Theory Paper Development Training in Doctoral Education: Reflections on a PhD Workshop

Abstract

Many PhD students, especially in Europe, indicate that they are uncomfortable working with theory, and developing theory articles. We took this situation as an opportunity to familiarize PhD students with theory papers and theory-building exercises via the development of a PhD workshop. This was followed by asking participants to reflect on the value of the workshop. They reported it to benefit their PhD trajectory (perceived skill development) in the short-term, as well as to positively impact their academic work (working on theory papers), in the long-term. We identified three dimensions of skill development that the workshop fostered: guiding enquiry, building confidence, and empowering intent. Survey data collected from course participants 5 to 10 years after course completion indicated they perceived it to be highly useful, where all respondents have since worked on at least one theory manuscript. The intent of this article is to underscore the possibilities and benefits of providing PhD students with the opportunity to engage in theory development via conceptual work. It also shows how the motivation, and arguably the success, of the PhD experience is influenced by the availability of adequate structures and processes that encourage students to develop their own skill sets.