"What is the essence of 'doctorateness'?" and "What is the doctorate for?"
Further info on the discussion paper published by the Higher Education
Academy is attached below.

Best Wishes,

Salvo



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Source:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/news/20_5208.htm

Please note that the full discussion paper (in pdf) can be downloaded at
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/embedded_object.asp?id=22136&prompt=yes&filename=Chris%20Park

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Redefining the doctorate

The time is right to have a debate on the purpose and future of the doctoral
research degree in the UK, says Professor Chris Park, Senior Associate at
the Higher Education Academy and Director of the Graduate School at
Lancaster University.  In his discussion paper Redefining the doctorate,
published this week by the Higher Education Academy, he asks some key
questions, such as: "What is the essence of 'doctorateness'?" and "What is
the doctorate for?"

Professor Paul Ramsden, the Academy's Chief Executive, said: "We are pleased
to be taking forward the national debate in this under-researched area. 
This paper raises some important questions about the benefits of a doctoral
education, which will complement our Postgraduate Research Experience Survey
and help to inform decisions to improve the quality of the postgraduate
student experience."

The position of the doctorate in the UK has become more complicated in the
last five years as doctoral education has had to respond to some major
changes, including a new emphasis on skills and training, submission rates
and quality of supervision, changes in the examination of the PhD thesis,
and the introduction of national benchmarking.  Concerns have also been
voiced about how the UK doctorate is viewed in other countries, and about
the ability of UK universities to complete effectively in the global market
for high quality research students.  This has led to widespread questioning
whether the degree remains fit for purpose.

One way in which UK universities have responded to changing market
conditions is by developing a range of new doctoral degrees tailored to
particular niche markets.  These include the "new route PhD", which contains
a significant taught element; the "professional doctorate", which is more
applied and work-focused than the traditional PhD; and the "practice-based
doctorate", which may involve new forms of output as well as the traditional
thesis, such as performance pieces or a portfolio of artwork.  This approach
is proving quite successful but it poses some challenges in terms of
ensuring comparability of quality and standards.

Other new developments in the UK have been the introduction of formalised
skills development and research training programmes; the development of
doctoral programmes; and the advent of Graduate Schools, which have long
existed in the US and are now starting to appear across Europe.  The
supervision of research students is also becoming more formalised,
transparent and accountable.

Some of the key questions addressed in the paper and proposed for debate are:

    * Who "owns" the doctorate?  While universities are custodians of
academic standards and have the responsibility to award the degree, no
single group has complete responsibility for defining what a doctorate is
and what form it should take.
    * Is the doctorate really about the product (the thesis) or the process
(developing the student)?
    * Is it about education or training? How important are research training
and the development of the next generation of researchers compared with
actually doing the research and learning more about the subject?
    * How can the recruitment of doctoral students in the UK be sustained
and improved, given funding constraints and student debt in the UK, and
increasing global competition for well-qualified applicants?
    * How can the employability of doctoral students be enhanced?
    * What are the implications for research funders of the changing context
of doctoral education in the UK?

One of the most important areas in which the lack of research is hampering
the development of both policy and practice, Professor Park argues, is on
the links between research training, skills development, employability and
the preparation of doctoral students for career paths.  Until recently,
relatively little was known about the research student experience, but the
Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) being developed by the Higher
Education Academy for use by institutions will help to inform
decision-making designed to improve the quality of the student experience. 
Further details are available at http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/3919.htm

Together with the UK GRAD Programme, the Academy will be providing
opportunities to contribute to the discussion via a series of national
workshops and meetings.

Download the discussion paper (PDF 195 Kb)

To order printed copies of the paper contact [log in to unmask] 



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-- 
Salvatore Scifo
Communications,
MeCCSA Postgraduate Network


Communication and Media Research Institute
School of Media, Arts & Design
University of Westminster
Watford Road, Northwick Park
Harrow
HA1 3TP


MeCCSA Postgraduate Network
http://www.meccsa.org.uk/pgn/