Pursuing honours & dedications - a new research journey

At the start of this year I joined Middlesex University Dubai 's PhD support group which has met regularly since January providing opportunity to discuss progress, share concerns and offer general emotional support.

I had two directions for a possible PhD in January. One was to build upon my dissertation for the master's programme in Higher Education, which I published a summary of in the HR Observer over the summer. The second was a project involving TikTok storytelling conventions.

Both projects remain valid for further investigation, but since the early summer I have become captivated by the conundrum presented by industry organised student awards. And therefore having devoted nearly 10 months to the study of this topic, and seeing a very strong connection to the requirements for promotion to rank of associate professor...

Associate Professor/Professor by Engagement

• Demonstrate an emerging leadership profile in engagement, actively working with stakeholders to seek solutions to complex problems, and positively impacting communities.
• Show a clear and established leadership profile in engagement, forging partnerships with stakeholders and creating demonstrable solutions to complex problems, both internally and externally.
• Prove impact on the reputation of the university and engagement with key stakeholders in promoting the university's local, national, and international agendas.

... have decided the next chapter of my research blogs will be on the steps required to achieve the ultimate terminal qualification, the doctorate.

I'm not going to dwell (at this stage) on the type of PhD that I will eventually take. There are a variety of options, but the traditional path appears the best and I may explore this in more detail at a later stage. But for today, I'm digging for pearls of wisdom from Richard Shambare's guide for "Presenting a PhD research proposal" (2019).

I love it when a plan comes together

The first insight I gain from Shambare's guide (2019) is that a PhD research proposal is another word for a plan. We do planning during the dissertation phases of the postgraduate degrees I've taken, and the ethics process itself makes you think ahead at all possible steps and is in part, aimed at helping you avoid making costly mistakes.

So this is very helpful, and the author also shares his recommendation for the components of the plan (see below). Now these don't look that scary, and the author explains that the quality of a PhD research proposal is the detail that goes into it.

1. The discipline of research.
2. A [discipline] problem. This is essentially a description of the status quo and the challenges (or less than optimal performance) currently being experienced.
3. The research problem, research question(s) aims and objectives of the study.
4. Methodological processes including the research paradigm, design and methodology.
5. Research methods to be followed including data gathering and analysis.
6. Resources (time and money) needed to conduct the study.

So far, so good - I can answer most of the above right now...

The PhD Speak Easy

... except that Shambare cautions that there is also a trick challenge to overcome. This is in the shape of a very simple thought, phrase or concept that must be visible immediately to the supervisor and demonstrates that the applicant has mastered the complexity of the discipline to be examined to be able to make a meaningful contribution to its library of literature.

Within his paper (Shambare, 2019) he refers to the password for a business PhD. This is simply that the role of business is to make money, and that to do this businesses are interested in one of two objectives - increasing revenues or reducing costs. This very simple "show me the money" principle (p. 109) may be considered intrinsic, but it's so vital to include and to present at the beginning else all that follows may be considered moot.

For my own proposal which straddles the disciplines of media and education, I must first choose one and then find the correct words to express the core principle of that field. For example in terms of education, it may be that I would need to introduce my research proposal on the basis of an acknowledged educational philosophy and/or teaching strategy.

The beauty of a proposal is in the eye of the supervisor

As well as demonstrating my ability to conduct independent research, which is evidenced by the weight of my portfolio over the past four years, I also need to demonstrate how this work would add new insights to the body of knowledge (Shambare, 2019 p110). Shambare also then provides a 15-point structure for the proposal document and a six scales by which to evaluate the final product.

Several of the checklist items should be relatively easy to complete - there is a clear focus, and the topic is both worthy of study and has a wide range of directions for research to flow. It's also feasible considering my social network, and by following this structure my work will be technically strong, and demonstrate credibility.

The problem I face and I fear is the need to demonstrate "adequate understanding of the debates in the literature". I say fear, just because I've seen the mountain of reading that colleagues and friends have undertaken for their own theses, and although I believe I have a rather robust reading strategy, this is clearly one area where the PhD differentiates itself from lesser works. I say this is a problem or challenge due to my earlier attempts to discover literature on these issues.

Funneling through literature

Fortunately Shambare (2019 p. 114) provides a useful tool to guide through this literature process. He highlights Perry's (2002) four dimensions of literature that should be considered and presents their import in the shape of a funnel. This addresses:

• "Discipline: the intellectual boundary of a study, e.g. education. From this, the common paradigm of investigation in the discipline can be addressed.
• "Parent theories: these outline the theories and frameworks that define a specific research topic.
• "Contextual settings: this an outline of the phenomena under study within a specific geographical area. It may also refer to a company or industry.
• "The research gap: this section details how the research gap was identified and how it culminates into a research problem. Furthermore, the specific problem statement and research questions, as well as hypotheses are formulated with the aid of a conceptual framework."

In conclusion and to avoid copying the entire article, this is essential reading for anyone preparing a PhD proposal. It's so helpful and my next step is to take this structure and create a Word document ready for populating!

References

King, S. (2023) Essential Strategies For Securing Transformational Initiatives In Growing Organisations. The HR Observer, 30 August. Available at: https://www.thehrobserver.com/indepth/essential-strategies-for-securing-transformational-initiatives-in-growing-organisations/

Shambare, R. (2019) Presenting a PhD research proposal: A guide for commerce students, African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 13:1, 109-123, DOI: 10.1080/20421338.2019.1638586