Compare, or collaborate?

By Louise Wallace

Competitors. Collaborators. Rivals. Peers. It is no secret that our PhD journeys are long, stressful and can ultimately be a lonely pursuit of research excellence. However, when it comes to those studying and learning alongside us, our response to them can either promote us to flourish or leave us floundering.

Academia is a complex working environment with the potential to promote either a beneficial ethos or a toxic one. Since beginning my PhD in January last year, I have shared several conversations with a variety of academics who have raised concerns about this potential “toxic academia”. Whereby individuals hide their knowledge, isolate their research, and hold a “my work is better than your work” mindset.

Speaking frankly, it cannot be denied that on first view of this world, it would seem easier to focus entirely on self-interest, self-promotion, and competition. After all, when our PhD comes to a close, we will be out there on our own; striving for that coveted post-doc position or endeavouring to attain that lectureship post. However, if we were to embrace collaboration rather than competition, perhaps making it to this stage would become a more manageable task.

We often turn towards competition when we feel insecure or threatened by what is going on around us. At first glance your friend seems much further along, they are applying for ethics, whilst you are still scrambling through endless papers. That student you do not know is celebrating a second publication, whilst you are still trying to create your first. It is at this moment when we begin to feel the PhD anxiety and decide we must catch up, must be better, must compete. However, I implore you to remember each PhD journey is different, but all are difficult. Instead of comparing, try collaborating.

Collaborating means being open about your progress, goals, and current achievements. You may find that when you speak to your friend, colleague, or fellow student that you each have something to learn from each other. The sharing of knowledge and ideas is how research develops and grows, and how you grow yourself as an academic. During a PhD no one knows and understands everything, each of us have something unique and beneficial to share with our community, and it is a shame not to embrace this attitude.

Toxic academia has the potential not only to hinder your PhD development, but also your entire academic career. It can create an unpleasant working environment and foster feelings of impostor syndrome in universities. Collaboration can come in many forms. All are needed. All are good. The world of research cannot hold itself up on the weight of one individuals’ shoulders, we need to stand alongside our peers and share the load to prevent us all crumbling under the ever-growing pressures.

Think back to that time your friend told you that amazing new method for data analysis, remember being shown that paper that blew your field wide open, ponder on that time your peer told you about developing a publication plan. Think back over these times and pay it forward.

Louise Wallace (@TousledPhDBird7) is a 2nd year PhD Candidate here at NTU, researching successful psychopathy within general populations, and was awarded the BPS Conference poster prize at the 2019 BPS Midlands Conference for her research. Louise’s other research interests include: Dark Triad traits and impostor phenomenon, psychopathy and emotion regulation, and Individual Differences.