The Lean PhD: Radically Improve the Efficiency, Quality and Impact of Your Research DR. JULIAN KIRCHHERR UTRECHT UNIVERSITY Webinar | 19.10.2018 WORKING DRAFT WORKING DRAFT Last Modified 16.10.2018 10:49 W. Europe Standard Time Last Modified 10/15/2018 3:28 PM Central America Standard Printed 23.09.2018 21:11 W. Europe Standard Time Time Printed 23.09.2018 21:11 W. Europe Standard Time
Welcome Before we begin… • Microphones are muted for sound quality • Questions and comments are welcome! • Please enter them in the Questions/Chat area • You will be sent a recording of the webinar 2
About me … The starting point 21 months Since 01/2017 3
This webinar will introduce you to the lean PhD concept Aims of the lean PhD Lean PhD concept is both about academic and societal impact 4
The PhD is a start- up … Three similarities Parallel 1 One-(wo)man-show ▪ 60% of start- ups go bust ▪ 50% of PhD 2 Creating something novel from scratch students drop out 3 Limited resources The lean start-up concept has radically improved the survival rates of start-ups 5
Three core principles of lean start- ups … Principle Core question 1 End-user orientation Why? 2 Minimum viable product (MVP) What? 3 Rapid prototyping How? These principles are also applicable to the PhD process 6
There are three phases in the PhD process Phases of a PhD Execution A Launch phase B C Exiting phase phase 7
The PhD can be launched just like a start- up … A Deep dive Launching the PhD Principle Application 1 End-user orientation The (early career) supervisor 2 Minimum viable product (MVP) The lean research proposal Friends, family – and your (potential) supervisor! 3 Rapid prototyping 8
This was my version 0 of a lean research proposal … The lean research proposal FOR DISCUSSION Ideas related to environmental, social and economic challenges associated with hydropower could be detailed in proposal Overview – Initial research ideas on hydropower Type of exploi- Possible tation barrier deep dive Details Methodological approach ▪ ▪ Controversial (currently suspended) Myitsone Tailor-made environmental impact Environmental Hydroelectric Project (Myanmar) mainly assessment (EIA) accounting for Burmese assessed from economic/social perspective – impact of hydro- context of severely limited data availability Environmental ▪ Huge environmental implications though 1 power project in Methodological starting point EIA approaches ▪ Myanmar Quantifying environmental costs of the in environmental impact assessment project review (bit.ly/1hFx3BG) ▪ ▪ Citizen protests key barriers to many dam Focus groups, semi-structured interviews, possibly experiments 2 Citizen attitudes projects ▪ ▪ Social towards hydro- Understanding root causes of citizen Methodological example may be Fell & Chlu power skepticism, developing possible response (2014, bit.ly/1mtYscK) strategies ▪ ▪ ~70% of hydro capacity in Western Europe Semi-structured interviews with experts , older than 30 years (cf. back up) possibly data/document analysis ▪ leading to hydropower degeneration Methodological example could be Rosenow Economic Modernizing ▪ Identifying root causes of modernization (2012, bit.ly/Kx3nur) backlog, recommended response strategies, likelihood of implementing them 3 ▪ Environmental impact on hydropower project in Myanmar, citizen attitudes and modernization of hydropower in Europe initial ideas for further exploration ▪ Open for additional/alternative suggestions – overview only meant as starting point for discussion 1 E.g., project threatening one of the world's greatest biodiversity hot spots; 2 On testing approaches to overcome citizen skepticism towards hydropower - Regional focus of project to be decided upon beforehand; 3 Only in selected country/countries SOURCE: Quoted journals & articles, World Bank; McKinsey; author’s analysis 9
The PhD can be executed just like a start- up … B Executing the PhD Principle Application 1 End-user orientation The A-journal 2 Minimum viable product (MVP) The Minimum Viable Paper (MVP) Rapid Conference Prototyping (RCP) … And 3 Rapid prototyping your friends, family, your supervisors, more scholars and practitioners 10
The PhD can be exited just like a start- up … C Exiting the PhD Principle Application 1 End-user orientation Examiners 2 Minimum viable product (MVP) The Minimum Viable Dissertation (MVD) 3 Rapid prototyping Aiming for revisions 11
And now a little bit of advertising … The Lean PhD Where to buy it … Hard copy: https://www.macmillanihe.com/page/detail/ The-Lean-PhD/?K=9781352002829 E-book: https://www.vitalsource.com/en- uk/products/the-lean-phd-julian-kirchherr- v9781352002836 Recent press coverage … The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/higher- education-network/2018/aug/09/a-phd- should-be-about-improving-society-not- chasing-academic-kudos Times Higher Education: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/feat ures/work-smarter-finish-faster-winning- strategies-completing-phd 12
Let's tak if you want to launch a lean PhD circle in your city! Launching a lean PhD circle Lean PhD Boot Camp http://www.theleanphd.com/ Search Please reach out to j.kirchherr@uu.nl 13
Thank you for listening Find out more www.macmillanihe.com 30% off The Lean PhD and other titles in the Research Skills series Enter code: LEANWEBINAR30 Discount valid until 19 th November 2018 14
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