Hello PhD list,



I found the discussion about the PhD - doctoral thesis -very interesting. I
haven't had much time to participate -alas! However, I do have the time for
a few words only - specially because we all have to take for granted that:



Honorary PhD's for instance award a doctorate degree

to someone who is the best in their field, but not necessarily in an
academic sense.

This is a token gesture really,

but I think it can sometimes show the misrepresentation of the PhD-

that a PhD means you are clever rather than someone who understands how to
conduct and report research.

writes From: [log in to unmask]:



This comment is right and justified. I have met designers who have been
given a "Professor" title and who happen to be --designers in the field of
design but --not at all scholars.

Quite a problem when confronted to the academic reality.

You meet some "clever" guy but not really a literate one.

In that case- why not add a Des. to the PhD and get a PhD.Des which would
make it clear to everyone that the title has been given to a designer who
has conducted neither a research nor a report according to academic norms
but has designed in his/her design discipline or domain, and has taken
administrative/teaching tasks.



Another interesting point presented in this discussion-
From:[log in to unmask] was:

" To have a project be the sole source of conducting AND reporting the
research is hard to justify.

 A written portion should accompany the creative work,

enough to contribute new knowledge to the field,

and be tangible enough to allow others to build on it.

And for now, we do this through the written word.

A creative non-written work would certainly be a platform to conduct the
research-

-just as a physicist has a laboratory for testing and observing ideas-

-but to conduct an experiment and say it speaks for itself is not an
academic outcome.



The importance of the "written word" makes the difference.

Be it the literate research itself

which supposes reading of.in many domains - sociology, anthropology, visuals
studies, ecology, and whatever domain needed for the expansion/depth of
knowledge, understanding, capacity of evaluation, choice of case study and
development [ for how can one choose a PhD theme if not acquainted with
actual themes, problems and their professional literature? ]- or be it the
writing of the thesis which requires many and varied skills.

In this case- PhD designers cannot but be excellent designers and literate
designers. Which leads us to a new category of designers: the PhD literate
practitioners or PhD.DesLP as opposed to the PhD.Des.





Dr. Michal Popowsky
"Visual Literacy in Education"

Senior lecturer
M.Ed. Graduate Program
School of Arts and Technology
Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and Arts
Phone: 972 3 6425431

Mail: [log in to unmask]