The Self-Determined Doctorate

This volume presents narratives of doctoral students who enriched their journeys by taking charge. The authors—who studied in the United States, Sweden, and Australia—reflect on their transformative personal and professional journeys wherein they cultivated experiences of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Through boundless community support from sources beyond the academy and efforts to deepen relationships with peers and faculty, these doctoral students navigated uncertainty and ambiguity in their academic and personal lives as they worked to attain their degrees. In the process, they developed increased confidence in their subject expertise and their professional perspectives, leading to fruitful outcomes.

Contributors are: Walter Butler, Ulrika Centerwall, Lettie Y. Conrad, Mark M. Diacopoulos, Kristen H. Gregory, Kara Kaufman, Karen F. Kaufmann, Clarence Maybee and Virginia M. Tucker.

Africa S. Hands, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Information Science at University at Buffalo. Her research examines information access in higher education settings and first-generation student experiences. She is the author of Successfully Serving the College-Bound (ALA Editions, 2015).

Shelly Buchanan, PhD, is an independent scholar, Library and Information Science lecturer, school library consultant, and author of study guides for educators. Her work spans K–12 and higher education, focusing on information literacy, inquiry-based learning, and student-centered pedagogy.