Embracing the Unknown
Experiences of Studying for a PhD in the Social Sciences
Edited by Sarah Jones, Mikahil Azad, Liam Miles and Adam Lynes
Published
Jun 18, 2025Page count
224 pagesISBN
978-1447373896Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Policy PressPublished
Jun 18, 2025Page count
224 pagesISBN
978-1447373889Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Policy PressPublished
Jun 18, 2025Page count
224 pagesISBN
978-1447373902Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Policy Press
Embracing the Unknown
This book offers a candid and unflinching account of the PhD experience in a sector marked by precarity, insecurity and intense competition. Throughout the volume, current and former PhD students reflect on their varied journeys, addressing challenges such as balancing study with family life, navigating ethical dilemmas and managing mental health.
The collection brings together a diverse range of voices from the PhD community, sharing personal thoughts, lived experiences and "in-the-moment" accounts of life as a doctoral candidate within the context of higher education.
By demystifying the PhD journey and offering valuable insights, this book serves as essential reading for both PhD students and their supervisors.
Sarah Jones is a Visiting Lecturer and a PhD Researcher in social sciences at Birmingham City University.
Mikhail Azad is a PhD Researcher in social sciences at Birmingham City University.
Liam Miles is a PhD researcher in social sciences at Birmingham City University.
Adam Lynes is an Associate Professor in social sciences at Birmingham City University.
Foreword – Sarah Pemberton
Introduction – Sarah Jones, Mikahil Azad, Liam Miles & Adam Lynes
1. Re-Entering Academia: The Unexpected Journey – Sarah Jones
2. Entering the Fray: The Hyper-Competitive PhD Environment – Alexander Black
3. Conceptualising a PhD Topic: Navigating My Way Through Academia – Mikahil Azad
4. New Horizons: Moving Countries To Start the PhD – Eliska Suchomel Duskova
5. From Home to the Unknown: Applying for Postgraduate Study in the UK From the Global South – Manikandan Soundararajan
Editor Reflections on Part 1
6. Navigating the Depths of Grief: A Journey Through Grief While Pursuing a PhD – Rio Waldock
7. Double Duty: Undertaking PhD Research Whilst Being a Full-Time Lecturer – Charlotte Rigby
8. Balancing Act: Balancing Family Life With the PhD – Suzanne Baggs
9. Managing the Mind and PhD ’Ing – Abigail Shaw
Editors Reflections on Part 2
10. Safety in Cultures of Precarity: Complex Trauma and the Value of “Trauma-Informed” PhD Supervision – Lisa Edge
11. Working for Nothing: The Exploitation of Post-Graduate Students – Kyla Bavin
12. How Close is Too Close? Ethical Tensions and Reflections in the Breddon Centre - Kavya Padmanabhan
13. Methodology Unravelled: Safely Crossing the Research Minefield – Liam Miles
Editor Reflections on Part 3
14. ‘Light at the End of the Tunnel:’ The Viva and Beyond – Nick Gibbs
15. The Whispers of Doubt: Ten Years After the PhD and Pervasive Imposter Syndrome – Adam Lynes
16. Fifteen Years Later, at the Moral Crossroads: Retaining Purpose and Direction in the Face of Academic Capitalism – Daniel Briggs
17. Mentoring Moments: A Collaborative Reflection on Supervision – Chelsea Braithwaite, Owen Hodgkinson, and James Treadwell
Editor Reflections on Part 4
Conclusion – Sarah Jones, Mikahil Azad, Liam Miles, Adam Lynes
