We often begin a Professional Doctorate with a clear problem to explore, yet rarely pause to consider the values shaping why that problem matters to us. Beneath the familiar terrain of ontology, epistemology, and methodology lies axiology, the often-unspoken dimension of research that reflects what we care about, what we prioritise, and how we judge impact. For ProfDoc PGRs as practitioner-scholars, these values are not abstract, they are lived through professional roles, relationships, and responsibilities. This article by Ron Leslie invites you to move from silence to insight by noticing, questioning, and making explicit the values that quietly guide your research, strengthening both its integrity and its relevance to practice.

For practitioner-scholars, the viva is not simply an examination, it is a professional conversation grounded in curiosity, reflection and respect. In this article, I explore how the discipline of attention shapes my role as an examiner, from the slow reading of a thesis to the questions that invite candidates to articulate the value of their practice wisdom. By viewing the viva as a space for shared understanding rather than a trial to be endured, professional doctorate candidates can engage more confidently with their contribution, methodology and scholarly identity. This reflective piece offers practical insights for preparing for examination while staying connected to the deeper purpose of practitioner-scholarship.

Doctoral study is often framed as an intellectual challenge, but for many postgraduate researchers, particularly those on professional doctorate programmes, it is equally a test of personal resilience and wellbeing. Balancing research alongside professional, family, and personal commitments can unsettle the delicate equilibrium between resources and demands, leading to stress, isolation, and self-doubt. This article explores the idea of "the well of being", a metaphor for the inner resources that sustain researchers throughout their doctoral journey. Drawing on research and practice, it considers wellbeing not as a fixed destination but as an ongoing process of balancing challenges, relationships, accomplishments, and self-care. The discussion highlights the vital role of supervisors, peer communities, and universities in creating conditions where doctoral researchers can flourish, not merely survive. Ultimately, supporting wellbeing means recognising that the person behind the research matters as much as the research itself. When institutions foster care, connection, and belonging, doctoral study becomes not only a pathway to new knowledge, but also a journey of personal and professional growth.

Doctoral study is not just academic, it is deeply personal. For many PGRs, especially in professional doctorates, wellbeing is stretched by competing demands, pressure, and the feeling of never doing enough. What if wellbeing is not a destination, but a resource? The ‘well of being’ is about the inner, relational, and institutional support that sustains you through your doctorate. It reminds us that becoming a scholarly professional includes learning how to work sustainably, not just successfully. 🔹 Wellbeing is dynamic 🔹 Small wins matter 🔹 Support is shared #ProfessionalDoctorate #PGR #AcademicWellbeing

What happens when your professional instincts don’t quite align with your research methodology? In this reflective piece, Ally Grant, a professional doctorate researcher and child protection social worker, explores the subtle tension between motivational interviewing (MI) and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) during qualitative interviews. Both approaches value deep listening and understanding, yet they differ in one crucial respect: timing. In practice, MI encourages active engagement through reflections, sometimes even offering interpretations to help surface meaning. In IPA, however, early interpretation risks stepping too far ahead of the participant’s own sense-making. The challenge becomes clear, how do you stay authentically present as a practitioner while maintaining methodological rigour as a researcher? Through reflexive review, transcription, and supervision, Ally identifies a key shift. Rather than leaning into complex reflections, he refocuses on creating space for participants to articulate their own meanings, resisting the urge to interpret too soon. This is not about abandoning professional skill, but about recalibrating it in service of the research. At its heart, this is a story about identity. Being a practitioner–scholar is not a neat blending of roles, but an ongoing negotiation. It requires reflexivity, honesty, and the ability to justify decisions in context.

Some questions in practice refuse to disappear. They return in quiet moments, linger after decisions, and signal something deeper than passing interest. A Professional Doctorate gives you a way to take that curiosity seriously. It offers the structure and rigour to explore questions from within your own practice, turning lived experience into meaningful research. This is more than a qualification. It is a commitment to sustained inquiry, to questioning assumptions, and to developing work that can influence both understanding and practice. For many, it begins with noticing. And choosing not to let it go.

