Researching, Implementing, and Evaluating Industry Focused and Cross-Disciplinary Doctoral Training

Abstract

Aim/Purpose: This article reports on university-funded research conducted to inform, design and implement applied industry-integrated training that could support higher degree by research (HDR) candidates in the disciplines of nursing and creative arts. Background: Doctoral candidates contribute in steadily increasing numbers to the intellectual and economic capital of universities globally, however, the quality of candidate progression and outputs has also been widely criticised. How to best support doctoral candidates for success is therefore a critical focus for universities and an ongoing area of research. Methodology: The study was framed as an action research project as it was driven by the identification of a problem embedded in professional practice that invited action and reflection as well as participation from other practitioners in the field. Contribution: This article presents a multidimensional, industry-focused model for HDR training that effectively engages HDR candidates with key threshold concepts for research. Findings: Doctoral training needs to be more holistic, integrative and career-focused to meet the needs of increasing numbers of candidates with diverse backgrounds and post-doctoral career pathways. Recommendations for Practitioners: This article provides a doctoral training model that can be adapted to other disciplines and industry contexts. Recommendation for Researchers: This article provides a doctoral training model that can, and should, be adapted to other disciplines and industry contexts in order to build more substantive and reliable evaluative data. Impact on Society: As secure career pathways in academia are diminishing, while the number of doctoral candidates are increasing, the integration of industry partners and applied contexts into holistic doctoral training is critical for the working futures of doctoral graduates. Future Research: Further implementations and evaluations of the training workshop provided in this article would advance understandings of training design and implementation options and issues.