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Interested in a PhD simply for the love of research.

  • 03-09-2020 10:43pm
    #1
    ToddDameron
    Closed Accounts Posts: 381 ✭✭


    I completed my masters a while back and thoroughly enjoyed it, researching and writing my thesis was the most enjoyable experience I've had in ages. I'm interested in a PhD but my only motivation is a genuine love and interest of the subject area as well as an enjoyment of the process.

    Is this a legitimate reason to do a Phd? Career wise I'm happy, a PhD won't impact my work at all. Friends and associates say it's really only worthwhile if I want to go into academica, which I don't.


Comments

  • #2
    Tom Dunne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,212 ✭✭✭✭Tom Dunne


    ToddDameron wrote: »
    I completed my masters a while back and thoroughly enjoyed it, researching and writing my thesis was the most enjoyable experience I've had in ages. I'm interested in a PhD but my only motivation is a genuine love and interest of the subject area as well as an enjoyment of the process.

    To be honest, this is half the battle. I'm sure you've read on these very pages about people losing interest and finding it hard to continue.
    ToddDameron wrote: »
    Is this a legitimate reason to do a Phd?

    Only you can answer that. Personally, I think it is, but I know many will disagree. Just be realistic about the time/effort/cost of doing it.
    ToddDameron wrote: »
    Career wise I'm happy, a PhD won't impact my work at all. Friends and associates say it's really only worthwhile if I want to go into academica, which I don't.

    I see their point, but if you are doing it for the love of learning and the love of the subject area, then there is a real sense of achievement in doing it and only you can determine if that sense of achievement is worth it.

    Can I ask in what discipline you are considering doing it?


  • #3
    ToddDameron
    Closed Accounts Posts: 381 ✭✭ToddDameron


    Tom Dunne wrote: »
    To be honest, this is half the battle. I'm sure you've read on these very pages about people losing interest and finding it hard to continue.



    Only you can answer that. Personally, I think it is, but I know many will disagree. Just be realistic about the time/effort/cost of doing it.



    I see their point, but if you are doing it for the love of learning and the love of the subject area, then there is a real sense of achievement in doing it and only you can determine if that sense of achievement is worth it.

    Can I ask in what discipline you are considering doing it?
    Thanks for the reply Tom. It's music, specifically stringed instruments. With my thesis, I had mountains of leftover material after I was limited by the word count. My thesis focused on a specific instrument and without getting bogged down with detail I came up with a process analysing tonal characteristics of different manufacturers. Anyway, my supervisor suggested at the time that is would be great to apply it to different stringed instruments from various cultures so that's the basis for the PhD really, using my own process but in a much broader spectrum, which he seems to think is novel enough.

    I'm passionate about it, but that's really my entire motivation, along with the sense of achievement you mentioned and contributing to the subject area. I know it will be a lot of work, I've friends that got burnt out and stressed doing a PhD. But it's nice to hear another perspective, as it seems most are of the opinion that it should be done only with a career path in mind.


  • #4
    TC2020
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5 ✭TC2020


    I am doing a PhD because I'm interested in the topic and want to pursue, plus the sense of personal satisfaction of having completed it. While it's in no way related to my "day job"/career I've definitely developed transferable skills and it has helped me more generally at work. I have just started my third year and I have no regrets.


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