ABSTRACT
Aim/Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown required doctoral writers to demonstrate resiliency to continue their culminating projects. This study examines the socioecological factors that fostered that resiliency. Background Resiliency is a key factor in determining whether doctoral writers continue with their culminating projects. Thus far, studies on doctoral student experiences during the pandemic have yet to investigate doctoral students’ adaptive strategies to continue with their projects. Methodology The qualitative study uses in-depth interviews to document the narrative journeys of four research participants pre-pandemic and in-pandemic. Those narratives are analyzed using an infectious disease resilience framework as a metaphor to highlight the resilience within each participant’s writing ecology. Contribution The study seeks to reframe the approach to doctoral writing beyond the individual student toward a broader ecological system to better serve those students and the knowledge produced, regardless of a disruptive crisis. Findings The disruptions that the four participants experienced are documented through their narratives. The participants described their coping strategies related to their workspace, technology, loss of connection, and their breaking point. Recommendations The resilience shown by the four participants demonstrates areas where institufor Practitioners tions can provide assistance to alleviate the pressures placed on doctoral writers. Reframing the dissertation writing process as a socioecological system rather than a cognitive one allows for solutions to problems that are not limited to individual writers. Recommendations Extending the socioecological systems metaphor, further research should invesfor Researchers tigate other stakeholders in a writer’s ecology to obtain different perspectives on a particular system. Impact on Society The pandemic has presented an opportunity for educational institutions to reassess how they can cultivate students’ resilience to positively impact their socioecological balance. Future Research It would be worthwhile to document the post-pandemic experiences of doctoral writers to find out how they seek balance in their ecology as they continue to deal with the post-pandemic fallout. © 2022 Informing Science Institute. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Aim/Purpose The purpose of this study was to document the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for doctoral students who were proposing, conducting, or writing up their doctoral thesis, dissertation, or other culminating project. Background For doctoral students, the process of designing, implementing, and writing a culminating project is a key part of the learning experience. These projects typically require students to direct their own learning and to manage setbacks, obstacles, and challenges as they arise. During the COVID-19 pandemic, doctoral students around the globe had to undertake this key learning experience in the context of a global crisis. Methodology During August and September 2020, 235 doctoral students from around the world completed an online questionnaire consisting of demographic questions and three open-ended questions about their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis involved several cycles of In Vivo Coding of the data, which yielded codes, categories, and eventually themes. At each stage, the researchers collaborated to generate the codes, and the categories and themes arose through several rounds of discussion. Contribution Our study adds to the small body of knowledge on doctoral students’ experiences from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying categories of experience through qualitative, open-ended survey questions. The study highlights doctoral students’ challenges and how these were either exacerbated or mitigated by pandemic-induced changes. Findings Our survey respondents described impacts on their culminating projects’ progress in five major categories: research design, access to resources, workload, mental health, and finances. Recommendations The five categories of impacts emerging from our participants’ responses may for Practitioners be useful for faculty and administrators of doctoral programs to consider in reviewing their programs’ responses to the pandemic and making future plans for providing academic continuity in crisis situations as well as re-evaluating the priorities and structures of doctoral program to better support students overall moving forward. Recommendations Further research is needed to better understand how the pandemic impacted in-for Researchers dividual students’ research and writing processes, including adaptive strategies. Impact on Society Institutions need to be aware of systemic strain on doctoral students under the best of conditions and be especially aware of the impacts of a crisis and plan contingencies to assist students with a focus on the areas of research design, access to resources, workload, mental health, and finances. Future Research Future research should seek out additional perspectives of male doctoral students. Additionally, data capturing perspectives from students at other points in time are needed as the pandemic continued to unfold after this study’s data collection period. © 2021 Informing Science Institute. All rights reserved.