Research models that bridge disciplinary, theoretical, and methodological boundaries are increasingly common as funders and the public push for effective responses to pressing social problems. Although social work is inherently an integrative discipline, there is growing recognition of the need to better prepare emerging scholars for sophisticated…

In this work, we explore journal writing as a way to come to know culture, particularly cultural phenomenon, vastly different from one's own firmly held and enacted beliefs. In this research, we accept the premise that writing is a way of knowing and adopt journal writing as a tool through which students can explore the knowledge they have…

This volume celebrates the first decade of Council on Library and Information Resources' (CLIR) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program by bringing together 20 past and present CLIR postdoctoral fellows to share their thoughts on their experiences, and more broadly, on the direction of academia. Each essay is a look into the working conditions associated…

After World War II, the United States decided to support much of its basic research through universities. That decision invigorated research with the energy, abilities, and fresh perspectives of students, while creating a fertile training ground for future researchers. Doctoral education in the U.S.--the education and training of Ph.D.s--became a…

Graduate and post-graduate programs were initially developed by universities to increase discipline-specific mastery. Faculty members impact both the content and quality of such programs as they are responsible for making it relevant in the current climate while also addressing the changes envisaged for society tomorrow. Although studies exist…

The first cohort in the Doctor of Education in Distance Education at Athabasca University began in August 2008. From the first two years of this program, there are experiences for reflection and stories to be told from this community of online learners. Storytelling offers a reflective tool for constructing meaning to inform practice and pedagogy,…

This article describes the impact that coursework related to Virginia Commonwealth University's inaugural EdD program had on a public school administrator; particularly how the Carnegie Project for the Educational Doctorate's (CPED) working principles continue to play a role in solving "Problems of Practice" in an at-risk school long…

This article focuses on one dean's approach to securing and maintaining faculty involvement in developing a School of Education CPED Initiative. Using the conceptual framework of "execution" (Bossidy & Charan, 2002), the author describes how the goal of creating a "change-capable" culture (a) demanded congruence between the…

This study investigated the inner experiences of adults learning to become educational researchers. Through narrative analysis of doctoral students' tales of memorable early encounters in conducting research, insight was gained into the self-questioning tension, conflict, and drama often experienced. A discussion about how to utilize…

The journey towards completion of a PhD is a bumpy one for many. One of the major factors that influence successful and on-time thesis completion is the relationship that the PhD candidate has with her or his supervisor. This paper presents results from research undertaken using a 12-item survey to collect data from a purposive sample: PhD…

This study examined the treatment of epistemology and methodological rigor in qualitative social work dissertations. Template-based review was conducted on a random sample of 75 dissertations completed between 2008 and 2010. For each dissertation, we noted the presence or absence of four markers of epistemology: theory, paradigm, reflexivity, and…

The article examines the status and knowledge contributions of professional doctorates (PDs) undertaken by practising professionals who in most cases are not intending to join the academic community. The purpose of these doctorates is usually to research and develop an original contribution to practice through practitioner-research. Giving greater…

This article explores theological dimensions of the academic vocation, taking its cue from the research undertaken by the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, which envisions the scholar as a steward of an academic discipline. We contend, however, that the Christian scholar's sense of stewardship extends beyond one's academic…

This article addresses the benefits and challenges involved with assigning small-scale research projects in one research methods class as means of introducing new(er) researchers to the work and rewards of empirical writing research. The following discussion does not claim to offer examples of cutting-edge methodological work. That is not our goal…

By focusing on the problem of graduate student persistence, researchers have tended to either discount or ignore the impact and value of advising relationships as a context for the successful completion of a doctoral program. Little information exists regarding the advising experiences and relationships between African-American female doctoral…