Doing a PhD: A Librarian’s Perspective

Writing a PhD thesis is a different writing exercise to writing a journal article, book or book chapter.
In this guest post Dr Eva Hornung shares her insights on the process, having completed writing a 95,000 word thesis - and that word count excludes appendices. According to Eva writing that many words is not a problem.  The challenge is in not being repetitive, rather to be precise and keep the reader engaged - as in the case with all writing really.  If you want more information about the process from Eva, she is happy to be contacted by e-mail.

Guest Post

Dr Eva Hornung, Curriculum Development Unit, Trinity College Dublin

It all started with a thought…
The idea to do a PhD came to me back in 2003. As a solo librarian I found it extremely difficult to keep up-to-date with what was happening in the library and information world. Time off and financial support were hard to come by, even though my library was in the education field. My first professional post had been in a large public library in Germany, where we had had a policy on training. So I was wondering: how on earth do other one-person librarians (OPLs) manage their own continuing professional development?

You could say that my PhD topic (“The current state and perceptions of one-person librarians in Ireland of continuing professional development”) was borne out of frustration, which is as good as any starting point, I guess. After some initial reading around workplace learning I realised that there was very little research on small libraries, which was a bit of a mystery considering how many colleagues work in solo operations. Informal chats with other OPLs convinced me that this was indeed a topic worth investigating.

The process of finding a PhD programme
I checked the websites of a number of library schools. The Information School at the University of Sheffield really was my first choice – they not only had a fantastic reputation for their research and teaching, but also a lot of experience with part-time PhD students doing their research abroad. Sheffield was easy to get to with more than one airport nearby. I sent an email to the Head of School outlining my idea hoping they would consider me as a student. He got back immediately and was very encouraging, even suggesting the supervisor I had hoped for: Sheila Webber, who agreed to take me under her wings! Over the next couple of months I wrote my research proposal, which was accepted by the research committee in December 2004. Interestingly, looking back at it, it had very little in common with the final product bar the general idea! I went over to Sheffield for an interview, which was very relaxed and informative - really more an exercise in getting to know each other, I felt. They showed me around the Department and I met some of the other PhD students. This made me realise that I was part of a bigger research community, even though I would only meet them occasionally. Through Sheffield’s intranet I could access not only electronic journals and databases, but also other student services, which was extremely helpful.

The nitty-gritty bits
Since this followed a traditional PhD model, I didn’t have to take any courses or modules. The research methodology modules I had done for the Master’s degree in SILS were deemed to be sufficient. Sheffield were in the process of building a development facility for all their doctoral students, which included training, but it really only came into being after I had more or less finished. As a German I also needed proof of language proficiency. Over the years my supervisor and I kept in touch mainly by email, phone and Skype. I made occasional trips over to meet her and to spend a week or so at the university libraries. Let’s just say you can carry an awful lot of paper between countries if you have to…

Unfortunately, I was not eligible for either study or exam leave, which meant that all PhD-related work had to be done using annual leave, weekends, evenings and bank holidays. This included not only actual writing and the viva, but collecting, transcribing and analysing data (semi-structured interviews in my case); travelling around the country to meet with participants; checking material held in Irish libraries; writing articles and presenting at conferences. I was very lucky to be accepted to some brilliant conferences, in some fantastic locations, so it always felt like a short holiday as well.

Even though I was a part-time student I was required to pay full-time tuition fees as I didn’t live in the UK. On the plus side I could avail of tax relief in Ireland. Luckily I had just paid the last instalment before tuition fees doubled in 2011 – I would not have been able to finish. The registration period does not extend to the viva, corrections and graduation, which means you stop paying when you hand in your draft.

The PhD process
In England you are initially enrolled as a Master (by research) student. About half way through your registration period you have to produce an upgrade report outlining your progress to date and stating how you want to proceed. The literature review was continuing throughout the process and actually never stopped. I’m still reading. For a librarian doing a literature review should  not be too daunting a task, even though the depth and breadth of it was unlike any other I’ve done before or since.

Your supervisor is key. Everything is overwhelming at the beginning: where do I start? There are some good books out there, but research is messy and unpredictable and full of dead ends. Sheila was great – she let me discover things for myself, but was always available to bounce ideas off. This was vital, especially when it came to teasing out the research questions, which influenced the design of the study including choice of methodology. We both share an interest in “Phenomenography”, which is a qualitative research approach, and are now part of a wider international research community.

From early on I had a loose structure in my head. Chapters would be renamed and expanded, but there were pointers to what needed to be in the final thesis. I found that putting something on paper helped. And I tried to write a little (nearly) every day, even if it was only a paragraph or cleaning up something I’d written earlier. Sheila read drafts and gave me constructive feedback, but the most important bit for me was her challenging my categories of data during analysis. Some of her other PhD students also used Phenomenography, and we looked at each other’s work. Research is always about collaboration and critical thinking.

