Becoming a Ph.D.
A Quick Guide to Starting Well and Finishing Strong

For Doctoral
Students
at theGraduate School ofInternational Development
NAGOYA UNIVERSITY

Edited by: Isamu Okada, Ph.D.
Authored by:Allison Felix Timipere, Ph.D. May 9, 2020
Marie Donna Ballesteros Ph.D. May 15, 2021
Melina Neophytou, Ph.D. April 12, 2023

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Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................. 4
Overview ....................................................................................................... 6

Section 1: A timeline of the D1, D2, D3 stages................................................8
Starting Well: The D1 Period... ....................................................................... 8
1. Select your Sub-Advisors ........................................................................... 9
1.1. Main Advisor...................................................................................... 9
1.2. Sub-advisors.................................................................................... 10
2. Prepare for Supervision ............................................................................ 11
2.1. Know Yourself................................................................................... 112.2. Know Your Advisors.......................................................................... 12
3. Improve your Research Proposal................................................................ 14
3.1. Conduct an Extensive Literature Review............................................... 14
3.2. Set your Research Questions............................................................. 15
3.3. Decide on the Methodology................................................................ 16
3.4. Start Initial Contact with Informants for Fieldwork................................. 16
4. Prepare for D1 Presentation ...................................................................... 17
5. Plan for a Publication ................................................................................ 18
6. Attend Outside Forums, Join an Academic Organization ............................... 22
7. Network and build your community........................................................... 22
Staying on Track: The D2 Period .................................................................. 23
1. Finalize your Research Instruments ............................................................ 23
2. Obtain the Necessary Permissions for Fieldwork ........................................... 23
3. Conduct Thorough Fieldwork ..................................................................... 24

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4. Organize your Data .................................................................................. 25
5. Report your Initial Findings to your Advisor ................................................. 26
6. Revisit the Literature in Light of your Initial Findings ................................... 26
7. Write your Journal Article for Submission ................................................... 26
8. Try to Present in a Conference ................................................................. 26
9. Prepare for your D2 Presentation.............................................................. 28
Finishing Strong: On the Road to D3 ............................................................ 29
1. Write your First Full Draft.......................................................................... 29
2. Prepare for D3 Presentation ...................................................................... 30
Oral Defense: Earn the Honor ...................................................................... 32
Final Dissertation ......................................................................................... 33
Frequently Asked Questions ......................................................................... 34

Section 2: Navigating the Ph.D. life in Japan................................................ 39
1. Introduction........................................................................................... 39
2. Motivation: Why did you start your Ph.D.? ................................................ 39
3. Time management................................................................................. 40
4. Follow the rules...................................................................................... 41
5. Visa status............................................................................................. 42
6. Tuition fees............................................................................................ 43
7. Japanese language................................................................................. 44
8. Japanese academia................................................................................. 44
9. Conclusion............................................................................................. 45

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Introduction
Beginning the doctoral program comes with great anticipation: the prospect ofearning the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree – the highest academic
accomplishment and symbol of intellectual maturity. The excitement could be
more when the opportunity is courtesy of a fully funded fellowship and at auniversity in a different country. The Ph.D. student looks forward not only tostarting the course but also to learning new cultures, seeing fascinating
landmarks, making new friends, and creating mutually beneficial networks.
However, most Ph.D. students will realize that the excitement is short-lived. The
reason is simple: earning the Ph.D. qualification is a solemn and arduous
undertaking, one that requires utmost devotion and minimum distractions.
The extent of devotion underscores the value of a Ph.D. (the holder of thequalification), whether in academia or industry. In academia, the Ph.D. is deemedknowledgeable enough in a specific discipline to instruct others and produce new
Ph.Ds. In industry, holdersof the degree drive
innovation and change.
Importantly, a Ph.D., bytraining, is critical,
analytical, and neveraccepts things on face“…earning a Ph.D. is a solemn
and arduous undertaking, onethat requires utmost devotion
and minimum distractions.”

value. Therefore, to produce Ph.Ds worthy of the honor, universities demandthoroughness from the student and supervising professors. Unlike the Masterʼsdegree earned mostly by course work and research, the Ph.D. honor is usuallyearned by research only (with a series of oral presentations on the research). The
research-based organization of the doctoral program aims to groom the student
into a competent, independent researcher. Worthy of note, the Ph.D. research is
expected to be innovative, making a dent on the literature in the discipline. For
this reason, inadequacies overlooked at the Masterʼs level are not tolerated in the
Ph.D. program.
The GSID Student Handbook is an invaluable guide to your Ph.D. journey. It
contains the administrative requirements that, when not complied with, can delay4

your graduation by a semester or more. However, your accomplishment andsatisfaction as a Ph.D. will not rest on having complied with the minimum
requirements set in the GSID Handbook but on having pursued a serious
scholarship with the mentorship of your advisors, the contribution of your peers,
and the validation by scholars in your field even outside GSID.
During the academic life in GSID, students will most likely encounter hardshipsthat will slow down their progress. Stress and anxiety about the research and thefuture, isolation, financial troubles, or problems with motivation, are issues thatare often overlooked. Additionally, adapting to life in Japan while undertaking sucha difficult endeavor might cause extra stress and depression for newcomers andalready-adapted people alike. Unfortunately, there is no mention of these issues or
how students can deal with the pressure.
In an effort to support Ph.D. students in GSID, this guide will also address somecommon issues, in both technical and psychological nature, and offer valuable tips
to lessen their burden as much as possible. The bits and pieces of wisdom andpractical tips offered stem from the lived experiences of those who walked thesame path before you. There is no doubt that each path to Ph.D. is unique. We
have different capacities and the personal challenges we face vary. These
notwithstanding, we believe that there are more similarities than differences, as
we play by the same administrative rules and move in a similar academic
environment. There is the common saying that one only knows when to begin the
Ph.D. program but not when it will be completed. It is an acknowledgment thatmany factors come to play in determining the success or failure of an attempt tobecome a Ph.D. Ultimately, however, the hope is that by sharing what we havedone and reflecting on what we should have done, you can tread this path more
successfully than we did.

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Overview
GSIDʼs Ph.D. Program is marked by milestones to help you pace yourself. Eachstage before the submission of the final dissertation culminates in a presentation
corresponding to the goals of each stage. Ideally, D1 is accomplished in your firstyear, D2 in your second year, and D3, Oral Defense, and Final Dissertation in yourthird year. A common misconception of students starting this program is that eachstage (D1, D2, D3) corresponds to one year. That is not the case, since after theD3 presentation students need to pass an Oral Defense as well, and the D3
presentation must take place at least six months before graduation, if the student
wants to graduate within 3 years. From this alone, it is easy to see that the thirdyear is quite congested. If possible, try to finish your D1 and D2 presentations assoon as possible to give you extra time. The toughest hurdle to overcome is thetime between after your D2 presentation and the Oral Defense. Having some room
to breathe will definitely be beneficial.

D1

D2

Goal: Finalize yourdissertation proposal

Goal: Present initial
findings fromfieldwork and desk
research

D3

ORAL
DEFENSEFINAL
DISSERTATION

Goal: Present a proof of
publication acceptance,
submit the first full draftof your dissertation

Goal: Present a refined
Goal: Submit your final
version of yourdissertation
dissertation and defend it
in front of your advisors

PREPARATORY ACTIVITIESPREPARATORY ACTIVITIESPREPARATORY ACTIVITIESPREPARATORY ACTIVITIESPREPARATORY ACTIVITIES• Select your subadvisors• Prepare forsupervision.
• Prepare your research
proposal.
o Conduct anextensive literature
review.
o Set researchquestionso Decide on themethodology.
o Start initialcommunication
with relevant
people for fieldworkor data gathering.
• Look for international
journals on your fieldof study.
• Seek membership toan academicorganization andattend a conference.

• Prepare your research
instruments.
• Obtain the necessary
permissions forfieldwork.
• Conduct fieldwork.
• Organize your data.
• Report your initial
findings to your main
advisor.
• Revisit the literature inlight of your initial
findings.
• Write an article andsubmit to a journal.
• Try to present your initial
findings in a conference.
• Write the first 3 chaptersof your dissertation.

