where can I study for a Phd?

choosing a study route
Crunch question is to search deep within and ask why are you planning to do it – e.g. to satisfy you or others,
to prove your capability,
to advance the body of knowledge,
to follow a fascination,
to help your business/career.

I think the area you are interested in is ripe for in depth doc level work given the majority of the info/literature is anecdotal or based around products and models where the authors have a strong vested interest whether within organisations or outside. My research was on mentoring relationships and some of it is in the library here – I wanted to do 2 things – get an in depth understanding of the dynamics of the mentoring relationship that I was not getting from the literature and I wanted to be able to build tools/models/materials to help my clients and yes myself.

The next crunch question is what methodology will suit you – e.g. a quantitative approach – a traditional approach where you formulate a hypothesis and test it or a qualitative approach or dare I say a combination.

I chose a qualitative approach based on grounded theory and to an extent action research within an action learning context. My subject was grounded in organisations not libraries or business schools. Not to say I didn’t do some quantitative work.

Then where to go for the methodology suited to you…

for me it had to be pracital and action learning based hence International Management Centres Association http://www.i-m-c.org/ where I am now involved in an honorary role supporting programme development and recently in IMCA’s CPD Business School – see partner pages here.

So it is horses for courses and critical to define what kind of horse or course you are!

If you want to discuss drop me a note on v.i.p@blueyonder.co.uk

2 Responses

AnonymousUser says:

December 21, 2001 at 1:54 am

choosing a study route
Crunch question is to search deep within and ask why are you planning to do it – e.g. to satisfy you or others,
to prove your capability,
to advance the body of knowledge,
to follow a fascination,
to help your business/career.

I think the area you are interested in is ripe for in depth doc level work given the majority of the info/literature is anecdotal or based around products and models where the authors have a strong vested interest whether within organisations or outside. My research was on mentoring relationships and some of it is in the library here – I wanted to do 2 things – get an in depth understanding of the dynamics of the mentoring relationship that I was not getting from the literature and I wanted to be able to build tools/models/materials to help my clients and yes myself.

The next crunch question is what methodology will suit you – e.g. a quantitative approach – a traditional approach where you formulate a hypothesis and test it or a qualitative approach or dare I say a combination.

I chose a qualitative approach based on grounded theory and to an extent action research within an action learning context. My subject was grounded in organisations not libraries or business schools. Not to say I didn’t do some quantitative work.

Then where to go for the methodology suited to you…

for me it had to be pracital and action learning based hence International Management Centres Association http://www.i-m-c.org/ where I am now involved in an honorary role supporting programme development and recently in IMCA’s CPD Business School – see partner pages here.

So it is horses for courses and critical to define what kind of horse or course you are!

If you want to discuss drop me a note on v.i.p@blueyonder.co.uk
AnonymousUser says:

January 1, 2002 at 11:19 am

Give a call – I am undertaking a Phd at the moment
Matt.

If it would help give me a call on 020 8313 4216 (work) and we can have a chat as I have just started my phd and may be able to assist

Paul