By Louise Baldwin and Chris Ward Undertaking research within your own professional setting is often presented as a natural extension of practice, particularly for those working in complex systems like the NHS. Yet for many professional doctorate candidates, the reality quickly reveals itself to be far more demanding, requiring not only methodological confidence but also the ability to navigate layered ethical and governance processes that can feel opaque and, at times, overwhelming.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming higher education, from how students access information to how academics design learning and assess research. For professional doctorates, which sit uniquely between the academy and the workplace, this transformation brings both exciting opportunities and pressing ethical questions.

What does it really take to lead a successful Professional Doctorate programme? From supporting supervisors and fostering meaningful peer communities to defining and defending doctoral standards, the ProfDoc Director plays a pivotal role in shaping both academic rigour and professional growth.

What happens when you choose a Professional Doctorate not to leave practice, but to deepen it? This honest reflection explores the discomfort, discipline and transformation of the journey, and how doctoral research can reshape not just your field, but the practitioner you become.

How do you move from messy, exploratory drafts to confident, reader-focused academic writing? This post explores how metadiscourse, the subtle signposts that guide structure, stance and argument, transforms not only your text, but your authority as a practitioner-scholar.

One of the defining features of a professional doctorate is that it does not end with the research findings alone. Unlike the traditional PhD, which tends to emphasise disciplinary contribution, the professional doctorate is equally concerned with the researcher’s transformation, how engaging in systematic inquiry changes professional practice, perspective, and identity. For this reason, many examiners and supervisors expect a reflective discussion  in the final thesis, one that explores the practitioner-scholar’s professional development and articulates how their findings contribute to the profession or sector they belong to.

This blog draws on a reflective conversation between two second-year practitioner-scholars, Kate and Katy, who spoke candidly about their first-year experiences on the DProf programme. Their discussion offered valuable insights into the emotional, intellectual and practical shifts that new PGRs often encounter. By blending their voices with supportive theory, this blog aims to reassure, guide and encourage those who are just beginning their own DProf journey.

Completing a professional doctorate invites reflection not only on the research itself, but also on the journey of becoming a different kind of scholar. This post continues an article series where professional doctorate graduates reflect on their journeys. Each article offers a candid look back at the challenges, shifts in identity, and lessons learned along the way, providing insight and encouragement for those currently undertaking or considering a professional doctorate.

“Lived experience” is a term that appears frequently in doctoral proposals, especially in practice-based disciplines such as health, education, business, and social care. It sounds intuitive and human-centred, a way to capture voices and reality, and stay connected to practice. Yet, in professional doctorate research, the term 'lived experience' is a slippery one, often used without a clear or supported definition.

Completing a professional doctorate invites reflection not only on the research itself, but also on the journey of becoming a different kind of scholar. This post continues an article series where professional doctorate graduates reflect on their journeys.

Completing a professional doctorate invites reflection not only on the research itself, but also on the journey of becoming a different kind of scholar. This post continues an article series where professional doctorate graduates reflect on their journeys. Each article offers a candid look back at the challenges, shifts in identity, and lessons learned along the way, providing insight and encouragement for those currently undertaking or considering a professional doctorate.

Beginning a professional doctorate in health or social care often feels like stepping into two worlds at once. On one side lies the familiar territory of practice, with its routines, values, and ethical demands. On the other sits the more abstract terrain of scholarly inquiry, where assumptions are examined, concepts debated, and meaning constructed. The challenge for many practitioner-scholars is learning to live productively at this intersection, navigating between practice and academia while maintaining integrity in both.

Completing a professional doctorate invites reflection not only on the research itself, but also on the journey of becoming a different kind of scholar. This post launches a new series where professional doctorate graduates reflect on their journeys. Each article offers a candid look back at the challenges, shifts in identity, and lessons learned along the way, providing insight and encouragement for those currently undertaking or considering a professional doctorate.

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Podcast Episode · Grounded Theory Unbound · 11/12/2024 · 22m

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