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
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…
How do you know if your qualitative analysis is good enough? Quality criteria to judge analytical work
Maybe you’re questioning your analysis right now. “Is this good enough?”, “Are my themes strong enough?”. One of the most uncomfortable parts of qualitative analysis is that nobody can give you a neat, reassuring answer to your question: “Is this right?”
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”.
Your qualitative analysis “needs more depth”, but what does that mean?
Maybe you’re writing your qualitative findings chapter and getting feedback like: “Needs more depth.” One of the most frustrating parts of this stage of the PhD is that nobody ever really explains what those comments actually mean. You can end up staring at your work thinking, “I genuinely do not know what else I’m supposed to be seeing here.”
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.
Struggling to connect theory and data? A simpler way to approach your discussion chapter
Maybe you’re sitting down to write your discussion chapter and thinking, “I can’t see how this whole thing fits together.” You literature review might feel like it belongs to a completely different thesis entirely…
How many participants do I need for qualitative research? A better way to decide
How many participants do you need for qualitative research? Many PhD researchers search for a magic number. Here’s a more useful way to decide.
Why your PhD supervisor keeps changing their mind - and what it actually means in qualitative research
When your PhD supervisor keeps changing expectations, it can feel destabilising. When you’re a qualitative researcher, there’s something specific driving this that you need to know about.
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.
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.
How to write a thesis introduction chapter for your qualitative research PhD
If your thesis introduction chapter feels vague or unfocused, it’s often not a writing problem - it’s a structural issue. This blogpost shows how to clarify the structure and thinking behind it.
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.
What counts as contribution to knowledge in a qualitative PhD?
Many qualitative PhD researchers worry their work is not “original enough”. This article explains what doctoral contribution to knowledge actually means and how to articulate it clearly and confidently.
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.
Research ethics in qualitative research: beyond the approval form
Research ethics in qualitative PhD research is more than paperwork. This guide explores anonymity, confidentiality, consent, and defensible ethical judgement for serious researchers.
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.
Critical analysis in a qualitative PhD: how to develop doctoral-level critique across your thesis
Struggling with feedback that your PhD “needs to be more critical”? This guide explains what doctoral-level critical analysis actually means and how to apply it across your entire qualitative thesis.
How to write a qualitative PhD discussion chapter without repeating your literature review
Writing the qualitative PhD discussion chapter often feels harder than the literature review - especially when you’re told to “bring the literature back in” without repeating it. This post explains the key shift in thinking that makes discussion chapters work, and how to move from summary to analytical positioning.
Conceptual vs theoretical frameworks in a qualitative PhD: when you need each one (and where they belong)
Conceptual and theoretical frameworks are often treated as interchangeable in PhD advice - but they do different jobs. This guide explains the difference, when you need each one in a qualitative PhD, and how they show up across your thesis without creating unnecessary confusion.
Conceptual vs theoretical frameworks in a qualitative PhD: what’s the difference? And why students get stuck
Conceptual and theoretical frameworks are often treated as interchangeable in PhD advice - but they do very different jobs. This post explains the distinction, why qualitative PhD students get stuck, and how frameworks evolve as your thinking deepens.