Welcome to the Degree Doctor blog - practical, honest support for qualitative PhD students.
If you’ve ever stared at your draft thinking “Is this critical enough?”
If you’ve read ten more articles but still don’t feel ready to write.
If you’re making progress… but somehow still feel behind.
You’re not doing anything “wrong”. You’re navigating the normal (and rarely explained) realities of doctoral research.
This blog is where we unpack the actual sticking points of a qualitative PhD - literature reviews that feel endless, discussion chapters that won’t click, methodology confusion, supervisor stress, guilt, burnout, imposter syndrome - and turn them into clear, manageable next steps.
You’ll find thoughtful guidance on:
Writing and structuring your thesis with confidence
Strengthening critical analysis and contribution
Clarifying conceptual and theoretical foundations
Conducting rigorous qualitative research
Managing the psychological weight of a doctorate
You can explore by category below, or scroll to the latest posts.
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s clarity, confidence, and steady progress.
Let’s make your PhD feel intellectually solid, and psychologically sustainable.
The 3 Habits of Successful PhD Students: Game changing hacks for all doctoral candidates
These three habits will get you back on track with your PhD, and they’re not what you might expect!
PhD Procrastination: If you’re putting off dissertation tasks, here’s why! It’s not just about motivation!
Procrastination isn’t just about motivation - it goes much deeper than that!
ChatGPT for PhD Literature Review Writer’s Block: Use AI without compromising your ethics and integrity!
So, you can type a prompt into ChatGPT to help with your PhD literature review, and that’s perfectly okay?! Keep reading …
What’s the difference between qualitative and quantitative research interviews?
How are qualitative interviews different from quantitative interviews? Keep reading to find out!
How to Write Thesis Aims and Objectives - a guide for PhD students
PhD students, check your aims and objectives follow these rules!
How to do Ethnography: Top tips for graduate school PhD students
Considering ethnography? Read my top tips on how to do it properly and ethically!
The basics of qualitative research - a guide for PhD researchers
Subjectivity, validity and reliability - what do they mean for qualitative research? Keep reading, and I’ll explain …
How to do a PhD literature review properly? Be intentional and critical! Steal my strategy and templates!
Up-level your literature review with my 5 top tips!
How to plan your academic year as a PhD student - don’t plan anything until you’ve done THIS!
There’s one thing most people forget to do when planning their year, keep reading to find out what it is!
Chat GPT for PhD Dissertation Students - Enhance your literature review whilst retaining research integrity and ethics
Can you use ChatGPT ethically in your PhD literature review? YES! You absolutely can!
Ontology and Epistemology: The foundations of academic research explained
Struggling to get your head around ontology and epistemology? Don’t worry, this blogpost will help you understand them!
Getting Ethical Approval for your PhD Research Project: Three key questions to ask
Is the ethical approval process boggling your mind? Don’t worry, I have three simple questions you can ask yourself to check you’re being ethically excellent in your approach!
Reflective and Reflexive Thinking in PhD Research
Reflective and reflexive. Are they they same thing? How can you use them in your PhD research? Read on to find out!
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!
Crafting a Focused PhD or Masters Degree Literature Review: How many headings?
How many headings should you have in your literature review? Keep reading to find out!
Tackling Imposter Syndrome as a PhD Student: How to silence your inner critic as a grad school doctoral student
If you’re struggling with Imposter Syndrome, you need to read this!
How to Write Your Qualitative PhD Discussion Chapter: A step-by-step structure
Writing a qualitative PhD discussion chapter can feel exposing and blurry. This step-by-step guide shows what to include, how to structure headings, and how to connect findings to literature and theory without repeating yourself.
Unraveling Critical Analysis: A guide for PhD students
Been told you need to “be more critical” but not sure where to begin? In this blog, I’ll share my 4-step framework!
Decoding the 'Why' in PhD Research Methodology: Turning decisions into a coherent story
You’ve probably explained what you did, and how you did it, but have you explained why in your research methods chapter?
Conquering Procrastination: The PhD Student's Guide to Productivity and Success
Procrastinating? Putting it off? Kicking it into the long grass? Whatever you want to call it, not tackling important PhD tasks is a bad idea - so here’s how to smash through your procrastination!