This is How to PhD, the show dedicated to sharing those key, practical skills for PhD success. Perhaps you‘ve just decided to embark on a PhD, or maybe you‘re a seasoned doctoral veteran about to face your viva. Whatever stage you‘re at, the PhD can be a huge challenge. But it can also be one of the most rewarding things you‘ll ever do and there are a few things we learned along the way that can help you. Join myself, Dr Arun Ulahannan and my co-host, Dr Julia Gauly, as we share everything we wish we had known before starting our PhDs!
Ep19- How to peer review!
This is one of the big things in the academic world, but unfortunately there's very little guidance on what exactly it is and how you can get involved. In this episode, we'll take you through everything you need to know about peer review and why it's something that can be very helpful for you!
10/31/2021 • 32 minutes, 13 seconds
Ep18- (Part 2) Why interview studies matter and how to do them
We're back after our break and we're wrapping up our two-part episode on interview studies. This time we're tackling the practical things you need to consider when actually running your interview studies.
10/24/2021 • 37 minutes, 21 seconds
A quick update on the show
Hello everyone, a warm welcome to all of our new listeners and of course all of you who have been with us since the early days.
It’s been a long time since we spoke! Firstly, we want to apologise to all of you listening here for not updating you all on what’s happening with the show. We had sent a message out on Twitter and Instagram, but of course, not all of you have access to or use those platforms- and we just didn’t realise that, so that’s why we’re posting this message today.
As I’m sure you noticed, we haven’t posted an episode in a couple of weeks. We had to pause the show for a few weeks. Last month in August, our baby son passed away and it’s been a really difficult time for us. So we took time off work and really focussed on our wellbeing and grieving.
But we’re now doing much better and we’re ready to get the show going again. In the meantime, the show has continued to grow and we’re so excited. We’ve grown to over 1000 followers on Twitter- so thank you!!
So stay tuned- we’ll have an episode out in the next week or two. In the meantime, good luck to everyone who’s just started their PhDs! We’ll be here to support and get you all through what will be some of the most exciting years of your life!
In the meantime, if you have any questions, you can email us at [email protected], or follow us on twitter and instagram @howtophdshow, for all of the latest updates.
Take care and we’ll see you all very soon!
9/21/2021 • 1 minute, 48 seconds
Ep17- Why interview studies matter and how you can do them (Part 1)
Interview studies can give you a huge amount of valuable data- if done correctly! In this first part of a two-part episode, Arun & Julia give you all the details on why you might want to consider doing an interview study and how you go about preparing to do one! In part 2 next week, we'll talk about how you actually run the study and how to go about analysing your data!
8/2/2021 • 28 minutes, 59 seconds
Ep16- How to tell good research from bad research!
It’s so important, not only for your PhD, but for life in general to be able to distinguish good research from bad research. Doing so will allow you to ensure you reference and talk about papers of a good quality. We’re going to give you 3 essential tips to help you in being a regular Sherlock Holmes of the good research world!
7/26/2021 • 26 minutes, 47 seconds
Ep15- How to read academic papers!
Pro tip! Don't just read papers like a book! Reading papers is more of an art form than you think. If you know what to look for, you can save yourself a lot of time and focus on just the bits most relevant to you. In this episode, we're going to give you the full rundown of exactly how to do this, as well as some useful tools to make the whole job easier!
7/19/2021 • 28 minutes, 3 seconds
Ep14- How to do conferences!
COVID has changed conferences for now, but the tips in this episode are still valid! We remember our first conferences were pretty daunting experiences. There's a lot of new terminology you might not of heard before and you might feel overwhelmed at the number of different sessions in a short space of time. Don't worry! This episode has got you covered. We're going to take you through the conference basics: the types of sessions that are worth your time, how to network, how to use social media, how to master your time and the best way you can prepare for the conference experience!
7/11/2021 • 31 minutes, 14 seconds
Ep13- How to NOT fail your PhD!
This is the worst case scenario right? The thing no PhD candidate ever wants to think about, but might end up worrying about it every day! This episode is here to put an end to that kind of thinking. We're going to give you the SIX KEY THINGS you need to demonstrate to not fail your PhD... and you'll see that actually, you're almost definitely hitting all the requirements to NOT fail! This episode will give you the reassurance and confidence that you are most certainly on track!
7/4/2021 • 35 minutes, 25 seconds
Ep12- How to balance your work, life & PhD!
This can be so hard during your PhD. But in this episode, we’ll take you through things you can do to try and organise your life and make time for all the important aspects of your life. We’ll discuss how to prioritise your jobs and roles, how to take your leave and how to work from home- it’s a big one!!
6/27/2021 • 32 minutes, 37 seconds
Ep11- When and how to apply for post-PhD jobs!
