Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Doing a PhD: The Hero’s Journey
    Doing a PhD: The Hero’s Journey
    Doing a PhD: The Hero’s Journey
    Ebook74 pages1 hour

    Doing a PhD: The Hero’s Journey

    By David Tuffley

    3.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Doing a PhD is no easy thing. It rates as one of the most difficult, yet rewarding things a person will ever do in their life. Much has been written on the process of doing a PhD, as a trawl through a book store will confirm. There have been quite few good books published on the topic. In addition to these, universities generously provide detailed information on doing a PhD. The world does not need another book that goes over that same ground.

    What the world does need is information about the psychological factors that make a PhD student successful. They are the same factors that make a good researcher, someone who can make a contribution to knowledge in their chosen field.

    If you are reading this, you probably have an interest in what it takes to get a PhD. Maybe it is a burning desire, maybe more like a passing fancy. In any case, it is a major life-choice, one which you need to be fully informed about before you make it.

    If you decide to do a PhD, you should know what the success factors are before you start. Many candidates start out confidently but drop out along the way because they were not clear on this important point.
    So if you are trying to decide whether to do a PhD, or are wondering if you have what it takes, this book is for you. It is a portrait of the successful PhD student. Do you recognise yourself?

    There has never been a better time to do a PhD. The number of people in the world who have the desire and the access to higher education is rising exponentially. As more people, particularly in the developing world gain access to the Internet more options are now available to people. Few things contribute more to raising the overall standard of living and quality of life in a community than education.

    The established university model has endured for a thousand years and is still going strong. Long may it prosper. In the 11th Century there were just four universities in the world; Bologna, Salerno, Modena and Paris. In the 21st Century there are around 10,000 universities around the world and the number is rising.

    The traditional university is now being supplemented by the rise of the on-line university, offering everything from Associate Degrees up to PhDs across a wide range of subject areas. Thankfully, geographic location is now no barrier to getting an education.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAltiora Publications
    Release dateFeb 7, 2013
    ISBN9781301335312
    Doing a PhD: The Hero’s Journey
    Author

    David Tuffley

    David Tuffley (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & Socio-Technical Studies at Griffith University in Australia.David writes on a broad range of interests; from Comparative Religion, Anthropology, Psychology, Ancient and Modern History, Linguistics, Rhetoric, Philosophy, Architectural History, Environments and Ecosystems.

    Read more from David Tuffley

    Related authors

    Related to Doing a PhD

    Titles in the series (9)

    View More
    View More

    Related ebooks

    Teaching Methods & Materials For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Lost And Found: Bewilderment As An Invitation To Transformation

      Nov 10, 2021

      — When I get lost while driving in the Hudson Valley — which is often — I usually welcome seeing a new place. When one of my two young daughters asks me a thought-stopping question (“Papa, are we indigenous people anywhere on the planet?” “Papa, do o

      8 min read

    • Article

      Masters of Some

      Jun 9, 2021

      Masters of Some
      11 min read

    • Article

      Education And The Ego

      Jan 18, 2022

      Education And The Ego
      3 min read

    • Article

      Where Should Your Character Be at the Beginning of Your Story?

      Dec 21, 2021

      What’s at stake? That’s the key question writers are exhorted to ask about their characters’ motivations. And it’s a great question! After all, if nothing is at stake for the main character, there is no story. For example, Jocelyn, a police detective

      4 min read

    • Article

      Conflicting Views

      Sep 25, 2023

      Conflicting Views
      4 min read

    • Article

      Desire Drives Story

      Dec 21, 2020

      At the outset of any story, most characters find themselves beset by the following motivational factors: • A state of LACK: Something is missing from his life. • This lack speaks to an unfulfilled YEARNING, or dream of life: the kind of person the ch

      6 min read

    • Article

      Writing About Issues

      Jun 3, 2021

      Sometimes stories begin with a character, or a concept, but sometimes they can start with a theme, or an issue. This can be an interesting way to kick-start a story. If you take this approach, once you’ve decided which issue you would like to explore

      3 min read

    • Article

      The 5 Questions You Should Ask During (Almost) Every Interview

      Feb 13, 2023

      Interviews are a vital aspect of nonfiction writing. Depending on the topic, freelancers may turn to subject matter experts or everyday people with unique experiences, knowledge, or opinions to help inform the articles they write. Over the course of

      4 min read

    • Article

      A Climate For Growth

      Nov 3, 2022

      A Climate For Growth
      6 min read

    • Article

      HOW TO Change Your Life

      Aug 11, 2022

      HOW TO Change Your Life
      4 min read

    • Article

      Idea Versus Premise

      Oct 30, 2019

      Idea Versus Premise
      5 min read

    • Article

      Afraid Of The Dark?

