Embracing the Unknown

Sarah Jones is a Visiting Lecturer and a PhD Researcher in social sciences at Birmingham City University.Mikhail Azad is a PhD Researcher in social sciences at Birmingham City University.Liam Miles is a PhD researcher in social sciences at Birmingham City University.Adam Lynes is an Associate Professor in social sciences at Birmingham City University.

• Foreword - Sarah PembertonIntroduction - Sarah Jones, Mikahil Azad, Liam Miles, and Adam LynesPART I1. Re- entering academia: the unexpected journey - Sarah Jones2. Entering the fray: the hyper-competitive PhD environment - Alexander Black3. Conceptualising a PhD topic: navigating my way through academia - Mikahil Azad4. New horizons: moving countries to start the PhD - Eliska Suchomel Duskova5. From home to the unknown: applying for postgraduate study in the UK from the global south - Manikandan SoundararajanEditor reflections on Part IPART II6. Navigating the depths of grief: a journey through grief while pursuing a PhD - Rio Waldock7. Double duty: undertaking PhD research while being a full- time lecturer - Charlotte Rigby8. Balancing act: balancing family life with the PhD - Suzanne Baggs9. Managing the mind and PhD’ing - Abigail ShawEditor reflections on Part IIPART III10. Safety in cultures of precarity: complex trauma and the value of ‘trauma-informed’ PhD supervision - Lisa Edge11. Working for nothing: the exploitation of postgraduate students - Kyla Bavin12. How close is too close? Ethical tensions and reflections in the Breddon Centre - Kavya Padmanabhan13. Methodology unravelled: safely crossing the research minefield - Liam MilesEditor reflections on Part IIIPART IV14. ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’: the Viva and beyond - Nick Gibbs15. The whispers of doubt: ten years after the PhD and pervasive imposter syndrome - Adam Lynes16. Fifteen years later, at the moral crossroads: retaining purpose and direction in the face of academic capitalism - Daniel Briggs17. Mentoring moments: a collaborative reflection on supervision - Chelsea Braithwaite, Owen Hodgkinson, and James TreadwellEditor reflections on Part IVConclusion - Sarah Jones, Mikahil Azad, Liam Miles, and Adam Lynes

‘The PhD journey isn’t easy and as the title of this book suggests, it can feel like a “step into the unknown”. So, for anyone still at the planning stage or already well on the road, seeking out advice and guidance about how to manage the route, avoid wrong turnings and make it to the end point is really worthwhile. This brilliant book presents personal accounts of the PhD experience in a way that readers are sure to find accessible, supportive and empowering.’ Nigel South, University of Essex