Does this sound like a long long way off? In this week's episode, we're going to be showing you why it's never too early to start thinking about life after the PhD. There are things you can do right now, that are going to really help you and take the stress off when it comes to the final months. We'll also give you a rundown of the practical things you need to know when it comes to searching for and applying for jobs
6/20/2021 • 32 minutes, 15 seconds
Ep10- Finding and writing your Research Question!
This can be incredibly daunting- especially if your work is novel and there isn't a whole lot of literature out there. We talk about how you can find your research question using different, 'novel' sources and exactly how you can write your own great research question!
6/13/2021 • 29 minutes, 35 seconds
Ep09- How to deal with journal corrections and rejections
Corrections and rejections from journals can be extremely demotivating and can be a major stressor for many PhD candidates. Don't worry, this week we're going to show you why this shouldn't be the case and exactly how you should go about responding to all of the many types of responses you could get.
6/6/2021 • 28 minutes, 19 seconds
Ep08- How to write and submit journal papers
It’s a process that’s we’re still learning something new about every time. But with these tips, we’ll give you five essential and practical tips to submit your paper in its best possible form, to its ideal journal!
5/30/2021 • 30 minutes, 20 seconds
Ep07- How to apply for ethical approval!
Ethics... you might see a lot of people worry about this, or at least complain about it! But actually the process is really important to the research process. Understanding why we do it and what actually is in an ethics application can be really powerful- and this week we'll give you the complete practical rundown on how you can apply for ethics. By the end of this episode, you'll have no worries understanding and applying for your next ethical approval!
5/23/2021 • 24 minutes, 39 seconds
Ep06- How to navigate the viva day! (part 2)
We share some essential tips for managing the actual viva itself, including some useful examples from our own viva experience!
5/19/2021 • 25 minutes, 6 seconds
Ep05- How to prepare for the viva! (part 1)
We'll show you why the viva, or defence, is something you don't need to fear! Using our tips, you can be ready and prepped- both mentally and practically!
5/16/2021 • 24 minutes, 24 seconds
MHAW Special 5- The art of goal setting
It’s our fifth and final episode of our Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 series! It’s great to be ambitious, but setting unrealistic expectations of yourself in your head can lead to disappointment and imposter syndrome. Let’s set better goals using a technique we’ve used so many times over!
5/13/2021 • 17 minutes, 14 seconds
MHAW Special 4- How to rethink PhD myths
The fourth of our Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 series! “You have to work weekends!”, “There’s no time for anything else!”. Heard this before? We’re here to rethink those myths and show how you can in fact live a balanced, healthy life with time for yourself and your wellbeing.
5/12/2021 • 16 minutes, 37 seconds
MHAW Special 3- Manage anxiety with 'Big Picture'
The third of our Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 series! It can be scary to face up to our deepest sources of PhD anxiety, but using this technique, we found you can come to terms with them and actually learn to grow from these anxieties!
5/11/2021 • 18 minutes, 46 seconds
MHAW Special 2- Self-appreciation using role listing!
The second of our Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 series! Do you know what an incredible person you are? You’re more than a student! We fulfil many more roles in life that we often don’t give ourselves any credit for. Tune in to learn a little technique to love yourself more!
5/10/2021 • 10 minutes, 26 seconds
MHAW Special 1- Managing Imposter Syndrome
The first of our Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 series! Do you ever feel like you’re not qualified to do your doctoral studies? That others are ahead of you? You’re not alone, but luckily there’s some things we learned to do that can help you manage it
5/9/2021 • 17 minutes, 41 seconds
Special- How to find, fund and apply for a PhD
Thinking about applying for a PhD, but still on the fence? Or a bit confused about where you can find funding? Do you feel you might not have enough research experience? We'll answer all this and more in this special edition of How to PhD. We'll cover how you can find positions, how you can fund them and of course, how to apply for them. Some useful tricks in this episode for those considering a PhD!
Plus, thanks to our fantastic listeners for the episode suggestion!
5/4/2021 • 28 minutes, 19 seconds
Ep04- How to Start your Thesis
Getting around to actually starting your thesis can be pretty daunting. Bringing together 3-4 years of work is no mean feat. In this episode, we’ll guide you from that blank document, to writing its content and making the design sing!
Those first days and months of the PhD can be unsettling, but it doesn’t have to be!
In this first episode of How to PhD, Arun & Julia discuss the five essential skills and things you need to get off on the right foot. We also touch on some important tips for your health and wellbeing. In fact, doesn’t really matter if you’re 1 day in or 2 years in, this first episode is packed with crucial tips for every PhD student. Tune in to find out more!
4/25/2021 • 35 minutes, 13 seconds
Let us tell you How to PhD!
Myself, Arun Ulahannan and my co-host Julia Gauly are here to share little nuggets of PhD wisdom. Having been through the process ourselves, we realised that actually there's a whole bunch of stuff that nobody really tells you, but you're left to sort of work out on your own.
Visit howtophd.show to find out more and hit subscribe to be notified when the first episode drops! See you soon!
