In the contemporary world, it is clear that the need to study beyond Masters level is increasing in importance for a wide range of practitioners in diverse professional settings. Students across the world are choosing doctorates not only to become career academics, but to go beyond the academic arena, in order to make a personal and educational, as well as an economic investment, in their workplace careers and their lives. However for many doctoral students, both full-time and part-time, navigating the literature and key issues surrounding doctoral research can often be a challenge. Bringing together contributions from key names in the international education arena, "The Routledge Doctoral Student's Companion" is a comprehensive guide to the literature surrounding doctorates, bringing together questions, challenges and solutions normally scattered over a wide range of texts. Accessible and wide-ranging, it covers all doctoral students need to know about: what doctoral education means in contemporary practice, forming an identity and knowledge as a doctoral student, the big questions which run throughout doctoral practice, becoming a researcher, the skills needed to conduct research, and integrating oneself into a scholarly community. Offering an extensive and rounded guide to undertaking doctoral research in a single volume, this book is essential reading for all full-time and part-time doctoral students in education and related disciplines.