Supporting Research Students

Citation

Landoni, M. (2011), "Supporting Research Students", Library Review, Vol. 60 No. 3, pp. 259-261. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242531111117317

There is no magic behind a successful PhD but reading this book is a good starting point for both students and supervisors. It is a reassuringly rational and well‐articulated account of how to plan for, and achieve, a productive PhD study. It effectively covers “what you always wanted to know before starting your PhD and did not know whom to ask”. The author explicitly dedicates the book to researchers and practitioners in Information and Library Science but many chapters could be equally relevant, and indeed valuable, to researchers from different communities. It is certainly true that it would have been impossible to cover every single research body, tool, technology that could support research but this, I am sure, was never the aim or the strength of this work.

The book, per se, is an effective example of research publication, starting with a rich and informative introduction and progressing toward logical conclusions. It provides a means to explore, as exhaustively as possible, the rich research scenario that doctoral students become part of at the beginning of their experience. Real stories and examples are used to engage and focus readers' attention. All major stakeholders are introduced, with an explanation and exploration of their various roles.

A rough division of content pertinent to the different stages of a doctoral study, from exploration to study design, implementation, evaluation and writing up, provides students with a good understanding of what to expect and encourages them to make the most of the opportunities, challenges and ordeals they will have to face at each different phase of their doctoral life. In particular, Chapter 2 provides the basic definitions and terminology to ground doctoral students with the appropriate parlance and background knowledge. A section on “research proposal” is clearly and effectively presented – equally applicable to a number of different disciplines – and deals with an essential component to any good doctoral plan. The section on “research approach and methods” is equally well organised and meaningful and provides a good overview of different paths of investigation students could take, with an appropriate amount of theory supported by evidence from the author's direct experience.

Chapter 3 describes another essential facet of doctoral life; that is, what to expect from, and how to interact with, a supervisor. A well‐explored account of the many ways a supervisor can contribute to the overall experience is presented, with realistic consideration of what could potentially go wrong and possible reasons for this. This makes for good reading for both supervisors and students looking to better understand each other and collaborate effectively. The chapter continues with suggestions on how to get started, select a topic and design a doctoral study, making it a very dense chapter.

Present original research as the output of a doctoral study forms the focus of Chapter 4, together with valuable advice on the necessary style and attitude required to develop an active role in the research community. It also considers how to deal with writing up, viva voce and final revision – all essential steps for completion of the doctoral programme often unfamiliar to, and somehow feared by, newly registered students.

Chapter 5 provides an articulated account of the skills essential to research by listing those identified by relevant research councils and gives advice on how to develop these further. Thus, it provides a relevant reading to all ILS stakeholders. Chapter 6 looks into how academic libraries can support research students and comprises essential reading for all academic librarians, particularly the section on “targeting and communicating with research students” – a well‐known challenge for any discipline including ILS.

The subsequent discussion of virtual schools in Chapter 7 is rather more peripheral and, with a technical focus, is at risk of becoming obsolete and enjoying less transferability across disciplines as the rest of the book. Chapter 8 sharply contrasts these limitations, which provides valuable reading for doctoral students at the beginning of their experience where, apart from specific conferences and professional associations, content is relevant and applicable to subjects other than ILS. Chapter 9 is similarly short and inspirational with a table that clarifies differences between students and professionals, the before and after perspective that doctoral students are looking for.

All in all, this book covers all the basics of completing a research degree very effectively, including the likely personal issues, and provides good insights and examples for readers to refer to. Its mere presence on my desk while undertaking this review made my doctoral students feel better supported and indicated that they felt I was actively caring for them – an unexpected benefit of the book!