Doctoral researcher skill development: learning through doing

There has been increasing debate in recent years concerning the need to improve the skill set of Doctoral Researchers (DRs) in order to prepare them for work inside and outside of academia. Valuable discussion on the employability of graduates and the development of transferrable skills is largely focussed on undergraduate students despite the widening of career options for postgraduate research students outside academia. Skill development in current postgraduate pedagogy literature is focussed on specific academic based skills within the research process and does not address the process and content of more generic and transferable skills for DRs. This article explores the organisation of a conference by a small group of DRs and the consequential development and practice of a new skill set outside the usual research process. It presents an effective method for DR transferable, professional and practical skill development.