Traversing The Doctorate: Which Little Piggy Are You?

Susan Carter

doi:10.24135/ee.v7i2.279

Susan Carter University of Southern Queensland

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24135/ee.v7i2.279

Keywords: self-talk, wellbeing, PhD student wellbeing, autoethnographic case study

Abstract

Traversing the doctorate from start to completion can be stressful, with some students never reaching completion. This autoethnographic study explored how one researcher completed a Doctor of Philosophy and maintained their subjective wellbeing through ‘self-introspection’, using the analogy of the three little pigs. Data was generated through autoethnographic accounts. A four-step iterative process frames data analysis. There were four key findings. Self-talk with internal dialogue was a strategy used to move thinking to a more optimistic state of mind. Relational connectivity was effective in deliberately shifting negative affect states. Organisational skills enabled dealing with cognitive complexity. The use of a Researcher Journal guided self-regulation and self-control in self-reflection, contributing to the positive maintenance of one researcher’s subjective wellbeing. This autoethnographic account highlights ways of working that could be beneficial to help other researchers balance their subjective wellbeing while successfully completing the doctoral journey.

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