• Write the first full draftof your dissertation.
• Present your findings• Present in a conference
if you want to validate
your findings.

• Revise your draft
dissertation accordingto D3 comments.
• Present in seminars in
preparation for theoral defense• Revise your draft
dissertation according
to oral defense
comments.
• Comply with theadministrativerequirements for
submission.

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As you move on each major stage, the list gets shorter leading to the final
dissertation. This does not mean, however, that it gets easier. Writing always
takes more time than you think it would, your motivation may dwindle, and youradvisorsʼ expectations get higher as they begin to grasp the entirety of yourresearch findings and their implications. This guide is an attempt to assist you
through it.

The majority of GSID students find it hard to follow this structure time-wise, as
technical issues or, simply, life may get in the way. It is good to take several
preparatory steps for each year, which are mentioned in the next section, andwhich will prevent you from underestimating the enormity of the workload. While
the Ph.D. degree tests your ability to produce new knowledge and contribute to
the academic community, it mostly tests your mental health and resilience. The
majority of successful graduates have these things in common: perseverance andtenacity.

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Section 1: A timeline of the D1, D2, D3 stages
Starting Well: The D1 PeriodYour first year as a D1 student will, in most regards, be your easiest year with themost creative freedom you can experience during your Ph.D. studies. Initially, you
might feel a bit lost as you are trying to find a clear direction. Luckily, you do nothave to “solve the puzzle” of your research in detail at this stage yet.

The key to surviving this period is to approach your initial research proposal as aflexible idea that is most likely going to change several times, even after your D1
presentation. Be flexible and open-minded. To know your direction, you have toknow yourself and your surroundings, both physically and metaphorically. To getclear about who you are and what your research is about, you need to collectdifferent kinds of information. You can do so by conducting a thorough literature
review, observing professorsʼ and studentsʼ behavioral patterns at GSID, taking alook at their research, or noting the tone and niche topics of journals that interest
you. Even discovering your favorite place to study can be a valuable discovery tohelp you focus.

A D1 presentation is the culmination of your first year in the Ph.D. Program. It
summarizes all your progress in your first year and prepares you to embark on
fieldwork. If you come with a scholarship that allows you to spend an extra year orsemester as a research student, you have an edge in starting well. If you donʼthave that extra time, however, the best time to start is always today.

Below are the most important steps to take during your D1 year.

81. Select your Sub-Advisors
As a doctoral student, you are in the final phase of academic adolescence. Helping
you transition to academic adulthood are your main and sub-advisors who, as earlier
mentioned, constitute your dissertation committee. To move to each major stage inyour doctoral program, you must earn the approval of all three advisors.

Before beginning the doctoral program, a student will have been accepted at least
provisionally by a professor willing to serve as the main advisor. Students are often
unsure if it is they, the main advisor or the graduate school that will select the subadvisors.

It is the studentʼs responsibility to find the right picks for sub-advisors. However,this must be done carefully and tactfully. It is strongly advised that you consult yourmain advisor about completing your dissertation committee. Your main advisor will
want to ensure that the sub-advisors are colleagues with sufficient expertise in yourfield, can supervise your kind of research, are accessible, and reliable. Your advisors
have their own strengths and weaknesses. They may also come from different
research traditions. Complemented with your own strengths and weaknesses, thissynergy is invaluable to your research. Be strategic about selecting your advisors inthis regard.
Once you have decided, your main advisor will ask you to make a formal request to
the target sub-advisors. If one or both of them decline your request, inform yourmain advisor and continue the search together. Below are the roles of advisors inyour becoming a Ph.D.

1.1 Main Advisor
The main advisor has the overall responsibility to ensure that you learn, abide by
the university and graduate schoolʼs regulations, conduct your research ethically,
and complete the doctoral program on time. Other responsibilities include:9•To discuss and review your work to ensure it is relevant to accomplishing your researchgoals.

•

To put you back on track if you veer off the research goals.

•

To ensure that you are aware of the general literature and are up to date with thelatest perspectives.

•

To discuss significant findings of your research and opportunities for publishing.

•

To ensure that you have opportunities to present your work internally (and if possible,
externally).

•

To conduct the mandatory evaluation of your performance.

•

To contact sub-advisors if anything threatens your research and early graduation.

•

To make all communication between you and your sub-advisors smooth along the way.

•

To ensure that you submit all required documents before and after presentations.

1.2 Sub-advisors
Sub-advisors also ensure that you receive guidance to complete your research andgraduate on time. They ensure that you observe the regulations and meet ethicaldemands in research. Other responsibilities include:•

To ensure that you are aware of the general literature and are up to date with thelatest perspectives.

•

To ensure that you submit all required documents before and after presentations.

•

To make themselves available for your presentations.

•

To provide useful criticisms of your presentations, articles, books, and dissertation ingood time.

•

To stay informed about your progress and render advice.

Your advisors are available for consultation as the need arises. However, you should
give them sufficient prior notice. Also, be discretionary about what kind of discussion
to take to your sub-advisors. As mentioned earlier, issues regarding significant
changes with your research or threats to your graduating on time should betransmitted to sub-advisors by your main advisor.

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2. Prepare for Supervision
You will have been accepted into GSID after an assessment of your capacity to
conduct doctoral research and whether your research proposal falls within the remitof GSID. Acceptance into the program, however, does not indicate total
endorsement of your competence or the strength of your proposal. You should
create room for improvement. You should also expect minor to significant (including
overall) change to your proposal as you begin the course.
Bear in mind that the initial proposal might have written without the input of youradvisors who are to guide you through the research̶this may vary according to
your prior status. Their input will be necessary and invaluable. Therefore, by
accepting to be supervised, you should be willing to be supervised.

A crucial thing to note is that, as a rule, professors in GSID do not micromanage
studentsʼ research. They only render their expertise acquired through years ofexperience. It is for this reason that they are called ʻadvisorsʼ. You therefore haveto pace yourself. You can do this better if you know yourself.

2.1 Know Yourself
Knowing yourself is knowing your motivations, habits, strengths, and weaknesses.
At the peak of stress and pressure, it is not unusual for Ph.D. students to question
why they are pursuing the degree in the first place. While it is true that you need acompelling reason to embark on this journey, the reasons you started may bedifferent from the reasons why you continue. A Ph.D. is not a sprint. It is amarathon.

One thing that you should know most about is your attitude to writing. The final
output, after all, is a written work. This should be emphasized enough: Writing takes
more time than you think it would. You need to plan for this on better days to copewith the bad days. If you are the type of person who has the habit of planning11

ahead, good for you. However, if you are a procrastinator, be mindful of deadlines.
To a procrastinator, a deadline works wonders. It forces your mind to focus and to
decide on the issues in your research that you have been mulling over. The following
are the ways that worked for other procrastinators that you may want to try:•

Volunteer for an early schedule of seminar presentations. There is no such thing as ready.
Aim for high quality given your best effort and limitations. Even those who submit their
final dissertation feel like there are more left undone. This is the nature of the research
process.

•

Do not wait for your main advisor to give you deadlines. Promise him/her a date ofsubmission and keep it. Your main advisor may sometimes be hesitant to pressure you.
If you let him/her know the assistance that you need, s/he may be willing to hold you
accountable to the deadlines that you committed.

•

Set a daily writing goal. Writing 500 words a day due at a constant time every day cangive you a sense of accomplishment and encourage you to go on. In difficult times, you
may ask a fellow Ph.D. student to hold each other accountable to this goal.

•

Arrange for a consultation schedule with your main advisor or sub-advisors. Knowingthat you have to discuss your progress can push you to organize your thoughts. Youradvisors can also help you process your ideas.