      Dec 2, 2021

      Afraid Of The Dark?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Make Life More Meaningful

      Mar 17, 2023

      Make Life More Meaningful
      6 min read

    • Article

      Heather Widdows: The Ugly Side of Beauty

      Jan 30, 2019

      The philosopher on how our appearance intolerance hinders ideas and human flourishing The post Heather Widdows: The Ugly Side of Beauty appeared first on Guernica.

      11 min read

    • Article

      Can You Change Who You Are?

      Oct 28, 2019

      In the last decade of his life my Canadian father-in-law became so averse to change that he would not contemplate moving a piece of furniture from one side of the room to the other. I know that elderly people can get this way – stubborn, fixed – but

      4 min read

    • Article

      5 Benefits of Reading Regularly

      Apr 15, 2019

      5 Benefits of Reading Regularly
      2 min read

    • Article

      Fifty To Know The Fate

      Oct 28, 2019

      Fifty To Know The Fate
      5 min read

    • Article

      Adele The Academic? Why Mature Students Are Top Of The Swots

      Oct 30, 2022

      For more than two decades, I lived untroubled by the quiet disappointment of my parents, who had assumed I would one day go to university. But I didn’t. Getting a degree was never an ambition, and I didn’t need letters after my name to prove an intel

      4 min read

    • Article

      Listen to Your Own Advice

      Jan 6, 2022

      Listen to Your Own Advice
      6 min read

    • Article

      ON MENTORS & OEDIPUS

      Jun 2, 2021

      ON MENTORS & OEDIPUS
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Doing a PhD

    3.5/5

    5 ratings1 review

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      This book helped me to understand the mindset needed to endure a PhD.

    Book preview

    Doing a PhD - David Tuffley

    Doing a PhD: The Hero’s Journey

    David Tuffley

    Published by Altiora Publications at Smashwords

    © Copyright 2013 David Tuffley

    If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it? Albert Einstein

    Smashwords Edition, License Notes

    This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

    About the Author

    David Tuffley PhD is a Lecturer in Applied Ethics & Socio-Technical Studies at Griffith University in Australia.

    Other eBooks by David Tuffley

    Join David on Facebook

    Contents

    Preface

    Chapter 1: The Hero’s Journey

    Chapter 2: What Is A PhD?

    Chapter 3: Specific Attributes

    Chapter 4: General Attributes

    Appendix A: Types of Intelligence

    Appendix B: Your Advisor

    Appendix C: The Research Question

    Appendix D: The Literature Review

    Preface

    There has never been a better time to do a PhD or indeed to get an education. Thanks to the Internet there are a rapidly growing number of people in the world who now have access to higher education. Coupled with the desire to better themselves, few things have the potential to raising the overall standard of communities than education.

    The established university model has endured for a thousand years and is still going strong; and long may it endure. In the 11th Century there were just four universities in the world; Bologna, Salerno, Modena and Paris. In the 21st Century there are around 10,000 universities around the world and the number is rising.

    The traditional university is now being supplemented by the rise of the on-line university, offering everything from Associate Degrees up to PhDs across a wide range of disciplines. Thankfully, geographic location is now no barrier to getting an education.

    Doing a PhD is one of the most difficult, yet rewarding things a person will ever do in their life. Much has been written on the process of doing a PhD, as a quick trawl through an on-line bookstore will confirm. There have been quite few good books published on the topic. In addition to these, universities generously provide detailed information on doing a PhD. The world does not need another book that goes over that same ground.

    What the world does need is information about the psychological factors that make a PhD student successful. They are the same factors that make a good researcher, someone who can make a contribution to knowledge in their chosen field.

    If you are reading this, you probably have an interest in what it takes to get a PhD. Maybe it is a burning desire, maybe more like a passing fancy. In any case, it is a major life-choice, one which you need to be fully informed about before you make it.

    If you decide to do a PhD, you should know what the success factors are before you start. Many candidates start out confidently but drop out along the way because they were not clear on this important point.

    So if you are trying to decide whether to do a PhD, or are wondering if you have what it takes, this book is for you. It is a portrait of the successful PhD student. Do you recognise yourself?

    Chapter 1: The Hero’s Journey

    The concept of The Hero's Journey was first discussed in Joseph Campbell’s 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. It has special relevance because doing a PhD is a heroic endeavour if ever there was one. By knowing the 12 stages of the journey, you can be better prepared.

    The well-known anthropologist Joseph Campbell recognised the pattern of The Hero’s Journey after a careful study of hundreds of myths and stories from diverse cultures and across historical periods. Campbell found a consistent pattern to the narratives of Gautama Buddha, Moses, and Christ and others and argues persuasively that the classic myths and stories from many cultures follow this same basic pattern. The inescapable conclusion is that the pattern is deeply embedded in human nature. One could argue that it is an instinct that we evolved with over millions of years.

    Campbell describes a Hero as someone who has dedicated their life to some worthy endeavour, something bigger and more important than oneself. The Hero’s Journey is a journey of self-improvement, one which involves a personal transformation to complete. To embark on such a journey, whether it is to do a PhD or walk the pilgrim path to Santiago De

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1