This is super helpful, and reassuring. Thank you for your thoughtful response abababa.

Hello all,

Question about getting academically published: When in my PhD should I be aiming to do this?

I'm four months into a creative practice based doctorate so it's all pretty new. I've been told by Super 1 (creative lead) not to bother with academic publishing. He tells me I shouldn't be trying to compete with the 'real' academics. But my goal is to teach, and Super 2 (critical lead, very engaged in my project) tells me it's imperative.

I already have some reff-able creative publications, and I want to write academically because of the desire to teach, but also because I want to broaden my outputs and for my research to have some impact in the field. It's not *just* a career booster for me.

My biggest challenge is that I come from a practical rather than an academic background (never got a BA, got my MA a few years ago but in a different field), and I find just reading the articles in the journals that fit my research to be - frankly, and embarrassingly - mindboggling. They make me feel thick and I don't know how I could ever write so knowledgably.

I'm sure with a year of practice I could get there, but is this going to put me a step behind? When are PGRs generally aiming to get their first journal article published?

Cheers!

Thank you for the response, Tru,

I guess I'm sticking it because I'm doubting myself. He's a nice chap who I get on with personally, but professionally struggle with. I've struggled with the structure of academia in the past (have been freelance and self reliant for 20 years), so wonder if it's just me. But then I mentioned my feeling lost with it all yesterday and was told curtly that we all have our imposter syndromes and we just need to suck it up. There's just a total absence of mentor/coaching skills and it feels like he's phoning it in. (He admits he's too old for the hassles of academia and I get the impression he's seeing out his time).

Anyway, that's my rant for the day. Yes, will look around and speak to the faculty lead.

Thanks again.

Hello there.
I'm hoping someone can advise on this. I'm three months into a creative practice based PhD after twenty years working as a practitioner in a related field. I knew it would be something of a struggle going back into academia, but had no idea it would be this difficult to navigate.

My main issue is lack of engagement and a deeply worrying sense of paternalism in what is a very traditional academic department. It is early days, and although I like my supervisor on a personal level, he shows very little interest in my methodology or process and never asks questions about what I want out of the relationship. I've just submitted my PA after having several conversations where I've been told rather than asked what my research is about, I've been told to steer clear of a subject matter expert I want to work without being told why, and I've hear three times now, 'don't try to compete with the real academics, you're just a creative'. I was given no input into my panel selection, and when I tried to suggest a subject expert to bolster a funding bid, I was closed down without discussion, because it wasn't the person my supervisor suggested (someone he felt added to the bid but had absolutely no relevance to my research).

It all just feels very tick-boxy, that I'm here as a token practice researcher, and that if you suggest things outside of the established norms its frowned upon. It's especially concerning because I'm self funded, and I'm all in with the PhD, so I can't afford to make any decisions that could completely derail it. Is this normal for academia? Should I be trying to switch my supervisor at this early stage. My concern is that there aren't many other people in my faculty who do my field, and I'll be left high and dry with a reputation for being difficult. I've also considered ditching it altogether before I've committed all my funding, and starting afresh at a new institution, but I've heard that this is very frowned upon.

Any advice would be welcome. Many thanks in advance.

Hello all,

I've just enrolled on my PhD creative writing degree and wondered if there was anyone else out there doing the same who wanted to connect on the forum, to share notes, moral support etc.

Cheers!

Chris