At the end of year six I finally had produced a draft I was happy with. Two lovely friends did the proof-reading. One of them fell asleep while doing so and told me. Great for the ego. I had to get several copies bound in Sheffield for the examiners, my supervisor and myself. More paper making its way across the Irish Sea. The day I submitted was a strange one: two days ahead of the deadline, but I felt as if someone had cut off a limb, real grief, which probably sounds pathetic. It had been such a long journey and I didn’t know what to do with myself. The PhD was my baby, I was responsible, and now I had to let it go off into the world to be judged.  Over the next months I kept busy by reading new stuff and re-reading old articles. As this was a Doctorate in Philosophy it was appropriate to go back to the beginning, so I rediscovered some Greek philosophers.

The viva – defending your research
The “viva voce”, the “living voice”. The “great unknown”. I had heard many horror stories about it including 12-hour marathons with a break for Pizza in the middle! I figured that it was, after all, only an exam, so it had to be something I could prepare for. Also, I trusted my supervisor and the university – they wouldn’t let me go into that room if they felt I wasn’t ready. And so it was. It goes without saying that you need to know your thesis inside out. And that you can talk about it until the cows come home. So talk as much as you can, which leaves them with less time to ask questions.

My viva took about two hours. The external examiner was from another university, the internal one from the department. My supervisor also sat in, but the regulations were she couldn’t ask anything or contribute. She did take some notes for me, which helped me with the corrections: and it was lovely seeing a familiar face.

They can ask you just about anything, and they did. At the beginning I was really nervous, but relaxed and then found that I really enjoyed it. They had clearly read the thesis (without falling asleep, I hope). Some of the questions were expected, such as how I got the idea, the steps I had taken, why this research approach and why not another one, the sample size, how I had overcome challenges, how I went about data collection and so on. Others were very forensic and went into much detail. Content, context and structure were examined. All in all the time flew by and I couldn’t believe when they said that this was itJ.

Every student gets a report written by both examiners which includes their comments on the thesis and on the viva itself. The very minor corrections I had to make, for which they allowed three months, took me about a day to complete (and only because some page numbers had changed and I became obsessed with checking them). The final version of the thesis also needed to be bound by the University, so, yes, another trip across the sea with bags full of paper.

After I had submitted the final version I needed to slowly wean myself off that mad schedule. And, yes, I would do it all again!

Some personal observations
Doing a part-time PhD while working full-time requires you to have both time and project management skills. If you don’t have them at the beginning, you’ll have them at the end! Personality traits that come in handy are being able to see the bigger picture, enjoying immersing oneself in research, and sheer stubbornness. Nobody in my extended family had been to third level, so no one had ever attempted a doctorate, which made it very special for everyone. I know they are extremely proud of me (formerly known as Eva, I’m now “die Frau Doktor!”), but they also think I’m a bit madJ. For me it was one of the best things I have ever done in my life: it is a discovery of yourself.

New avenues opened up in my professional life, too. A researcher I had met at a conference in Sweden, for example, emailed me years later and asked me to review books for a professional journal. The OPLs who participated in my study also had a huge influence on my daily work in the library – I’m still in touch with almost all of them and some have become personal friends. What a great profession to be in!

Some tips:

-          Find a topic you are really, really enthusiastic about (and can still see yourself investigating in three, four years’ time).

-          Find a supervisor you get on well with. It’s a very intense relationship, and there is no point in being miserable.

-          Try and get some sort of financial support, e.g. a scholarship or payment from your employer.

-          Apply for travel/conference grants, e.g. John Campbell Trust, IFLA, your university. Conferences are expensive.

-          But do go to conferences. You get great feedback, develop new ideas and make new friends.

-          There are things you have no control over, e.g. family members and friends getting ill, the government cutting your salary. You cannot plan for all eventualities. Just get started.

-          You will be doing a lot of reading. A lot of it. All scientific stuff. Still catching up on novels I missed over those years…

-          Even with study leave you will need at least every other weekend and two to three nights a week for study. Try to stick to a plan, but don’t put yourself under pressure if there are spells when you cannot do anything. Take the time to think.

-          The main reason why you want to do a PhD has to be “because I love it”. It will change your life.

-          Keep a work-life-study balance. Family and friends are crucial. As are exercise, sleep, and good food. Oh, and chocolate.

-          Try not to bawl your eyes out at your graduation. Makes for a funny official picture. Gown, big hat, red face and puffy eyes. Embarrassed parents.

-          It is a long process and you need to be in for the long haul: exactly nine years from idea to graduation in my case. And of course it never ends – reading, thinking, writing, presenting, more research. It’s a way of living.

More reading:

For a more “practical” summary of the thesis check out An Leabharlann, ‘One-Person Librarians and Continuing Professional Development: how the LAI can make a difference’. An Leabharlann, 21 (1), March, 2012 (open access). The theory/philosophy (including “Phenomenography”) is explained in: ‘On your own, but not alone: one-person librarians in Ireland and their perceptions of continuing professional development’. Library Trends, 61 (3), Winter, 2013. The thesis itself is available in paper form only.