Same But Different? Identifying Writing Challenges Specific to the PhD by Publication

Is writing a PhD By Publication (PBP) a fundamentally different learning experience than writing a traditional thesis in the form of a monograph? Are the ‘typical challenges’ faced by a PBP writer substantively different from the challenges of writing a traditional thesis, or do they stem from an environment unfamiliar with the PBP, or simply similar challenges manifested differently? In this chapter, we seek to answer these questions by analysing 17 peer-reviewed articles written by PBP writers who describe and reflect on their own experiences of writing a PBP. Our analysis identifies three types of challenges that can be considered unique to PBP writers and inherently linked to the features of the genre: potentially losing ownership of the text and writing process, negotiating the relationship between stand-alone pieces and the thesis as a whole, and writing for different purposes and different audiences. We conclude the chapter by suggesting that these findings can help identify the type of institutional and supervisory support PBP writers need and by pointing to a need for further empirical research into how different thesis types shape doctoral trajectories.