Many of you would pursue a PhD with the vision of becoming a research-active academic on an open research-and-teaching contract at a higher education institution. However, as you gain a deeper understanding of the sector during your PhD, you will realise that the odds are stacked against you.
To secure an academic job soon after your PhD, you will need one or more publications, ideally in journals that would help higher education institutions improve their rankings. Academic publishing is, however, a time-consuming process. To have publications accepted by the time you are near your PhD completion, you must submit something by the second year of your PhD.
While it is easy for experienced academics to critique the “publish or perish” culture, new entrants to the sector must still comply with the “publish and flourish” convention until systemic change occurs. In several universities, journal publication is mandatory for PhD students to graduate. If you don’t publish during your PhD (because your institution does not require you to), those who do will have a clear advantage when applying for research and teaching positions worldwide.
This leads to a critical dilemma: how can you reconcile the demands of your PhD thesis with the pursuit of publications? This article explores strategic ways to meet both demands.
- Spotlight guide: Advice for surviving your PhD dissertation
- Get a head start in the first year of your PhD
- Get your PhD thesis beach ready
Pre-PhD
For a start, develop your thesis proposal in conjunction with a publishing plan. The overarching goal of your thesis should be possible to divide into multiple – two to five – granular research objectives, to be met through a series of studies. Such a structure would sow the seeds of multiple publications arising from the thesis.
Moreover, it is imperative to choose a supervisor who is research-active and willing to support PhD students with publications. From the outset, you should discuss your vision of becoming a research-active academic with your supervisor so they can work with you on your publication goals.
During the PhD
Time management and good work habits are crucial. A key recommendation is to start writing early and regularly: do not procrastinate.
The majority of the first year of your PhD will be spent reviewing the literature. Therefore, you should consider submitting a literature review paper to a conference by the end of your first year. The conference presentation will enable you to gain feedback, which in turn can help you refine the direction of your thesis and adjust your publication goals, if needed. It will also be a great networking opportunity. The literature review could be eventually developed into a journal article.
Throughout the PhD, work with your supervisor to monitor progress regularly. You should keep detailed records of all the work done. If everything is on track, you should aim to commence the empirical work early in the second year. This would also serve as ingredients for another conference presentation and a second journal article. You need not wait to complete the empirical work before starting to write. Instead, drafting sections of your thesis and articles should happen alongside the empirical work. This will also get you into the habit of multitasking, a vital attribute for thriving in academia.
If your thesis and publication goals are on track by the time you are into your third year, consider whether you have the bandwidth to work on an additional publication not directly related to your PhD – maybe with your supervisor or any other academic. If yes, you should take up such a collaborative co-authorship opportunity to further strengthen your research pipeline.
Be prepared for the peer-review process, which can be rigorous and time-consuming. If your first few submissions are rejected, don’t be disheartened. Rejections are part of an academic’s life. Perseverance and resilience are essential competencies for a research-active academic.
Close to the PhD submission
By the time you are close to the completion of your thesis, hopefully, the vision of becoming a research-active academic continues to excite you. Just before your thesis submission, you will have to understandably prioritise the thesis over publications.
But as soon as you have submitted, you should shift your attention to publications. While your examiners review your thesis, you should convert its as-yet-unpublished parts into new publications. Continue to do so until you hear back from the examiners.
Post-PhD
Once you have defended your thesis and graduated with a PhD, I would invite you to reflect on the journey and ask yourself: Have I enjoyed the research experience?
If the answer is “no”, carefully consider whether a research-focused academic career still aligns with your aspirations.
If the answer is a resounding “yes”, you are a candidate to succeed as a research-active academic.
By this point, you are likely to possess a well-developed research portfolio, including a few publications, which strengthens your candidacy for entry-level academic positions. This will also help you clear your probation milestones at your first research-and-teaching position. And if you can sustain the publication momentum, it may also offer a strategic advantage in achieving faster promotion and tenure.
All the best as a research-active academic with an open research-and-teaching contract at a higher education institution.
Anjan Pal is a lecturer in marketing at the School for Business and Society at the University of York.
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