Online platforms have has enabled me to bridge the gap between academics and practitioners, share and discuss ideas, and enhance my profile and network.
My workshop proposal, ‘Building a profile and developing your career as a research student’ has been accepted for the Leeds Business School conference on 17 & 18 January at the Rose Bowl in Leeds.
I pitched a practical session on what I’ve learned over the last two years using my blog and LinkedIn as a public laboratory to share ideas as I developed my PhD project.
It has enabled me to share ideas and gain feedback from colleagues in research and practice, including identifying potential case studies for future research. (I’m meeting a communications director today from an NHS Trust to review a board report and measurement framework).
I’ve developed my professional network, resulting in meetings with leading practitioners and researchers, speaking opportunities, media coverage and invitations to contribute chapters to books. Thank you to everyone who has supported me.
The lack of engagement between theory and practice is often said to hold back progress in public relations. Limited learning and development and professional standards are cited as a reason that the discipline isn’t taken seriously in management.
An overwhelming body of literature makes this Mars vs Venus argument, but it simply hasn’t been my experience.
My posts about research frequently generate a noisy discussion. This year, they’ve led to commercial projects for Wadds Inc. exploring the competency of practitioners, the role of public relations in management, high-performance communication teams and knowledge transfer from theory to practice.
I haven’t written much lately about the progress of my PhD research because I’ve been deep into writing up my literature review and working on my own research proposal as I move into my third year. There’s also annual progression, and now there is the conference to look forward to.
Thanks again for your support.
Diary of a PhD student 