A Commonwealth Scholar’s PhD Journey

In this post, Dr. Deepa Idnani, who completed her PhD this year, highlights the myriad experiences she encountered on her doctoral journey as a Commonwealth scholar at UCL Institute of Education, London. 

During my doctoral journey at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), India, I was awarded the Commonwealth split–site Scholarship to study at the UCL’s Institute of Education, London, UK. It opened a gateway to the vast resources that were unexplored and which infused in me a new vigour and enthusiasm in my work. This post outlines the experiences which proved to be both a fascinating process of creative self-empowerment, and to provide the opportunity to contribute to my discipline.

The Library

The library is one of my favourite places to visit.  It’s a place beyond the collections it houses.  It is a place for exploration and a place that allows one to meet, interact and, share interests and ideas with other researchers.   The Institute of Education Library was for me, a place where I felt welcomed and at ease: peace and serenity abound. I explored the literature in the books, journals or e-resources, and wrote my chapters in the library as the beautiful architecture, ambience and calmness helped the ideas to pour forth like a cloud burst. The Library has a team of librarians and IT specialists who were on hand to answer any questions. Of significance is the time when the IT team managed to retrieve the recordings I had made during my data collection phase which appeared lost to me!

The Role of the Supervisor 

My first meeting with my supervisor Dr. Annette Braun at the UCL Institute of Education (henceforth IOE) is a gentle and heartwarming person. She asked me to prepare a work plan for the next year, which helped me to both prioritise and schedule tasks thereby  setting the  pace and rhythm for my research.  It is this that helped me complete my thesis on time. Dr. Bruan helped me to understand different cross-cultural perspectives and guided my reading of relevant literature. She pushed me to unexplored terrains and her encouragement and instinting support facilitated me to present at international conferences like BERA, BSA and to publish in international journals. Dr. Braun took a genuine interest in me and nurtured the researcher in me.

Classes at IOE

Whilst at the IOE, I took a number of classes such as ‘What is a Doctorate?’ with Dr. Claudia Lapping, ‘Ethical Issues and Intellectual Property Rights’ with Professor Michael Reiss and Nazlin Bhimani, ‘Managing your Ph.D’ with Dr. Richard Freeman, ‘Theory in Research’ with Professor Paul Dowling, and ‘Information and Literature Searching’ by the IOE’s Research Support & Special Collections Librarian Nazlin Bhimani.   The latter course was particularly well-designed and structured for it introduced the concept of curation of knowledge in catalogues and indexes as well as in books, journals, open access resources.  This was complemented practical demonstrations as well has hands-on exercises.  The various online resources including  databases  such as SCOPUS and the Web of Science proved invaluable for my research. In addition, the ethical use of information sources by referencing and citing appropriately were highlighted as well as the need to manage time more effectively through the use of bibliographic referencing software such as Endnote, Zotero and Mendley. The nuances of disseminating research in different formats including open access enhanced my understanding of the publishing process.

Finally, the information on how to make use of the best libraries around London, such as the other UCL Libraries, the University of London’s Senate House Library and the British Library proved useful for my research. For instance, I used the British library to access the archival material such as manuscripts and rare audio and video recordings on India’s role during the WWII. Using the libraries around the beautiful city of London enriched my life as a researcher in so many ways.  However, I could not have done this easily were it not for the clear organisation and structure of the libraries and the approachability of the library staff.

Another course I took was a collaboration between Melbourne Graduate School (MGSE), Ontario School of Education (OISE) and Institution of Education. This course provided me with the opportunity to present my work online and discuss key issues in education with experts and students from these three institutions, thereby building bridges which enabled an understanding of diverse perspectives from scholars based in different parts of the world.

Challenges

During the initial phase of Ph.D., getting time to read was a struggle with job, family responsibilities and finding time for my children who are aged 5 and 11 years.
In time, though, as I set priorities, I was able to maintain a schedule, study for four days and take three days off and thereby have time off to rest and come back to my studies refreshed.  I was also able to work more from home and to spend the weekends studying in the last year of the exchange as my husband took care of the children.

Pursuing Hobbies

The time off helped me to pursue my hobby which is travelling. I was able to use this as a stress buster and I also joined UCL’s Theatre Society. This allowed me to do something creative outside of my research field and meet other students at the university.

Planning

My advice to new students is to ensure you plan: as planning is the key to the successful completion of the Doctorate – which will have its turns, twists, highs and lows. It will though be, by far, the most rewarding and satisfying of life’s journey.

Acknowledgements

I would like to dedicate this post to all my teachers, colleagues, friends and students who have encouraged and inspired me on my PhD journey. Special thanks also to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, UK for enabling me to experience this fascinating journey.