2.2 Know your Advisors
In the process of consulting with their advisors, some Ph.D. students get confusedat the feedback they receive. The longer this drags on, the more delays are incurred.
Although they may ask for further explanation, there are various reasons why
students hesitate. One way around this is to know your advisors. It is not required
but you will benefit greatly in this regard if you read the papers published by youradvisors. The more you read their papers, the easier it will be for you to understandtheir comments and suggestions on your own research work. As much as you can,attend their seminar classes, the doctoral presentations of fellow students, andobserve their line of questioning and how they comment. Each advisor comes froma different field which may have different research traditions. Understanding this inyour pre-D1 period can help you along the way.

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Your seniors (senpai) are a good source of information about your advisorsʼ working
style. How fast each advisor can read your work and give you feedback varies. Somerequire a month while others can give feedback in one to two weeks. This is notwithin your control and this is something you should adjust to. Better yet, ask youradvisor how early you should submit each output before a major presentation to
give him/her adequate time in preparing for substantive feedback.

Another crucial and often generalizable advice is a good anticipation. Professors
have as busy schedules as others, and most doctoral activities have a lapse ofmonths to take the next step. These conditions naturally cause miscommunication,
potentially a surprise in both parts if regular (letʼs say, weekly) contact is missing.
If your advisors donʼt foretell a deadline or envisioned schedule, you need to be who
keeps them updated of upcoming events. This will also encourage your advisors toreserve time and give a fast response.

Pitfall: Having three different advisors, you may often receive conflicting feedback
that keeps you stuck. How do you handle conflicting points of view?

Solution: You might want to please all of your advisors. However, in the end,
advisorsʼ feedback is just a well-researched and factual suggestion and not an order.
It is up to you to decide which direction you want to take. If you can logically argue
why an advisorʼs feedback is conflicting with your view, it is perfectly acceptable to
do so. In fact, it will help make your argument more robust, since this might be acounter-argument against which you have to defend your research. Your advisors
are there to advise you. Treat their feedback with respect and do not ignore it, but
keep in mind that it is just advice.

Tip: Find (sub)advisors that closely match your research interest, and which also
match each other as closely as possible, in order to avoid conflicting perspectives.

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3. Improve your Research Proposal
Your research proposal is the main requirement for D1 presentation. It may havepassed through an entrance exam. However, it did so with the premise that it willcertainly be revised. Consider it as that. Attachment to your ideas this early can
prevent you from improving it and might make supervision difficult.

3.1 Conduct an Extensive Literature Review
The first step to revising is by conducting a more thorough literature review.
Literature review is composed of three parts: exploration, reading, and outputting.
A thorough exploration should precede your reading as the first reading can
influence your mind in a non-systematic way. Nagoya University Library supplies
rich resource, including institutional license to useful databases and e-journals. It isalso recommendable to make an output in your favorite style each time after readinga document. Have a talk with your advisors and students also helps to clarify yourunderstanding. Since your reading will extend several years and mountainous
volume, leave always your footprints along the way will support your work process
in later periods.

When doing the literature review, a practical approach is to read at least one article
per day. You may choose to start with a broad knowledge of your topic and narrow
down to details or start with the details and widen your scope as you go along.
Whatever the approach, do not lose sight of the goals: To critically review what has
been done and see what more needs to be done. A critical review means that you
need to interact with the material and not just highlight what seem to support yourideas. This is daunting. As a beginner, you may be bothered by your inexperienceand question your right to question the work of researchers ahead of you. It happens
to the best of us, and it takes time to be comfortable. Some practical tips to getstarted:•For each article you read, write the research questions, the methodology
used, the most interesting idea, and the ideas that you do not understand.

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•For a synthesis of the articles that you read in a week, summarize ideas thatappear repeatedly in different articles, as well as the unique ideas.

•

Take note of the important theoretical keywords in each article. If an article
is of interest to you, try searching literature that contains those keywords, inorder to become more specific.

Remember that you need to contribute to the literature. You will not be able topinpoint your contribution if you do not take literature review seriously andsystematically.

The literature review can be exhausting and confusing. You will be able toaccumulate hundreds of scholarly materials in the course of your Ph.D. To prepare
ahead, learn to use a literature referencing database. There are a lot of freedownloadable options. Examples include Mendeley and Zotero. Their integration
with Microsoft Word will save you time in referencing.

3.2 Set your Research Questions
Your research questions will be the starting point of your research. Your initialresearch questions can be refined as you appreciate your contribution to theliterature. The research questions should be informed by the gaps in the literature
or a possible reconceptualization of the research problem you are working on. Like
the rest of your paper, this can still change after your data gathering. However,setting one now sets the scope of your research, which helps you decide on yourmethodology, and prepares you for fieldwork.

Your research questions should be as intriguing as possible. “How” questions aremostly used to explain a process of how something works, influences, or interacts.
This kind of questions, while informative and able to support your ideas, and which
you will inevitably use to collect information in your field, do not necessarily produce
valuable knowledge at the Ph.D. level. Your questions need to go beyond the15

question of “how” to answer “what” or “why” a puzzle exists, knowing “how”
something happens. What is the meaning behind how something works?

3.3 Decide on the Methodology
Unlike a masterʼs thesis, a dissertationʼs methodology draws more scrutiny. Pay
attention to the methodology used by the authors of the research papers that you
read. Over time, you will get an idea of the variety of approaches applicable to yourresearch topic, as well as possible methodological insights from different fields
examining a similar phenomenon. If there are opportunities for workshops ortrainings on research methodology, grab them. It is better to have more options incase you change your mind about your research questions.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, some students found quantitative
methodologies helpful, as the data could be obtained online in the face of travel
restrictions that obstructed the conduct of fieldwork. During that time, GSID offered
many workshops on how to conduct a quantitative analysis. If time permits, learn
about both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, as you never know what canhelp you in the future.

3.4. Start Initial Contact with Informants for Fieldwork
With your research questions and tentative methodology, you can already start
contacting possible sources of information for fieldwork. This will help you further
refine the scope of your research as you begin to see what is possible. Your proposal
will also be judged through the feasibility of answering your research questions
given the methodology and fieldwork that you have in mind. You can never be too
early to start this process.

Pitfall: You may want to create a perfect proposal and research questions before
you start contacting informants for your fieldwork. However, it is possible that yourresearch questions cannot be answered through your fieldwork due to unobserved

16variables or feasibility issues. Your informants may object to your research questions
or give you information that makes your questions trivial. You will end up wasting
more time thinking of new research questions after conducting fieldwork. In thiscase, starting early with a preliminary fieldwork and a “pilot” study can help you
avert these issues.

4. Prepare for D1 Presentation
The presentations are not mere rituals. Some students had to redo a presentationthat was under par, thereby setting them back by months. You should prepare to
avoid a repeat. If you were enrolled in April, know that an academic session for you
ends in March of the next year. For an October enrollee, it ends in September. It isadvised to fulfill the requirements to complete D1 no later than ten months into thefirst academic session. Some former students accomplished this task in the first six
months.

Do not delay your D1 presentation because you feel you are not ready. Somestudents wasted two years without doing their D1 presentation, as a manifestationof fear of unpreparedness or failure. The D1 presentation is in some ways theeasiest, so do not worry. You do not have to be too detailed in your explanations ofyour theoretical framework. You are not attempting to answer your researchquestions, but you are informing your supervisors of a clear way in which you plan
to answer your clear questions during your D2 and D3.

To pass D1, your advisors expect you to:•Justify the novelty of your research (the new contribution to the body ofknowledge in the field).

•Show the theoretical (and if applicable, policy) significance of yourresearch.

•

Articulate the research objectives, questions, and the reliability of themethod of data collection.

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•

Demonstrate the strategy of the data collection plan including its rationale
and feasibility.

•

Show clearly, your plan for completing the doctoral course.

Consult your main advisor and the student handbook for documents to submit
before and after D1. After completing the D1 presentation, you have to draft a Q&A
sheet in the format designated by the graduate school (main advisor will inform thedetail) and obtain approval of all advisors.

