What is a PhD? The real answer...

phd.academy
A PhD is the entry qualification to the world of professional academia. And the purpose of a PhD is to develop and then demonstrate the skills of a professional academic researcher. You may have no intention of becoming a professional academic researcher, but this is what the system is set up for.
0:00 Introduction- What is a PhD?
0:20 Common definitions
2:00 A PhD as the pinnacle of the education system
3:00 The differences between a PhD and other qualifications
4:45 My definition of a PhD

[@bevbeautifulhealing]

Eli, this was actually quite good. I’m about to start my PhD and this really help me to put things in prospective as I move forward, and has eliminated so of my expectations. I concur. And I really appreciate your thoughts working with others, not the best in the field and on mistakes. Very helpful. Cheers. 👌🏾🤓

[@James_Hayton]

Thanks, and good luck!

[@marianachrispim7213]

I wish I had found your channel before or at the beginning of my PhD. True and wise explanation. I think most PhD really just understand it during the process

[@yyjadeja]

James you are superstar

[@evelynkarkkulainen1784]

I agree❤

[@f8staynicht]

I am currently about to graduate from my masters degree and it has made me think a lot of whether or not to pursue PhD in a couple of years. Really glad I got to watch this today to just put things in perspective as to what it means to pursue a PhD.

[@azlinalioness]

Oh wow! I like your definition. Thank you for the clarity. 👍🏻

[@reflective_shell]

The beard has shortened and educational style has compacted) I have been waiting for new cycle of your materials, actually! You are doing very important job for a lot of people in academia, myself included - thank you so much❤ About the definition : I like how your reframing of PhD actually makes it more bearable. I was following this path when tried to reconsider it as “a book” or as “yet another text” (in order to reduce the mental pressure I felt toward it). The thing is, writing a PhD thesis stands far out of our regular writing experience, and with nothing to compare it tends to seem monstrous

[@haonanqiu4251]

Thank you James! You helped me in millions of ways!!!

[@inquiringhuman2582]

I agree with your definition.

[@alexanderberyozkin]

Thank you for this new perspective. It is promising, and, at the same time, it is heavy.

[@sanjaisrao484]

Excellent thank you

[@ColtonRMagby]

I didn't know jack about a PhD before now, and hearing this definition helps me understand it should I decide to go through the process of getting one in the future.

[@deepaamar5715]

Thanks for this video, James. I am in my second year of PhD and even starting to think of why I started it. This takes a lot of pressure off.

[@James_Hayton]

Glad it was helpful!

[@austinp3253]

great words

[@leptonsoup337]

As someone that routinely argues with administrators regarding the distinction between undergraduate and graduate studies, I appreciate your calm and eloquent approach to this topic. That said, I´m not totally sold on your definition as I know loads of academics without Ph.D.s that are uniquely qualified to make contributions in academia. In the past few years, I´ve actually fought against this idea that a Ph.D. should be required for entry level academic positions (while demanding that it should be required for higher titles like "full professor" or even "associate professor").IDK, man. At the end of the day, I really hate all of this frilly cuffs and collars gate keeping crap and would honestly give my Ph.D. back if it meant I didnt have to deal with the bullshit that seems to be an intrinsic property of academia. Why can´t we just pursue knowledge and let excellence and rigor of an idea or approach stand up to scrutiny on their own? What I do know is that the academic system is broken and being led by an increasingly incompetent class of business-minded administrators that use phrases like, "oh! you´re treating these studies like it´s a Ph.D. program! We need to cut it all down and save money! The good ones get Master´s degrees anyway!". I hate to say it, but as academic inflation continues to grow like an unchecked cancer, what it "means" to have a Ph.D. will increasingly be devalued. Using admin logic, I´d say, "well. The good ones do 5 post docs and get habilitated in Germany or Switzerland". (Sorry for the very "stream of consciousness" incoherent rant. I´m just very frustrated these last few months)

[@James_Hayton]

I didn't say (and don't believe) that only PhDs can contribute to knowledge, and I didn't say that a PhD should be required for entry level academic positions (although it usually is). I think if someone has a good publication record, they're beyond the standard required for a PhD anyway (because they clearly have the skills of a professional academic researcher). As I've said elsewhere, I think most people shouldn't do a PhD, BUT if you want to be an professional academic then it's the obvious path.

[@heightwidth]

Perfect answer

[@newpilgrim]

I can attest....my doctoral support system (for the most part) is quite patient with my interrogative and imperfect doctoral work.

[@stksport]

Great video! How about higher doctorates, such as Doctor of Science, shouldn't those be the top of the Educational piramid?

[@James_Hayton]

Well no... the point is that a PhD isn't at the top of the educational pyramid even though some might think of it that way. A PhD is the bottom of the professional academic system. To be honest I don't worry about where to place higher doctorates as I'm just trying to define what a PhD is.

[@stksport]

@@James_Hayton Yes, for those who go to the academic path :)

[@James_Hayton]

Even for those who don't. The PhD system is set up to produce professional academic researchers, whether or not you want to stay on that path. It's fundamental to understanding the PhD process.

[@VKMTH]

Interesting, although don’t the examiners care about the mistakes you’ve made during the viva? I’m not sure what the last bit that ‘nobody really cares about the mistakes you’ve made’ means. As such, the definition of a PhD as an entry level qualification is not helpful to ease stress (as you mentioned) because it actually just seems like a lot of learning (to become a scholar) therefore needs to be done. I found the earlier clarifications useful though! Thank you for this video

[@James_Hayton]

Thanks for challenging me! To clarify: Nobody cares about the mistakes you make *on the way to a discovery*, meaning it's OK to try things and take risks, but then you adapt if and when things go wrong. Regarding the examiners, actually it's OK to make mistakes in your thesis (that's why there are corrections-- it mimics the process of peer review where academics almost always have to make corrections to papers before publication). You can also get things wrong in your viva, but of course there could be serious mistakes that really matter. Of course it's a lot of learning to become a scholar. To me it seems a lot more pressure to assume you should already have the skills. If you don't want to learn, why do it?

[@VKMTH]

Thanks so much for your reply, I understand what you meant by the reference to mistakes now, and how this could be perceived in the context of the viva as well. I like that reframing of learning as a process, thank you! Appreciate your thoughtful reply

[@James_Hayton]

Plus I'd add that the learning doesn't stop once you have the PhD. A good academic keeps on learning and developing their skills for life!

[@MrGTO86]

PhD = Permanent Head Damage. I still want to do it though 😂

[@James_Hayton]

I know it's a joke, but a PhD should be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Difficult but not damaging!

[@MrGTO86]

@@James_Hayton True. Very true.

[@treyb6089]

I’m curious how you feel age factors into the PhD process. As as 40+ student of a PhD is it to late to be relevant in this space?

[@James_Hayton]

Depends what you mean by "relevant" and "this space". It's certainly not too late to do a PhD and to publish your work, but if you want to become a professional academic it could be a bit more difficult (though not impossible). So it depends what your goals are, but you'll give yourself the best chance if you get really good at what you do.

[@treyb6089]

@@James_Hayton Thank you for the insight. I appreciate the response. 😀

[@msog8488]

What is the difference between an Mphil and PhD?

[@haonanqiu4251]

I finished my PhD last year, I would like to give support to ongoing PhD students!!! Write to me if you need someone to listen to you!

[@James_Hayton]

Better if you write to me and let me know what you want to do/ what questions you have about it!