'Tough love and tears': learning doctoral writing in the sciences

• Published in: Higher education research and development Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 435 - 447
• Main Authors: Aitchison, Claire, Catterall, Janice, Ross, Pauline, Burgin, Shelley
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 01.08.2012
• Subjects: Academic Discourse; College Faculty; Doctoral pedagogies; Doctoral Programs; Doctoral supervision; doctoral writing; Educational Assessment; Emotional experience; Emotional Response; Focus Groups; Foreign Countries; Graduate students; Graduates; Higher education; Identity formation; Information Dissemination; Professional Identity; Role; Science; scientific writing; Student Attitudes; Supervisors; Supervisory methods; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Role; Technical writing; Tertiary education; Writing; Writing (Composition); Writing for Publication; Writing teaching
• ISSN: 0729-4360; 1469-8366
• DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2011.559195

Contemporary changes to the doctorate mean student researchers are likely to be expected to write differently, write more and more often, and yet, despite a growing interest in doctoral education, we still know relatively little about the teaching and learning practices of students and supervisors vis-a-vis doctoral writing. This paper draws from a research study into the writing experiences of higher degree students and their supervisors in one science, health and technology-based university Faculty. The study used surveys, interviews and focus groups to collect information from students and supervisors about their experiences of doctoral writing and their perceptions about its development. By attending to the writing-related pedagogical practices of supervisors, this article explores how doctoral writing can be the stage for the playing out of tensions over changing roles and identities aggravated by contemporary pressures on doctoral education.