The Q&A sheet is a document in which you transcribe your advisorsʼ questions
during your D1 presentation and how you answered or plan to answer. The purposeof the document is to help you remember what the issues with your research are at
every stage. You should treat this document as a to-do list to which you can comeback any time in order to remind yourself what you need to work on. Oftentimes,
your advisors will allow you to record your D presentations, so that you have theaudio afterwards from which you can transcribe. Make sure to get their permission
before you start recording. Even if you videorecord the whole session, it is advisableto take note of the discussion and respond to the questions and comments
spontaneously. If available, donʼt forget to ask your advisors to share written piecesof comments. You can share the MS Word version of the submitted documents forthis purpose.

Once approved, you should send it to your main advisor notifying the final date of
approval so that she/he can post it in a digital archive, to which all professors of the
GSID have access. The whole interaction should preferably be completed within aweek afterward. The same applies to D2 and D3 presentations.

5. Plan for a Publication
Although journal publication becomes a more realistic task after you obtain major
findings after analysis, it is advisable to start planning for a publication as early as

18

possible. You will definitely need a journal publication before D3 presentation and inyour future career. Review process usually takes time. Furthermore, you need toenvision what academic contribution is expected from your research, or in otherwords, “what product you wish to sell.”See section 7 in next Chapter for further detail.

6. Attend Outside Forums, Join an Academic Organization
Consult your advisor on academic organization/s that you may seek membershipwith. Most academic organizations do not allow non-members to present. You
may pay an amount for membership, but that is usually discounted for students.
Try to attend a conference even if you cannot present yet. This is a good learning
opportunity to observe how presentations are done, who are working on the same
topic as yours, and how the feedback process usually goes.
See section 8 in next Chapter for further detail.

Thanks to the expansion of webinar platforms, online session series, which donʼtrequire a membership, are gaining popularity. Explore your field and attend those
platforms to seek for perspectives from wider public on your work, and networking.
Due to the economic advantage of online platforms, big conferences are notnecessarily the best location to get most valuable opinions.

7. Network and build your community
One of the most important aspects of pursuing an academic career is to have a wide
network. Many academic positions or collaboration opportunities are given throughinformal connections, word of mouth, or communities. It is important to startbuilding your own community as soon as possible, if you are interested in an
academic career. You can connect with people you meet at conferences, contact
authors in your field of research, connect with people on social media platforms suchas LinkedIn and follow their projects, keep in touch with your previous supervisors,or even get in contact with NGOs, civil organizations, or other institutions in your19

field. You never know what valuable information or opportunities you can receive
through them. If you nurture these connections early on, you might also get a headstart later on when looking for job opportunities.

Staying on Track: The D2 Period
At this stage, you have received your advisorsʼ approval to go ahead with yourfieldwork. Based on the initial contacts made for fieldwork, you need to organize
for an actual one. The following are the activities you can expect in preparation foryour D2 presentation. These are not necessarily sequential. Some activities mayneed to overlap depending on the progress of your preparations. Keep in mind
that a badly planned fieldwork will not only cost you time and financial resources.
It may also substantially delay your work.

1. Finalize your Research Instruments
Whether it is a survey form or interview questions, ensure that your instruments
can answer your research questions. It would also be best if you can do a field
test. Try these instruments with respondents who have a similar profile as youractual research respondents and check whether your questions are understood in
the way that you intended. Consult your advisor before you use or send them out.

By either inductive or deductive research types, the timing to determine yourhypothesis (tentative argument) may differ. Regardless, never go to fieldwork
without any strategy tailor-made for collecting necessary and sufficient information
for your argument. If possible, draft tentative hypotheses and a concept paper
specifying predictable concerns and founding reasonings before data collection. A
fieldwork with weak planning can waste your time and money.

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2. Obtain the Necessary Permissions for Fieldwork
Aside from permission from your advisor and respondents, it is important to checkif there are protocols observed in the locality of your choice. In some localities,
going directly to your respondents without a courtesy call to local authorities is abreach of protocol. Respecting these is important not only for data gathering but
also for your safety. If anticipated, consider a recommendation letter from yourmain advisor in a good advance to make a smooth landing in the field.

In GSID, an ethics committee has been created in 2022. This committee canevaluate, confirm, and certify that your interview questions do not pose any
ethical issues to your respondents and that it is safe to proceed with yourinterviews for both you and your interviewees. Sometimes, especiallyorganizations and institutions might require you to show such a certificate before
conducting any kind of fieldwork, so make sure you plan some time ahead to go
through this evaluation.

Going abroad for fieldwork also requires permission with the GSID administration.
Check the Student Handbook or inquire with the GSID office regarding online
forms that need to be filled out. Your scholarship may also have regulations on the
maximum length of time you can spend outside Japan. Neglecting these may costyou a monthʼs worth of scholarship. It is also advisable to get a travel insurance,
especially when you will be in an unfamiliar country or region. There are alsocountries where you would need vaccinations against local diseases. Check traveladvisories.

3. Conduct Thorough Fieldwork
Unless you have funding for fieldwork, you will have to provide financial resources
to collect data. In case you are experiencing financial constraints, you may
consider applying cost-effective methods to collect information. In todayʼs digitallyinterconnected world, there are many online tools you can utilize. For example,

21

you may use Google forms or Qualtrics instead of contacting a surveying company
in case you are drafting a survey, and you can distribute it using social media
advertisement tools such as Facebook and Instagram Ads. You can also use Zoom
or other video calling applications to conduct interviews for your qualitative
research. These approaches were extremely useful to students and researchers allover the world that had to conduct fieldwork during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Make sure you know the strengths and limitations of such approaches and how
they may affect your research.

Depending on your research design or future adjustments to your researchquestions, you may need to do another fieldwork or would need additional datafrom the same group of respondents. If you promised them anonymity, respectthat. If you promised to update them on the findings of your research, get theircontact details. Maintain a good relationship and ensure that there is a way tocontact them again.

4. Organize your Data
Ideally, you already planned for data analysis in the course of developing yourresearch methodology. If you neglected to do this, you may be overwhelmed by amountain of data that you do not know how to begin organizing. This happens
especially in a case study research where multiple sources of data are considered.

For interviews, note that you would need a transcription. This takes up so muchof a researcherʼs time. If you can find a transcriptionist that you can trust to keep
the anonymity of the data, consider having them transcribed. This will give you
more time to think and analyze. Documents that are digitized including interview
transcripts and field notes can be qualitatively analyzed using commerciallyavailable analysis software like NVivo or Atlas.ti to name a few. They may costyou in license fees. However, you can take advantage of student discounts.

22

In case you are conducting a survey and you want to analyze your data
quantitatively, you may use the distribution time to learn a statistical softwaretool, brush up your knowledge of statistics, or think about what code you need touse to analyze your data. You might also want to observe how your respondents
answer to your questions in order to fix potential blind-spots in the early stages
that you were unable to foresee. In any case, do not remain idle during the datacollection time.

5. Report your Initial Findings to your Advisor
Consult your main advisor on your initial findings. It is best done early so thatdecisions can be made if there is a need for additional data or your researchquestions need to be redirected.

6. Revisit the Literature in Light of your Initial Findings
At this point when you already have initial findings, revisit the literature. Reading
the literature before data gathering and after initial analysis provide different
insights. Note the portion of your findings that the literature has and has notpredicted. These can help you appreciate better your possible contribution to theliterature.

7. Write your Journal Article for Submission
Publishing articles is a recurring task in the life of a scholar that stimulates debate
and advancement of scientific knowledge. The more articles one has published, themore credible, capable, and contributing they look. If you are looking to establish
an academic career after your Ph.D., publications are one of the most importantcriteria for finding a position. Most universities will assess the number and quality ofmajor publications, including the journal reputation, citation scores, thematic
importance, etc., during their recruitment process.

23

Failing to publish early is one factor for Ph.D. programs stretching beyond thestandard duration. Remember that without a peer-reviewed academic publication(an article or a book) on your research, or proof that one of both has been acceptedfor publication, you cannot proceed to hold D3 presentation. Note also, thatpublishing is a long and challenging process. According to former students, theaverage time spent waiting for and responding to reviewersʼ queries was six months.
For some, it lasted a year. This early, you should be observing where scholars inyour field are publishing. Check their websites and note the following for reference:•

Scope. No matter how excellent your paper is, if it is out of scope, thepossibility of rejection is high. The journalʼs main research focus should closely
match yours, so make sure to choose an appropriate journal.

