When I was accepted to Durham I had about 11 months before coming and I was doing some teaching and working (for a publishing company), but I wanted to do something to prepare for my research.  So, I started to research heavily in the area of my proposal.  Seems reasonable enough…But when I arrived and started chatting with my supervisors, my research started going in another direction and much of what I worked on before was now peripheral. You really... Read more

If you are using your institution’s network, you may have access to Oxford English Dictionary online (www.oed.com). If you haven’t used it before, it is great for comprehensive definitions – excellent resource for defining key terms in your own writing, or looking up words you don’t know. Also, you can choose helpful options such as etymology and the earliest usage of the word in English. Check it out if you can. Read more

The ‘viva’ is the word used in the UK for the oral thesis defense. The decision to award you a PhD results from a successful completetion of the viva, along with your written work (of course). So, its helpful to know about it. Some people may be under the impression that all you have to do is know your thesis well. Well, from reading advice and interacting with people who have gone through the experience, here are some thoughts. This... Read more

Writing the book review obviously requires reading the book. But, the reading must be done with a critical engagement. I’m sure some people can just sit and read a book and write their thoughts. However, I have tried to find an approach that will help me make notations and markers in the book in a way that will be helpful when it comes time to write. I offer this as an example of what I have done, but everyone learns... Read more

I have found that one of the best ways to stay up-to-date on current research is to volunteer to do book reviews.  I have done about five or six and I have four more on contract that I am working on with various periodicals.  What I notice when reading reviews is how much they vary in what kind of things are said and for what reasons.  This begs the question, how should a book review be written, and for what... Read more

As future academicians, it is very helpful to engage in a scholarly community, highly specialized to your discipline, and relevant at a more general level so you can learn from similar or parallel disciplines. Plus, when it comes time for getting a job, membership in scholarly societies shows that you show an active interest in the state of the research of your field. So, I am trying to join societies that seem pertinent to my NT studies, as I can... Read more

For those of us who did not do extensive research in our MDIVs or MAs (beyond exegesis papers), it is a terrifying experience to realize that you don’t even know where to begin (other than having a decent research topic). I found that a couple of things have helped: (1) Read How to Get a PhD, by Phillips and Pugh. It describes the process of managing a PhD in the UK (with no preference to a particular discipline). They give... Read more

If you are currently pursuing a doctorate in biblical studies, you may be thinking about presenting a paper at an academic conference. Now, I have not actually presented a paper, but I hope to soon and I asked John M.G. Barclay for some advice about how to get my paper proposal accepted. First things first – what goes into a proposal? Well, it depends on the desires of the coordinator and the level of competition (e.g. how many slots to... Read more