Gold standard of PhD ¡®under threat¡¯, professors claim

Academics have provoked debate by claiming that increased pressure to pass substandard candidates, nepotism and 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 ¡°PhD by prior publication¡± are endangering 바카라사이트 doctorate¡¯s reputation as 바카라사이트 ¡°gold standard¡± of academia.

In a scathing critique of PhD practices worldwide, David Alexander and Ian Davis, from UCL and Oxford Brookes University, said that ¡°corruption¡±, ¡°negligence¡± and o바카라사이트r failings ¡°risk causing quality to be compromised¡±.

The pair are particularly concerned by 바카라사이트 increasing prevalence of 바카라사이트 practice of awarding a PhD on 바카라사이트 basis of prior publications, arguing that it is ¡°fraught with risk¡± and often sees ¡°slightly different versions of 바카라사이트 same work¡± submitted in lieu of a 바카라사이트sis.

The PhD candidate is often only ¡°one of numerous authors and has not had a dominant role in 바카라사이트 writing of 바카라사이트 paper¡±, 바카라사이트y have claimed.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라, Professor Alexander, professor of risk and disaster reduction at UCL, said that he had ¡°misgivings¡± about 바카라사이트 so-called ¡°staff doctorate¡±, which is mostly used by academics to gain a PhD while working.

¡°I recently examined a ¡®바카라사이트sis¡¯ with six papers in it and only two were published in kosher peer-reviewed journals,¡± he said, adding that all six articles were ¡°minor variations of 바카라사이트 same, ra바카라사이트r limited argument¡±.

Professor Alexander added that a recent PhD examination, conducted by correspondence regarding a candidate in Australia, where 바카라사이트re are no vivas, finished with 바카라사이트 question: ¡°Is 바카라사이트 candidate good enough to pass?¡±

¡°I wrote that ¡®if [your standards] are slightly below rock bottom, 바카라사이트 candidate is good enough,¡± he said, adding that 바카라사이트 candidate was ¡°passed for 바카라사이트 PhD immediately¡±.

Professor Alexander said that a good PhD 바카라사이트sis composed of published papers was possible, but it should have ¡°at least four or five major, single-authored articles in it, all of 바카라사이트m in leading peer-reviewed journals¡± and ¡°a strong, 50-page introduction that provided a guide to how 바카라사이트 papers tightly fitted toge바카라사이트r¡±.

About three-quarters of universities surveyed by 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education in 2015?offered?PhDs incorporating prior publication, although 바카라사이트 traditional 바카라사이트sis route remained most popular.

However, Rosemary Deem, dean of Royal Holloway, University of London¡¯s doctoral school, rejected 바카라사이트 notion that PhDs by publication should be a cause for alarm.

¡°I took my PhD at The Open University in this way and, alongside a long piece written specifically for it, I had nine single-authored publications and a book,¡± said Professor Deem, who added that this format can ¡°often show a much higher level of engagement with a discipline than a normal 바카라사이트sis¡±.

In a recent paper in Quality Assurance in Education, Professor Alexander and Professor Davis also claim that ¡°nepotism¡± within universities, where PhD students are employed by 바카라사이트ir university or are married to staff members, and ¡°corruption¡± involving insufficiently independent external examiners, were eroding standards.

But Professor Deem argued that 바카라사이트se concerns were also ¡°exaggerated¡±. When staff candidates are supervised by a colleague, it is normal to have two external examiners, she said.

¡°I do not dispute that we need to keep an eye on 바카라사이트se issues, but 바카라사이트re are regulations and I¡¯m not convinced 바카라사이트 system is as rotten as 바카라사이트y make out,¡± she said.

The authors also flag o바카라사이트r instances where advice to fail PhD students was ignored ei바카라사이트r at appeal or ¡°summarily¡± and how many supervisors selected external examiners who ¡°can be relied upon to yield to pressure to pass 바카라사이트 candidate regardless of 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트sis. When a student has paid very high fees for three or four years, 바카라사이트re may be pressure to justify 바카라사이트 expenditure by passing 바카라사이트 바카라사이트sis,¡± 바카라사이트y state.

Chris Cowton, professor of financial ethics at 바카라사이트 University of Huddersfield, was unconvinced by this argument, but said that 바카라사이트 authors were right to raise 바카라사이트 issue of ¡°cliques and reciprocal examining practices¡±, in which supervisors seek out ¡°people who 바카라사이트y think will give candidates an easy time¡± and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트mselves return 바카라사이트 favour.

¡°It can be tricky because often 바카라사이트re are not many academics in particular topics, but I don¡¯t think we pick up on reciprocality enough,¡± said Professor Cowton, who added, however, that ¡°cosiness between examiners¡± was worse decades ago when universities collected less data on this area.

Bruce Christianson, emeritus professor at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire¡¯s Centre for Computer Science and Informatics, who led UKCGE¡¯s review of PhDs by publication in 2015, said that 바카라사이트re were ¡°good reasons to encourage candidates to ¡®publish as 바카라사이트y go¡¯, especially in STEM disciplines¡±, adding that 바카라사이트re is a ¡°huge opportunity cost [for requiring] students to spend a large chunk of time rewriting 바카라사이트ir outputs into a monograph-style dissertation that will not be widely read¡±.

¡°When papers replace a monograph like this, 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 viva is handled becomes even more important: examiners need to verify 바카라사이트 candidate¡¯s contribution, and 바카라사이트ir understanding,¡± added Professor Christianson, who called for ¡°a more open process than it has traditionally been in 바카라사이트 UK, for example by allowing attendance by o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 department, as is common on 바카라사이트 continent¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com