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
Writing Your PhD Methodology Chapter? 7 things to understand about qualitative research methodology
If you’re preparing to write your PhD methodology chapter and feeling uncertain about research design, paradigms, or how to justify your approach, this article walks you through seven foundational principles that clarify what methodology is really doing.
Conceptual frameworks in qualitative research
Confused about conceptual frameworks in qualitative research? Learn what they are, why they matter for PhDs, and how to build one clearly and confidently.
Postmodernism for beginners - a simple explanation
What is postmodernism? A clear, jargon-free explanation of postmodern theory for PhD students, with practical examples for qualitative research.
Ontology, epistemology, and paradigms - What are they, and how much should you write about them in your PhD thesis?
A clear, practical explanation of ontology, epistemology and paradigms for PhD students, plus exactly where they belong in your thesis and how much you actually need to write.
Constructivist Grounded Theory - A simple introduction to Kathy Charmaz’s approach
Confused by constructivist grounded theory? This beginner-friendly guide explains Kathy Charmaz’s approach to qualitative research in simple terms - from coding to theory development.
Writing about your research paradigm in a qualitative PhD - where it goes and what to say
Not sure where to write about your research paradigm in a qualitative PhD? This blogpost explains how paradigms shape your thesis and how to integrate them clearly across chapters without repetition.
Paradigms in social science, a beginner’s guide to positivism, interpretivism and critical realism
If you are trying to understand paradigms in social science research, there is a good chance you have already disappeared down an internet rabbit hole involving words like ontology, epistemology, positivism, interpretivism, and critical realism… and emerged slightly dazed wondering whether everyone else somehow already understands this.
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.