PhD Handbook: How to Take Care of Yourself, Your Research Project and Your Future

This book includes an accompanying Online Learning Centre. The link can be found within the preliminary pages of the book.

“This book will undoubtedly become a must read for every PhD student.”
Dr Steven McCabe, Associate Professor, Birmingham City University, UK

“A great addition to any supervisor or student's bookshelf"
Professor Inger Mewburn, Director of researcher development, Australian National University, Australia

“The PhD Handbook is an essential read to make this journey easier and more structured”
Prof Dr Carsten P Welsch, Head of Physics Department, University of Liverpool, UK

“The PhD Handbook is a vital companion to PhD studies in any discipline."
Colin G. Johnson, Associate Professor, University of Nottingham, and co-author of How to Get a PhD

Based on the authors successful training courses run around the world for thousands of PhD students, and drawing on personal experiences of completing their own doctoral degrees, this book offers tried and tested approaches to help students at all stages meet the demands of a PhD.

Full of practical and highly applicable tools, techniques, activities and templates, The PhD Handbook looks beyond research challenges to provide an accessibly written step-by-step guide to the wider project management and personal effectiveness skills needed throughout your journey toward a successful and timely qualification. Each chapter focuses on the most common issues PhD students encounter, including how to:

• Create a useful plan when you don’t know what you’re doing
• Actively shape a positive supervision partnership
• Stop worrying and start working
• Get the most out of every day
• Get going again if you get stuck
• Bounce back when things go wrong
• Use your PhD as the launchpad for your future career

As well as helping you make the most of the doctoral experience, the book also provides a toolbox of transferable skills that you will find useful in setting yourself up for a successful career beyond your degree.

Dr Rosie Doyle is a highly respected trainer and coach, with a career of more than 25 years specialising in personal effectiveness, teamworking and leadership. She works in the UK and Europe with clients in the university, space industry, arts and charity sectors. She completed her PhD in 2009 at the University of St Andrews, UK. 

Dr Fraser Robertson is an internationally acclaimed trainer, consultant and speaker. A project manager in the industry for over 20 years, he established Fistral Training in 2008 and specialises in supporting researchers around the globe from PhDs and PostDocs, to PIs and the Professoriate. He completed his doctoral degree at Edinburgh Napier University, UK in 2015.