Doctoral Process From Idea to Award Getting Funded Study Mode Motivation and Research
Getting Funded
In some countries there are agencies that fund doctoral students by giving them a lump sum (eg South Africa), which can be used for any part of the cost of the doctorate. It might be enough to fund the research, depending on the method. Such funding is usually accessed early in the program, and is not dependent on the proposal being accepted. It might not be enough; Thus the authors would urge the doctoral candidate to explore the following options:
- Employers of nurses studying on a part-time basis may be interested in funding the research, especially if it is to be undertaken during the employer’s service and if benefits for the organization are visible. Furthermore, there exist some universities that will allow assisted study leave for doctoral candidates.
- If the research supervisor is a funded researcher, it might be possible to obtain ‘piggy-back funding’. For example, in South Africa, some grants allow a specific number of Master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral student grants automatically, depending on the rating of the principal investigator. This makes it essential to choose a supervisor carefully, if possible.
- Apply for funding from a provincial, national or international organization working in your area of research. Many organizations have funding for smaller research projects, and such funds could be enough for a doctoral project. Surfing the web is a good way of identifying such potential funders.
- Apply to national research funding agencies. Many countries have such agencies, for example, the National Research Foundation (UK), the Medical Research Council (UK and South Africa), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Canada) or other funding agencies funded by the governments to support research.
For such agencies there are usually recognized channels to apply. Depending on the country of application, some nurses might find it difficult to access such resources, since there is sometimes the perception that only laboratory research and research by medical doctors fall into this category.
It might demand advocacy for nursing research by professional and academic organizations to open this resource to nurses. For example, in Korea, the Korean Research Foundation provides funds for doctoral candidates for their dissertations; Korean Nurses Association and Korean Nursing Academies in specific fields of nursing provide some funds for the candidates of the master’s programs.
- Governments or other organizations sometimes put out a call for research tenders or proposals. This is published in specific places, such as government gazettes or on the websites of organizations. Although it is not easy for a beginning researcher to obtain such funding, it is still a possibility that should be explored.
Obtaining funding is not without its problems. The funding cycle might delay the progress of the candidate—but not as much as a total lack of funding! Funding bodies sometimes demand changes to a proposal that has already been accepted by the university. Or they demand frequent reports that put an additional strain on the candidate’s time.
Or they want control over publications. These implications have to be explored before the candidate accepts the funding, since some flexibility might be possible at this early stage. Lastly, it needs to be recognized that even without funding, it is still possible to complete a doctorate if the candidate is studying part time.
The absence of funding then does not necessarily equate with an inability to complete. In summary, candidates would be wise to explore a variety of funding options.
One refusal for funding should not be considered as an indication that the study is ‘non-fundable’; try again; re-submit; consider alternative funding options. If funding for the complete duration of the study is not available from one funding body then the candidate should seek to ‘top up’ the funding from alternative sources.
Study Mode
It is often considered as axiomatic that the choice of research method should be driven by the particular research question and by what is currently known about the phenomenon (Morse and Field, 1994). In addition to those methodological and epistemological considerations, there are a few additional practical issues to be mindful of when choosing a research approach.
First, if the candidate has never done qualitative research before, it might be difficult to switch to this approach at doctoral level, or vice versa. Qualitative and quantitative approaches demand different skills and a proven ability in one paradigm (perhaps demonstrated through obtaining a Master’s degree) does not necessarily mean that such skills exist in the other paradigm.
Such lack of methodological ability might be addressed, to some extent, by undertaking appropriate coursework, and having a supervisor or academic advisor or a committee that is skilled in the approach selected, but the choice needs careful consideration.
Secondly, successfully obtaining funding may also be influenced by the choice of mode of study. While some funding bodies are open-minded about qualitative research, others might discriminate against researchers using this approach. The candidate’s choice of mode of study is also likely to be influenced by his or her own philosophical bent.
Arguments have been posited that certain disciplines have a greater affinity for (and history of) particular methodological approaches. It is reasonable to posit that similarly, certain individuals will have a greater affinity for particular methodological approaches.
There are those people who are most comfortable with positivistic views of the world (ie objective truth exists, the world is subject to the laws of science, events outside the mind can be observed, described, explained and predicted, and the researcher can investigate the world from the object—subject standpoint). Such individuals are likely to be drawn to the quantitative paradigm.
There are also those people who are most comfortable with naturalistic/interpretivist/constructivist views of the world (ie in the social world, reality is constructed, full of shared meanings and inter-subjective realities, constructed and interpreted by those people who inhabit and experience those realities, and the researcher can investigate the world from the standpoint of subject—subject).
Thus, such individuals are likely to be drawn to the qualitative paradigm. This is not to suggest that the candidate’s own level of comfort with one paradigm or another should be the deciding variable in influencing the mode of study. However, it stands to reason that candidates are more likely to be enthusiastic about undertaking a study that complements their own philosophical bent. Given the duration of a doctoral program, the value of this enthusiasm should not be ignored.