•

Audience. When you write a paper, keep the journalʼs audience and theirexpertise in mind. Is it a regional or international journal? If you submit to
an international journal with a Japanese case study, for example, do not
expect the editors and the audience to know about Japanese systems. If
thatʼs the case, you need to use space to explain the context and the meritsof selecting the case.

•

Duration of the review process. For reputable journals, the review process
may take anywhere from six months to one year. In principle, most journals
indicate how long their review process takes, along with their rejection rate.
Information on this can help you decide which journal to submit to and paceyourself accordingly. If the duration is not indicated on the website, contact
the editor of the journal, and ask for information.

•

Nature of the journal. There are predatory journals that ask for payment
when you submit for review and promise a turnaround of as fast as two
weeks. This kind of journals are not peer-reviewed and should be avoided.
The only payment acceptable is when you opt to publish open access. One
way to distinguish a fake from a mainstream journal is to check whether it islisted in reputable databases, such as World of Science (WoS) or SCOPUS.

24

For a few selective journals, Nagoya University provides financial assistanceto cover Article Processing Cost (APC). Check Nagoya University Librarywebsite for the further detail.

Indeed, you will need a full-fledged strategy for a journal publication. You should
know how to “sell” your academic product to a distinctive audience, which is anacademic community. Journal editors will check all and every item in the following
list before passing your manuscript to the reviewers.

•

Contribution. Your manuscript must clearly contribute to an academic
community. Unclear, misplaced, or undefendable contribution can cause adesk rejection, that means not passing to reviewers.

•“Surprise”. In the case of high-reputation journals, editors may request an
innovative, not trivial, finding or discussion from your manuscript. In otherwords, you should frame your argument in the most appealing way having
the most updated discussion in the research field in mind.

•

Academic standard. Poorly-written texts, typos, grammatical mistakes,
incomprehensible illustrations, and missing information can be the reason to
reject your publication.

•

Editorsʼ guidelines. Make sure you read through the editorsʼ guidelines
before you submit. This process can take an unnecessarily long time if yoursubmission does not meet editorial criteria such as word count, reference
style, or justifying positions and margins of the text. Editors are very strict
about these rules.

Desk rejection might not be the worst case. On some occasions, editors recommend
you submit your manuscript to other journals due to audience mismatch. Also, it isworth stressing that some of these criteria can be substantially improved byconference or seminar presentations. You are also encouraged to help other25

researchers with constructive comments during any academic discussion andinteractions. Please also keep in mind that time is precious to everyone.

Following the editorʼs approval, your manuscript may pass over to reviewers. Acrossjournals, the number of reviewers may range between two to four or more. Generalreview results are: Acceptance, Rewrite and Resubmit (minor revision), Rewrite andResubmit (major revision), Reject. It is usually the editorsʼ competence to give theoverall judgment following the reviewersʼ suggestions. When you receive anything
but rejection, you should prioritize the revision at the top of any other (academic)
duties. You should keep track record of all revisions and craft a very detailed andrespectful response letter in addition to the revised manuscript. In the letter, you
should list every comment and respond to each one of them in detail. When you
reply to a comment, start by thanking the reviewer individually (i.e., “I thankReviewer 1 for this suggestion”). It is possible to counter a reviewerʼs comment if
you can logically (and politely) justify why you are rejecting it, but donʼt getargumentative (i.e., “I thank Reviewer 2 for their insight and I understand why theywould reach this conclusion. However, ...”). Ideally, you try to end the discussion
by satisfying your reviewers, not provoking further interaction. Always keep in mind
that reviewers (and sometimes reviewers) are non-paid volunteers who commit tocontribute to anything but academic society.

Your article can be one or a couple of chapters of your dissertation. Therefore, it ispossible to publish multiple articles if you have multiple chapters that can beturned into journal publications. A critical review of literature can also be a journal
publication. If you are confident that the literature review you prepared for D1
presentation is outstanding, you should consider publishing the key findings before
fieldwork. Remember that an article needs to have all its components:
introduction, literature review, hypotheses, methodology, findings, and conclusion.
Publishing a chapter of your dissertation should not be misinterpreted as being
able to “copy-paste” one chapter. Although you can reuse data and argument, you26

need to rewrite your previous works substantially to fit into the bigger discussion
and avoid self-plagiarism.

If you are short on time or not confident that your article can be accepted (fast) bya reputable, international journal, you might also consider publishing to GSIDʼs own
journal, the Forum of Development Studies. It is not necessarily easier to publish
there, as many students failed multiple times. However, desk rejection is less likely
the case for this journal. Furthermore, the review process tends to take less time̶
possibly within two month after receipt, which significantly speeds up the process.

8. Try to Present at a Conference
Attending a conference is a great opportunity to be exposed to a variety ofperspectives in your field of research and possibly listen to pioneering, unpublishedresearch. You may also get to know distinguished scholars in your field personallyand build a great network that boosts your reputation. Presenting your ideas at aconference also allows you to receive feedback from your peers and perfect yourmanuscript you plan to submit for publication.

It is not easy to find information on conferences and call-for-papers. Generally, asingle source of information on upcoming conferences does not exist. You shouldclosely follow the activities of organizations, companies, or institutions in yourfield, subscribe to their mailing list, or research reputable scholars and pastconferences they have attended. Many scholars also share information on social
media, so make sure you connect with them. Note that many big conferences
close their call for papers 6-9 months before the event.

As with journals, there are also predatory conferences that ask for highregistration fees, boast high acceptance rates of abstracts and manuscripts(usually without undergoing a screening process), and mention famous keynote
speakers that they supposedly invited. While these events actually exist, they are27

usually disappointing to researchers and do not help in advancing oneʼs career or
stimulate significant academic debate. A good way to tell fake from legitimate
conferences apart is doing research on the organizer and sponsors, scrutinizing theconferenceʼs website, noting the focus of this yearʼs topic (if itʼs too broad, itʼs
probably fake), and considering the registration fee.

There are basically two types of conference participation: paper or poster. A paper
presentation is performed by researchers who present their latest research, andtheir abstracts are usually grouped into a thematic session by the organizers of theconference. A poster presentation is designed for research presentation with aposter which tends to be a big single paper of A0 size, accompanied by presentersstanding next to the poster and engage interactively with audience. Although apaper presentation is admitted for research projects with tangible outcomes̶higher and “completed” quality̶and a poster one is for research ideas, this is notalways the case. A poster presentation may encourage casual and directconversation with conference participants.

The highest value of presenting your article manuscript at a conference, seminar,
or workshop is to receive feedback on your research project from experts in yourfield, which enable you to identify publication strategy, defendable arguments, andpotential weaknesses. Another merit is to introduce yourself and your research toscholars in your field that may inform you of similar research projects, connect you
to the network of like-minded people, and become potential co-authors in the
future. A track record of conference attendances is also desired by institutions
looking to hire researchers and professors in the future.

9. Prepare for your D2 Presentation
At D2 presentation, you share the findings of the fieldwork with your advisors as
an analytical chapter. In the case you donʼt employ field data collection, some
substantive analytical discussion is expected by this step. They expect you to:28•Show that you addressed the major concerns they raised during your D1 presentation.

•Show that the empirical data is relevant to the research objectives and questions.

•Show whether the data validates or invalidates pre-data collection assumptions withacademic rigor.

•

Identify possible data gaps in literature and plans to fill the gaps.

•

Indicate if you will refocus aspects of your research.

At this stage, expect your advisors to be more critical of your work. The reason isthat you have never-before-seen data. They will probe to see whether the data issufficient and adequately answer the research questions. They may demand moredata should they identify any additional data need. Consult your main advisor andthe student handbook for required documents before and after D2.

It would help to practice presenting in your seminar classes before your D2
presentation. This is to prevent any major misunderstanding between you andyour advisors regarding the current progress of your research and what they can
expect during your D2 presentation. Some problems may also be avoided if you
foresee them early, gauging from the feedback of your classmates in the seminar.

