Research Manifesto: rewriting PhD myths

Reframing and rewriting common PhD myths

This workshop aims to redress common myths about doctoral research. Participants will be encouraged to raise and discuss common limiting beliefs they frequently encounter in their PhD journey, or which they have come to internalise as true and inevitable.

The session will begin with participants writing down and sharing the current anxieties, concerns or challenges they are currently facing in their PhD. We will then begin to deconstruct these myths by identifying how and why they are inaccurate and untrue, and recalling other more helpful and accurate perspectives about PhD research and life.

Following these discussions about PhD myths, participants will then be introduced to a 3-step method for reframing each of their anxieties into a more positive/neutral, practical or productive thought or affirmation. Altogether, the rewritten affirmations form a bespoke research ‘manifesto’ for each individual.

This practice is about helping PGRs learn how to reframe the negative stories and limiting beliefs they currently hold about their research and PhD life, and to begin to generate more affirmative and productive motivations for themselves.