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University of the Arts London

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2023)
'PhD Supervision' special issue

Case Studies

Exploring the doctoral journey and good supervisorial practice

Published 2023-04-25

  • Dr Zoetanya Sujon

Dr Zoetanya Sujon
London College of Communication, UAL

Illustration of PhD student writing at his desk, surrounded by surveillance cameras. Illustration by Paul Jackson, LCC.

Abstract

Drawing from my own doctoral journey, this paper examines some key challenges facing doctoral students and what they mean for good supervisorial practice. These include high levels of pressure and uncertainty, resulting in often strong unmet emotional needs made visible through feelings of imposter syndrome. These challenges can be manifested in writing, in part because writing is complex, involving a writing-into-being of the professional self and authorial voice. These kinds of challenges appear to be commonplace in the doctoral journey, indicating that good supervisorial practice must account for students’ different contexts and relationships to their current and emerging professional identities. 

Keywords

voice, doctoral student, supervision, identity, writing, imposter syndrome

PDF

Author Biography

Dr Zoetanya Sujon

Dr Zoetanya Sujon is Programme Director for the Communications and Media programme at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. Zoetanya is also the co-founder of the Digital Cultures and Economies Research Hub and is the UK’s Key Regional Leader for the TikTok Research Cultures Network. Zoetanya is also the Principal Investigator of the AHRC funded project, Transforming the Gap: Inclusive Digital Arts and Humanities Research Skills (DAReS) CoLAB. Specializing in social media, new technologies, digital futures, and everyday life, Zoetanya is widely published. Her most recent book is The Social Media Age (2021). 

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