No Pain, No Gain: The Necessary Initial Struggles to Enable Doctoral Research Work

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No Pain, No Gain: The Necessary Initial Struggles to Enable Doctoral Research Work

Yifan Zhang, Matthew Pike, Dave Towey

International Conference on Open and Innovative Education (ICOIE) | 2021

Abstract

Doctoral research is often fraught with challenges, especially in the early stages. This paper examines the struggles faced by PhD students, from refining research questions to managing academic pressures. The study presents insights from doctoral candidates at a Sino-foreign university, discussing their coping strategies and the support mechanisms available. Recommendations are made for institutions to better support PhD students in overcoming initial research challenges.