Drawing on the author’s own experience as a doctoral student as well as that as a doctoral advisor and faculty member, the chapter notes several dynamic tensions that surface in the doctoral process. These comprise the need for structure and flexibility in students’ knowledge creation process while engaging with their own ideas and those of others; the tension of knowledge creation as a solitary and social activity, cocreating accountability; and the experience of being an expert in a profession and a novice in the learning process of dissertation research. The author shares her experiences of these tensions as a way to help readers anticipate and navigate them, if and when they arise. Acknowledging and engaging in the tensions offers opportunities for learning and positive outcomes. The chapter concludes with three useful lessons, all with the aim of keeping the reader’s doctorate on track.
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Show ItemsFront Matter
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Show ItemsPART I: GETTING INTO IT
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PART II: GETTING ON WITH IT
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Show ItemsPART III: GETTING IT FINISHED AND MOVING ON
