PhD Coaching Blog — Dissertation

Faced with the ubiquitous use of AI by students, written exams and other forms of written evaluations will have to be replaced by oral examinations. Students will have to defend their work by explaining it in a spoken presentation, so they can talk about what they learned, instead of submitting a paper, which they may or may not have written.  That's not just my opinion. It's the opinion I just heard expressed by Derek Thompson, a journalist who has become a media sensation since he co-published Abundance with Ezra Klein. Here's his interview with Fareed Zakaria today: https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/07/politics/video/gps-0907-ai-threat-in-schools In the past few...

A new client told me yesterday that she had used ChatGPT to write her Introduction chapter.  She said that she had asked that AI assistant what should go into that chapter, and had written it up accordingly. But now she's not happy with it. It sounds awkward and stiff. She asked me if I would be able to help her add a human touch.   And of course that's the problem with using a robot (by any fancy name) to help in communicating with other humans.  No matter how sophisticated the software, it still lacks that certain something that infuses a...

In the 20th century, graduate students spent all their time at a university, learning how to conduct research and master academic writing.  In this 21st century, students have come to rely more on robot-supported aids, and AI, to try and improve their skills.  But now there is a move towards writing without AI. What does this mean for coaches like me?

It's been a few months since I posted, in spite of my 2025 New Year's Resolution to be more engaged through blog posts.  But of course the best-laid plans are often interrupted by life, and illness and helping friends and family.  As I said, it's been a while since I posted. But here I am again and determined to try and post more regularly, so that I can share some of the knowledge I've gained over years of working with the most brilliant minds on the planet -- that's you and your academic peers. So for today, here's a reminder...

I noticed a significant drop-off in enquiries about coaching in 2024.  And I attributed that directly to the increasingly aggressive efforts by promoters of AI to have it take over every corner of our lives. It's not that I'm against AI in principle.  I can see that there are many ways in which it would save time, and help people with routine writing tasks. If it helps people who struggle with English to communicate more clearly, then I know that will benefit them and others.  However, call me old-fashioned, but one of the hallmarks of doctoral research and the accompanying...