formalities. They reflect how clearly you understand your research. This guide shows qualitative PhD researchers how to develop them with precision and confidence.
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.