Lastly, the election might also be influenced by the candidate’s career plans. If the candidate plans to work in a large university with a well-developed, multiparadigmatic research programme , it might be acceptable for the candidate to develop expertise in only one approach, eg to be purely a qualitative researcher.
However, if the candidate intends to spend his or her academic career in a small university, with a less developed research program, it is possible that, after graduation, the candidate will have to supervise students in all kinds of approaches. It might therefore serve the candidate well to gain experience in both approaches, and not become totally specialized.
In summary, the choice of mode of study is likely to be heavily influenced by the particular research question and by what is currently known about the phenomenon. The candidate’s own familiarity and/or greater affinity with a certain research paradigm is likely to have a strong influence on the choice, and the foreseeable academic career path of the candidate could also influence the choice of mode of study.
Doing The Research
The process of conducting the study is perhaps facilitated by a well-written proposal. The more detailed and well-thought-out of the proposal, arguably the study will be easier to implement, even allowing for studies of an emerging design.
However, there will undoubtedly be unforeseen problems and difficulties encountered and awareness of such eventualities perhaps makes them easier to manage when they arise. In order to minimize these potential difficulties, the authors would urge the doctoral candidate to consider the following suggestions.
- Try to do what your proposal said you would do.
- It helps to remain focused on your study, while at the same time allowing ‘time out.’ This is particularly pertinent for part-time students. It is all too easy, in these ‘high pressured’ days, to be drawn into distraction and become caught up in other work (academic or otherwise). Consequently, candidates will need to learn how to say ‘no’ and thus retain their focus on their study.
- Stay very close to your data collection. Look at data, in whatever form they take, as they come in—don’t just file them for data entry later. Sometimes a candidate can identify problems early enough to correct the problem and while collecting the data can still do something about it. Read immediately interviews, and write down comments or thoughts, before they are forgotten. Time spent during data collection on cleaning and monitoring data is well worth the effort.
- Know your method and stick to it. Similarly, know your research focus and stick to it. It is often tempting to pursue interesting ‘side issues’ as they emerge, although in so doing, you will be distracted from your study.
- Write as you go. Work step by step, and do not let all the writing wait until the end. If you write as you go on with the process, you are clearer on how the research is going, and you can still adapt or add aspects, or at least think about what your results are showing. It will also give your supervisor the opportunity to see what you are doing, and allow time for feedback. THE DOCTORAL PROCESS: FROM IDEA TO AWARD 119
- Draw upon all the forms of support that are available—professional and personal. You may need them!
- Maintain your attachments and connections to your academic community. They can be an excellent form of support and can keep you grounded in the ‘real world’.
- Lastly, try to publish as you go along. A doctoral study can be conceptualized as producing a series of publications. One does not need to limit oneself to publishing only when the findings are in and the study completed. There may be publishable papers arising from the literature review, the method, the findings and the discussion.
Maintaining Motivation
Maintaining motivation is easier when you are researching a phenomenon or issue that you are passionate about, something that is of interest to you; something that has particular meaning for you. Selecting such a topic for study may not always be possible, so additional strategies need to be considered. It may help to conceptualize the ‘vision’ or as McKenna et al (2000) describe, doctoral study represents the search for the substance; the essential material of the discipline.
A doctoral study then has the potential to make a unique and substantive contribution to the discipline and such a vision can be a source of encouragement and motivation in itself. A further method of staying motivated is to recognize that doctoral study is more of a ‘long distance’ test rather than a ‘sprint’.
A realistic expectation of such an endeavor then is that there will be ‘ups and downs’ during the process; it is unlikely to be all ‘plain sailing’. Candidates are people and people have moods that fluctuate over time, so too will a candidate’s motivation.
But this is OK, it is usual, it is to be expected. Hence, candidates should not be overly discouraged by periods of low motivation. There may even be merit in ‘holidays’ from the doctoral study, during which time the candidate should find ways and time to de-stress.
One of the best ways to maintain your motivation is to have a very clear time schedule and regular appointments with the supervisor or academic advisor. Clear and attainable objectives should be set for each meeting. Even though the candidate does not complete the work, the appointment should still be kept, since it is all too easy to just cancel appointments.
The conversation between supervisor and student sometimes identifies barriers to progress, and this allows for motivation to be maintained. Another excellent way to stay motivated is to keep to your planned time schedule. That ensures progress, and it allows you to reach goals and this increases motivation. Once one falls behind, it is difficult to start again.
Another way of increasing motivation is to talk about the research to one’s colleagues, peers and other students. This can be done informally or formally by scheduling a presentation inside or outside the university. Such presentations give an incentive for progress, and the interest of others by questions and suggestions is motivating for the lagging student.
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