Finish Strong: On the Road to D3
If everything is going smoothly, you are by now awaiting the result of your journal
publication. The agony of waiting can be allayed by writing the remaining chaptersof your dissertation.

This is easier said than done. The period from submitting the journal publication
until completing the D3 presentation is probably the most difficult time forstudents. This is because stress of article revisions or delays in publication meetthe daunting task of writing your full dissertation draft as a requirement to holdyour D3 presentation. You will find your time split between revising your journal
publication and writing your dissertation draft. Your article revision should takeprecedence over your dissertation draft, since the first is required to proceed.

29

Furthermore, revising your article will also help with the revision of yourdissertation draft and can save some time.

1. Write your First Full Draft
By now most students are already exhausted. When overwhelmed, take somedays or a week off and then return. Be mindful that excessively long breaks canmake it hard to get back in the frame. Some students also find that presenting in a
conference at this stage increases their motivation. Hearing feedback from other
scholars – which for sure will not be all negative – gives a boost in confidence.

There will be days when you will wait for motivation before you write. It will notcome before you write. Rather, it will come when you start writing. Sharing yourideas whether orally or in writing to your fellow Ph.D. students may also give you
unexpected insights. Remember that though it is only you who can write yourdissertation, you do not have a monopoly of good ideas. They can come fromanyone you share it with, even from those who are outside your field.

Motivations aside, the following will help you in completing your first full draft:•

Revisit your literature review in light of your findings.

•

Refine your research questions.

•Write a tentative conclusion.

•

Focus on the discussion chapter of your dissertation. What do your findings
mean and how do they answer your research questions? This is essentiallythe major theoretical contribution of your argument that brings everything
together.

2. Prepare for D3 Presentation
Until any future changes, to graduate in March, you must pass D3 by the end of
October or the end of April if you plan to graduate in September of the third
academic session. As mentioned before, this means that, ideally, between your D230and D3 presentation there are only six months (one semester). Within those six
months, you are required to get accepted for publication in a journal and write
your first full dissertation draft. This is extremely ambitious if you have not yet
cleared the issues presented during your D1 and D2. This is why it is advisable toeither submit your journal publication as early as possible, fix any important issues
and get clear about your research before having your D2, or try having your D1
and D2 as early as possible. The harder you work at the beginning, the more time
you will have for preparing your D3 presentation.

However, the D3 presentation does not require your dissertation draft to be
perfect, since it is not the final version yet. You will be required to change majorparts after you pass your D3, and the quality of your final draft and argument will
be evaluated in a Preliminary Screening before you get accepted to have your Oral
Defense. In other words, you still have time to perfect your final dissertation after
your D3 presentation.

Before D3 presentation, ensure to organize your research into a tentative
dissertation. At the presentation, your advisors expect to be convinced that:•

You have addressed the major concerns they raised during your D2
presentation.

•

You have considerably or satisfactorily answered the research questions withavailable data.

•Your argument is coherent, and you can organize your dissertation into logicallyconnected chapters.

•

You have demonstrated the relevance of your research to the discipline.

Expect more critical interrogation from your advisors. They are likely to requestthat you strengthen aspects of the research. If all three agree that despite anyneed for strengthening your argument you passed D3, you will proceed to develop
the dissertation, and your status changes to ʻPh.D. candidateʼ (to be precise, there
is no official definition for this concept in GSID as a comprehensive exam is not31introduced). Consult your main advisor and the student handbook for documents
to submit before and after D3.

A good way to prepare is to present in all your seminar classes. This is also anefficient way to update and receive feedback from your main advisor and subadvisors, as well as gather insights based on the feedback from your audience.
Every presentation can help you improve and sharpen your arguments. If there isan opportunity to present in a conference, you may do that too.

Oral Defense: Earn the Honor
When you submit your final draft, your dissertation will first go through aPreliminary Examination. The Preliminary Examination will be organized by youradvisors (that means you donʼt participate in it) and will take place between thelast two weeks of December and the first week of January if you submitted yourdissertation manuscript in December (the schedule differs depending on thesubmission period). During this time, your advisors will decide whether yourdissertation is worth going through an Oral Defense. Some students have failed at
this step and were denied the chance to hold their Oral Defense, because theirdissertation still had major issues. Make sure you draft your dissertation as
perfectly as possible, having fixed the major issues that were raised during yourD3 presentation. If you were asked for a substantive revision during the D3
presentation or afterward, it is highly recommendable to contact your main and
sub advisors to make sure you addressed all concerns before ensuing to this step.
You should be aware that your manuscript for the Preliminary Examination shouldhave a complete and persuasive quality; “preliminary” doesnʼt mean the
manuscript can be revised later.

If you pass the Preliminary Examination, you will be asked to choose the date andtime to hold your Oral Defense, according to your advisorsʼ availability. Your Oral

32

Defense will be held at some point between late-January to mid-February for the
March graduation, or late-July to mid-August for the September graduation.

Do not approach the Oral Defense with complacency. By this time the doctorate iswithin grasp, but you must strive to put a firm hold around it. To qualify for Oral
Defense, you must submit your dissertation by the designated day in December if
you aim to graduate in March, or in June if you intend to graduate in September,depending on the period of your admission. At this examination, you will defend
your research before your advisors who expect you to:•Show how you addressed all the concerns they raised during your D3
presentation.

•Show how the research questions have been answered.

•Show that you have organized your argument coherently, and your dissertation
logically.

•

You have clearly articulated the implications of your research for the discipline(and maybe policy).

•

Point out opportunities for future research in furtherance of your line of study.

Your advisors will listen keenly and raise carefully crafted questions in anticipationof equally carefully framed responses. They will assess the depth of yourknowledge in the discipline. Based on your overall performance, they will
determine if you have attained the degree of expertise sufficient to be awarded
the Ph.D. honor and inducted into their intellectual circle. In simple terms, theymust be convinced that you are ripe to be called a colleague. If you pass the Oral
Defense, you are a Ph.D. awaiting degree conferment. Ensure to consult yourmain advisor and the administrative office regarding documents to submit before
and after the Oral Defense.

33

Final Dissertation
After the oral defense, you need to address the comments and concerns raised inyour oral defense through your final dissertation. Do not be disheartened.
Receiving points for improvement even at this stage is quite normal. At the end ofit all, you will be glad that you did.

Aside from the ideas in your dissertation, this is when formatting andadministrative matters will take up much of your time. GSID has detailed
instructions on the formatting, the attachments that will come with your final
dissertation, and the due dates. You will be informed of these in advance. Be extra
careful in these requirements. They may be small, but they can trip you up andcause considerable stress to you and your main advisor if you are not careful.

After you submit your dissertation on the due date, the GSID committee will
review it and send you further corrections if needed. After addressing them, theGSID faculty will deliberate and put them to a vote. A one-third majority will lead
you to finally be confirmed graduating. Should your future employer need adocument confirming that you will earn your degree in March, this is the time
when GSID can release it.

There will be another submission of the final dissertation. This will be the last.
From here on, you can just wait for the graduation ceremony and probably sleep
longer if you prefer.

34

Frequently Asked Questions
1. What happens if I cannot find suitable sub-advisors in GSID?
Depending on your area of interest and the nature of your research, you may notfind all two sub-advisors in GSID. In such a situation, you can have ones fromanother graduate school within Nagoya University, although this usually takes acostlier process as non-GSID affiliates are not always committed to the issues in
GSID. Again, let your main advisor support you with finding the right external pick.
You should check with your main advisor if the regulations also allow students toapproach a professor from another university where all internal options have failed.

2. What do I do if an advisor does not support my ideas?
An advisor might fiercely oppose your ideas, such as how you intend to proceedwith your research, what and where you want to publish, an aspect of, or theoverall claim of your research, etc. It could be your main advisor or a sub-advisor
who disagrees. Usually, they will provide a reason for disagreeing and offer
alternative ideas. It is advised that you consider their point of view on its merits.
They might differ from a position of experience or in keeping with their obligation
to ensure you adhere to the rules governing the doctoral program. They are
expected to defend your work before faculty, so would want things done
accordingly to minimize opposition from faculty.

