Prof David Stuckler, PhD

Mindset

Guides on the psychological and behavioral barriers that derail research progress — including procrastination, perfectionism, impostor syndrome, overwhelm, and fear of choosing the “wrong” topic. These posts focus on how to build clarity, momentum, and disciplined follow-through so your research moves from intention to execution.

Is the PhD System Broken? What’s Actually Wrong, and What Works Instead

Many researchers today are asking the same uneasy question: is the PhD system broken?
This concern is not coming only from critics outside academia. It is increasingly voiced by PhD students themselves, early-career researchers, and even faculty members who sense that something in the system no longer aligns with reality.

The PhD system isn’t failing because research is too difficult. It’s strained because research training still relies on an implicit apprenticeship model that no longer fits today’s academic realities.

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