Alternative Format University of Southern Denmark
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- Science
In this podcast, researchers Anuja Pradhan (University of Southern Denmark) and Scott Jones (University of Birmingham) share their first hand insights on the increasingly common, if still atypical, option of pursuing a PhD by alternative format.
They share advice, personal stories, and critically examine the PhD by alternative format.
This podcast is aimed at current and potential PhD students as well as supervisors in the social sciences and humanities.
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Defend, But Don't Get Defensive
Scott and Anuja share their PhD viva (or defence) experiences and how they went about selecting their examiners along with their supervisors.
They offer practical advice for preparing for and undertaking a viva and how this might be different for the PhD by alternative format.
Finally, they discuss some of the opportunities that the alternative format might offer after the PhD journey. -
Are You Being Institutionalized?
For this episode, Anuja and Scott are joined by Professor Maria Piacentini and Professor Emerita Margaret Hogg of Lancaster University, UK, and Professor Finola Kerrigan of Birmingham University, UK.
The Professors share their experiences as supervisors and examiners of alternative format PhDs. They discuss how a supervisor-supervisee relationship might look different for this format, who is best suited to this format, and what are the benefits and difficulties associated with this type of PhD.
Finally, they also critically muse about the interrelationship between the PhD by alternative format and the transformation of the neoliberal academic system. -
From Kill Your Darlings to Mass Murder
In this episode, Scott and Anuja discuss the format and writing process of the alternative format thesis. They talk about the advantages and challenges of writing journal style articles as well as what goes into the ‘wrap around’ document.
They discuss the process of ‘writing with’ their supervisors and offer advice on balancing writing papers alongside revising papers.
Anuja and Scott also bust some common myths associated with the PhD by alternative format. -
Moving beyond Monographs
Anuja and Scott introduce the PhD by alternative format and discuss how and why they made the decision to do their PhDs this way.
They talk about the role of the supervisors as well as mentors in making this decision. They share our thoughts on the advantages as well as challenges of this alternative format.
Finally, They speculate as to who might be suited to this type of PhD and what that might mean for their academic careers.