Except at the final voting in a Faculty meeting̶which will take place after Oral
Defense when a two-against-one vote in your favor is sufficient to earn the degree,
you need the approval of all three advisors to pass D1-D3 presentations as well as
Oral Defense. It is for this reason that a doctoral student will find negotiation skills
inevitable in reaching a mutually satisfying compromise with all three advisors.
Where no reason is given for rejecting your ideas, and no alternatives aresuggested, endeavor to approach the advisor for an explanation to ensure it is nota case of miscommunication.

35

Seminar presentations allow you to share your ideas with your peers to get their
feedback. It is also helpful to run your ideas by your senior colleagues and ask for
frank criticisms. Their feedback could help you realize what you are doing wrong so
you can make an informed decision.

3. What should I do when I no longer have smooth working relations with anadvisor?
A worst-case scenario is when there is a complete breakdown of understanding
between a doctoral student and an advisor. Several factors could lead to such asituation: the student or advisor is uncompromising; the advisor feels that theirsuggestions are not taken seriously by the student; the research has become
unrecognizable to the one the advisor had agreed to co-supervise; the student
demonstrates lack of devotion, etc. It could also be for no expressed reason. When
this happens, the advisor might ask to be removed from the dissertationcommittee. Again, negotiation is advised. But if all fails, the student must seek areplacement. If it is the main advisor who opts out, that may be extremely
consequential for the studentʼs progress, unless a sub-advisor already familiar withthe research agrees to step up to the main advisor role.

4. What if an advisor is no longer able to supervise my research?
This might occur due to unforeseen circumstances such as when an advisor retires
from service, is down to a debilitating mental or physical condition, takes up a job
elsewhere, etc. It will no doubt, have a huge impact on the student and thelikelihood of completing the program on schedule. The peculiarity of the situation
will determine the course of action to follow. If it is a sub-advisor, the main advisor
should ordinarily initiate the protocol for getting a replacement. If it is the main
advisor, the student should contact the studentsʼ counselor in GSID for what to do.

5. How should I deal with journal article decision delays?
Your D3 presentation is upcoming, yet the decision on your journal article is still
hanging. You responded to the reviewersʼ comments on time and expecting an
acceptance. However, the reply is taking so long. If the period of review promisedby the journal editor has passed, you can politely write a follow up email. Some36

Ph.D. students were sent an email of acceptance – pending actual publication after explaining that they would need one as a requirement for graduation. Sending
a follow up email when the set duration of review has not yet passed, however,
may just be replied with an advice to wait.

6. What should I do if I get delayed in any of the critical requirements – D
presentations or publication – and I am sure that I can no longer graduate
on time?
As soon as you foresee that you will no longer graduate on time, the first thing to
do is inform your main advisor. S/he will be able to check if your understanding of
the requirements is correct, or if there is still a way to prevent it from happening.
In case your advisor agrees that there is no possibility to graduate on time given
your situation, you have two options:•File a leave of absence (LOA). The GSID Office will be able to give accurate
advice on when to do this and what the procedures are. The advantage of thisoption is that you do not have to pay for tuition fee. If you are an international
student on a student visa, being on LOA means your visa will expire soon andyou have to leave Japan unless you change to another visa. Anotherdisadvantage of this option is that while you are away, you are no longer thepriority of your advisor. If you opt for LOA, make sure you inform your advisor
on when you plan to come back. NEVER go on LOA without informing your main
advisor. It goes without saying that this is disrespectful, but there werestudents in the past who filed for LOA without informing their main advisor. Be
also aware that scholarships may disable to acquire LOA during the expected
regular period of enrollment.

•

Remain enrolled until you finish. In this option, there will be no visa
consequences. You simply need to apply for extension. As you remain astudent, just continue working towards completion. The disadvantage of thisoption, however, is you need to pay for tuition fee. Once you go past your thirdyear, you lose some privileges. If you are on scholarship, you now need to pay
for tuition fee on your own. You may be allowed to apply for a discount, but the
chance of getting it is slim. Though not always available, there are scholarships

37

that you may be able to apply for. Make sure to consult the International
Student Advisor of GSID for scholarship options. You may also inquire with youradvisors for available positions as research assistant or teaching assistant. While
working part-time outside the university allows you to earn more, being within
the university minimizes the distraction. You still need to continue writing, afterall.

While not finishing on time is stressful, this is not the end of the world. There
are ways to maximize your prolonged stay in GSID. When you finish writing
your dissertation and you are just waiting for the comments from your advisors,
you may write an additional journal article, apply for an internship, fellowship,
or a job. Or better yet, be happy at the thought that you have more time toreconsider your plans in life. Each setback presents an opportunity.

7. When should I begin making post-Ph.D. career moves?
If you are not holding on to a job, or you hope to make a switch to another job
after your Ph.D. program, it is best to begin job-hunting before the completion of
the program. The ideal time to start sending out job applications is the beginning of
the third year of the doctoral course. But four to six months before graduation
might still put you ahead of others in your position. Thankfully, employers targeting
Ph.Ds. welcome applicants about to obtain the degree by the start date of the job.
The recruitment process for postdoctoral researchers and tenured employees
usually lasts months or even a year, thus allowing prospective Ph.Ds. to beconsidered. However, beginning a year to graduation will depend on whether you
are certain to complete the course on schedule. Due to uncertainty, often overdelays with having a publication to proceed to hold D3 presentation, some doctoral
students were compelled to wait until after graduation.

For students who may be unable to secure a career position before graduation, thepost-Ph.D. phase could cause apprehension. If you will opt for an academic career,
use the post-Ph.D. period to increase your publications or apply as lecturer touniversities in order to gain teaching experience. Applying for fellowships and38maintaining membership to academic organizations may also help you findopportunities.

If your target employment is with international organizations, try to get internships
while you are in your Ph.D. This counts as a work experience. You may also apply
for consultancy contracts post-Ph.D. to improve your chances. GSID offers various
career seminars and training for employment with international organizations.
These will help you strategize on your post-Ph.D. career.

With your training and qualification as a Ph.D., you can also go into independentpractice.

Section 2:
Navigating the Ph.D. life in Japan
1. Introduction
For both experienced and new researchers, conducting research is an ambitious endeavorthat can take unexpected twists and turns. Doing a Ph.D. is not a straight line: yourplanned timeline will not always go according to schedule, and funding issues, rejection,or criticism will decrease your motivation at times. Moreover, there is no single blueprint
for all universities worldwide. Each countryʼs academic institutions follow different
patterns and etiquette. Additionally, conducting research in Japan can also be challenging
for non-Japanese people that are not accustomed to these norms. This section will
provide some tips for studying in Japan, and at Nagoya University specifically.

2. Motivation: Why Did You Start your Ph.D.?
The most common question doctoral students in GSID ask themselves is whether it was awise decision to start a Ph.D. degree. This question inevitably pops up around the D2
year, when students meet a lot of obstacles while trying to give concrete shape to theirresearch. According to recent studies, over the past three decades, stable rates of 40%-39

50% of students worldwide quit their doctoral studies. Unfortunately, not much attention
is given to this.
Your motivation will largely depend on why you decided to pursue a Ph.D. degree.
Knowing yourself and what you want to achieve within academia is your foundation uponwhich you build your academic career. So, before you start your Ph.D. journey, be clear
about why you are pursuing a Ph.D. degree and what goals you want to accomplish.
When you feel stuck, taking a few days off and reminding yourself why you started is
totally acceptable and nothing to feel guilty about.

Common situations that can decrease your motivation are:•No progress or feeling stuck. You might experience writerʼs block, troubleinterpreting your data, or too lost in literature review. The best thing to do is tostep away from your research for a few days. Donʼt force it.

•

Criticism. You will receive a lot of criticism from your advisors, seminar mates,and experts in your field. Sometimes it may feel like your efforts never produce
significant results, or that revisions are endless. However, constructive criticism
can help you increase the quality of your research and enhance your skills. It is apositive thing that shows other researchers are interested enough in your researchto give you feedback.

