Conclusion to volume

This chapter provides a conclusion to the book, emphasising how the preceding chapters have discussed the doctoral experience from the vantage point of the usually largely ‘invisible’ human work that underpins undertaking a doctoral degree. It reiterates that it is the human experience that can profoundly effect the successful completion (or not) of a research degree and that, moreover, this dimension can have a major influence on how the successful graduate approaches research after the completion of the doctorate. In this chapter, the editors also conceptualise the research journey undertaken by doctoral students, mapping this to the Hero’s Journey as conceptualised by Joseph Campbell and popularised by Christopher Vogler, and discussing the metaphor of the journey in relation to doctoral study.