Ok I have a situation which probably differs from the more familiar PhD queries. I have been in UK law enforcement now for 36 years and got my masters back in 2007 which I thoroughly enjoyed at the time. Since 2021 I've been in the vanguard of developing new techniques which have been evaluated by academia so have developed close links with some institutions. Last month it was suggested to me to consider a part-time PhD to address the knowledge gap in this particular crime threat. They're exploring funding options whilst I'm on with writing a proposal. Fortunately I don't face some of the challenges that younger students face as I'm working part-time and still pulling down a reasonable salary so won't need a diet of pot noodles ;-). However I'm concerned about my lack of understanding of research methodology and am I biting off too much? How about age? The academics have said 'it will involve a lot of reading and writing ' and little else but they are convinced of the validity and contribution of the potential research. Any opinions on what direction I should take and apologies for the long post.