PhD/DProf by Publication / Published Works

The Voice Study Centre is proud to be an Associate College of the University of Essex. As part of our program, we have established an independent research committee to enable our Master's students to undertake capstone projects. We specialise in providing education to practitioner researchers, and we are extending access to our research ethics committee to the broader voice community. It is integral to our vision of facilitating the researcher in practice.

Having specialised in practitioner research for a decade, we appreciate the need to interweave theory with practice. We understand the need to work as a community of practitioners to provide answers to questions and enable the development of new initiatives and strategies.

If you choose to work with the Voice Study Centre as an independent researcher, we will provide you with supported supervision with some or all of your publications.

What is a PhD/DProf by Published Works?

A PhD/DProf by Published Works is for high-achieving professional practitioners who already have a substantial number of outputs in the public domain that influence practice and contribute to knowledge. It is for those practitioners who are trailblazers in their field of expertise. They push boundaries, innovate, and are often found at the forefront of their fields.

What is the difference between a PhD and DProf by published works?

PhDs by publication differ in terms of their requirements but the former tends to focus on conventional scholarly written work or artefacts whereas the latter is broader to encompass tangible professional public outputs such as scholarly works, edited texts, specialist reports prepared for government departments or public bodies.

How does it differ from a conventional PhD/DProf?

A conventional PhD is supervised with a research output produced at the end of the specified time frame. Professional doctorates are also supervised throughout the duration of your enrolment but the outputs are broader to encompass other types of professional work. A PhD by publication is conducted independently without supervision, and the outputs are generated before enrolment at a university. They suit practitioners who are self-motivated and capable of publication without supervision.

What happens when I enrol at a university for the PhD/DProf by published works?

After you have created a body of work, you will formally enrol on a PhD by published works programme. The programme lasts between one and two years and you will produce a critical appraisal to accompany your work. These can range between 10,000 and 30,000 words, depending on the programme. We recommend Essex University's PhD by publication as an Associate College but there are a number of variants available. You will need to examine the regulations of each as they all difffer. Some will not accept chapters for example or literature reviews whereas others are more flexible.

What are the benefits of pursuing this route rather than a conventional PhD?

This route facilitates autonomy, providing the freedom to work at your own pace and the flexibility to tailor the outputs to benefit your profession. It is less costly as you are not paying expensive yearly fees (the average yearly fee is between £4,000 and £6,000). Your publications will lead to a range of opportunities, such as presenting at conferences and leading workshops. They will bolster your expertise and professional standing. Those who undertake this route write, publish, and research for the love of doing so, not because they are consciously working towards a PhD. The award acts as an acknowledgment of the body of work produced.

Practitioners often engage in micro-research projects, which require swift answers to practice problems. Undertaking micro-projects via primary research, theoretical papers, or a literature review is crucial to bridging the gap between academic rigor and relevance. Engagement with knowledge is purposeful, expedient, and transformative within the practice sphere.

What are the drawbacks?

The biggest challenge is maintaining self-belief and motivation. Completing a piece for publication is an onerous task. The content must be high quality, and the style requires careful editing to fit the journal's requirements. Working without supervision is lonely, and there is a chance that peer reviewers may reject your output or that your confidence suffers when you receive the critique provided by your peer reviewers.

Publishing research that has taken place within the professional sphere can be challenging because publishers require ethical approval. Even research produced through everyday practice (such as case notes) will still need approval if you wish to turn it into a paper. .

The work also needs to equate to the outputs of a PhD and be a cohesive body of work. When you submit to a university, the panel may not agree that it is sufficiently cohesive to warrant the award. This is also true of traditional PhDs.

What can we do for you?

Voice Study centre will provide valuable advice and guidance during your journey to overcome these challenges. You'll have access to expert supervision, including:

• Six sessions (each an hour long) with your chosen supervisor.
• Support for creating an ethics application for favourable review - including Research Methods classes and detailed resources via our online VLE.
• A handbook that will guide you on how to structure your research report, whether that be a research project, literature review,or theoretical paper.
• Access to our independent ethics panel.

Who are your supervisors?

We are very proud to have leaders in the field. We have chosen supervisors who are leaders academically and/or in their field of practice. You may choose to work with an individual because they engage in a particular methodology or align with a paradigm that resonates with you. We anticipate that the cross-pollination will lead to groundbreaking practice innovation.

Our full list of current supervisors can be viewed here.

Do I have to co-author with my supervisor?

Co-authorship is appropriate when a supervisor gives active guidance and contributes to your research report. We provide support via our co-authorship policy, and we advocate that you negotiate this with your supervisor before embarking on the project. If you are aiming to gain a PhD by publication, you should remain lead author.

Our fee structure is shown below.

The cost depends on whether you will require an ethics review panel.

A PhD/DProf by Published Works is for high-achieving professional practitioners who already have a substantial number of outputs in the public domain that influence practice and contribute to knowledge. It is for those practitioners who are trailblazers in their field of expertise. They push boundaries, innovate, and are often found at the forefront of their fields. To be eligible for this programme, you must:

• have an MA/MSc qualification.
• be confident academically.
• be able to write a research proposal independently.
• must be capable of publication.
• be highly motivated!

It is only available for those ready for publication and those prepared to work as independent researchers.

When is your first cohort?

We'll be launching this programme in May 2025.

Still interested? Contact us using the form below!