•Imposter syndrome. Feeling like an imposter stems from a doubt in oneʼs skills
and talents, and a constant fear of being exposed as a fraud. It is natural to feelsmall in front of researchers who have years of experience and knowledge.
However, it is a privilege to be around experts and you can learn a lot. Youngresearchers should not be afraid to fail and are encouraged to participate inconferences and share their results.

•

Isolation. A researcherʼs life can be quite isolating. It takes many hours behindclosed doors and working at your desk to complete your research. While otherpeople around you may have a more active social life than you, feeling lonely cantake a toll on your mental health. Make sure you incorporate some free time inyour schedule, especially on weekends, and try to make friends inside and outsideof academia.

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3. Time Management
There are too many tasks a researcher has to complete, and sometimes you may havemultiple projects and articles to work on simultaneously. Including part-time work andother everyday life errands, your schedule might become very busy. In order not tostretch yourself too thin, you need to create a detailed and organized plan.

If you donʼt have a schedule book, it is recommended to start one during your Ph.D.
studies. Put a date on the calendar and plan your daily, weekly, monthly research goals insuch a way, so that you can meet that deadline. Break down your writing process into
chapters, and each chapter into ideas, keywords, or literature to elaborate on. The samegoes for conducting interviews and interpreting data. Break them down as detailed as
possible, so that you have small tasks which you can complete in a day. If you mark allother tasks outside of your research life in your calendar as well, you will get a realistic
view of when you will be able to meet your deadlines. You will not always complete
everything on time, but you will have steady progress which gets you closer to the finish
line every week.

If you are working part-time additionally to your research, the best way to manage yourtime is to make sure that you reserve specific days only for your part-time work and otherdays only for research. Do not attempt to combine them or do everything in a day. You
will most likely be too tired after work to focus on a strenuous task such as criticalthinking.

4. Follow the Rules
Japan is notorious for its disciplined, organized society and complex bureaucracy. Fromthe minute you land in Japan, you will face a lot of paperwork and get introduced to amyriad of rules you have to follow. Try your best to get accustomed to this way of life.
Make sure to meet deadlines for applications, assignments, or bills, and try to be on time.
Read carefully through guidelines and requirements well before the deadline of any
application, and if you have a question, ask the responsible offices well in advance. Japanis not the country to decide things on a whim, and informal favors usually do not work
here.

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You should follow these rules when meeting and conversing with your academic advisors
as well. Be on time to class and consultations. Some classes in GSID are deducting points
for arriving late.

5. Visa Status
If you are a foreigner in Japan, one of the most important things you have to take care ofthroughout your stay in Japan is your visa status. When you first arrive in Japan, you arealready sponsored by Nagoya University and possess a student visa for the official
duration of the degree you are pursuing. In the case of a Ph.D., that is 3 years. If you
want to keep being a student at Nagoya University or keep receiving your scholarshipstipend, you have to make sure that you keep this status.

You should keep the following rules in mind:•

Part-time work on a student visa. With a student visa, you are allowed to workup until 28-hours per week part-time. Be careful when you sign contracts for work,and also about what kind of part-time work you are doing. Students are notallowed to engage in any adult entertainment business (i.e.: host/hostess), or
gambling business – you are not even allowed to wash dishes at such places. If you
would like to work part-time, you have to get permission from the Immigration
Bureau, by submitting an “Application for Permission to Engage in Activity Other
than That Permitted under the Status of Residence Previously Granted”. Note that if
you work as a TA or RA at Nagoya University, you do not need to obtain permission
to work.

•

Renewing your student visa. If you extend your study time over the official
period of 3 years, you will have to renew your student visa at the Immigration
Bureau before it expires. You should initiate this process as soon as three months
before the expiration date. Even though the GSID office will probably remind you of
this in due time, it is good to keep it in mind. You have to visit the Bureau twice:once for the application, and once for collecting your new residence card when it isready. Make sure to have all your documents, application forms, and pictures42

ready. For more information, you should read through the instructions on the
Immigration Bureauʼs official website.
•

The “ABD” status. When you pass your D3 presentation and all that remains is towrite your final dissertation and pass your Oral Defense, you are eligible to apply
for the ABD (“Anything-but-dissertation”) status. This will mean that you willtechnically not be a Nagoya University student anymore. This has its perks, as you
are not required to pay any tuition fees anymore. However, this also means thatyour student visa is no longer valid. If you cannot change your visa status to aworking or any other type of visa, you are not allowed to stay in Japan. So, before
you decide to apply for ABD with the intention of staying in Japan, make sure thatyou have secured a way to obtain a visa. Perhaps, it is of merit to stay on thestudent visa and pay the tuition fees, so that you do not have to worry about
whether you can stay in Japan or not until graduation.

6. Tuition fees
Depending on your scholarship, you might be exempted from paying tuition fees for as
long as you are a recipient. When your scholarship term expires, you are required to pay
these tuition fees to the university. Tuition fees amount to ¥267,000 per semester for
graduate school students (including GSID).

There is an option to apply for tuition fee exemption. If the graduate school evaluates
your circumstance as unable to adequately finance yourself, you may be qualified toreceive the exemption. It is not guaranteed that you will receive it, and many applicants
have failed to do so. Make sure that you submit all the documents by the deadline, which
is usually before the start of the semester (i.e., mid-March for the Spring semester).

7. Japanese language
You might think that learning Japanese is not your priority, and what is most important is
to finish your research on time. It is easy to dismiss the thought of studying Japanese if
you are a GSID student. In GSID, lectures, seminars, and consultations are conducted in
English. In fact, the Japanese government is pushing more and more universities to offer
programs exclusively in English as part of their efforts to attract foreign scholars. Many

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international GSID students graduate without speaking a word in Japanese. This is
acceptable, if you are here to only study and return to your country.

If you plan to stay in Japan after graduation and you do not speak sufficient Japanese (atleast N3 level, but usually the mostly-required N2 level), you will find it difficult to find an
academic (or corporate) position. Unfortunately, working at universities requires you to atleast understand enough Japanese to participate in faculty meetings or write reports. The
university offers free Japanese language courses every semester. If time permits, consider
taking these courses. Since you are required to show proof of your language skills if you
are seeking a job, you may consider taking the official JLPT exams that are held twice ayear (July and December). Learning Japanese will also allow you to communicate easierwith Japanese people, and it might open new doors to learning their culture.

8. Japanese academia
Doctoral degrees at Japanese universities differ in some aspects from those at U.S. or
European universities. For example, Ph.D. students in some countries abroad are usually
being paid during their studies. This is not the case in Japan, where the doctoral students
still need to finance their studies by themselves, or with the help of a scholarship.

Another peculiarity to the Japanese system is that the doctoral degree usually lasts 3
years instead of 4+ years outside of Japan, mainly due to the fact that Ph.D. students are
not expected or given the opportunity to teach and supervise Masterʼs studentsʼ theses,
contrary to their counterparts abroad. In some ways, this puts Japanese university
graduates in a disadvantaged position, as they will graduate with no teaching or
supervising experience. Many Postdoc and academic positions ask for teaching evaluations
during their recruitment process, which you will not have. So, when you study in Japan,
try to find part-time work as a lecturer while studying, in order to make sure you get theexperience you need.

Pursuing a Ph.D. degree is not widespread in Japan. The majority of Japanese university
graduates enter the corporate world after graduating from their Undergraduate degree,
although the Masterʼs degree is becoming more popular nowadays. It is widely assumed
that those who pursue a Ph.D. degree are aspiring to stay within academia. You might be44

in great demand after completing your Ph.D. studies, especially if you are able to speak
both English and Japanese and have a good track of publications.

9. Conclusion
It takes a lot of mental effort and tenacity to complete a doctoral degree. Long hours andcountless revisions will be met with possible rejection. If you are certain of your path anddo not give up, you can definitely make it to the finish line. One of the most importanttakeaways is that you need to be proactive, initiate many projects on your own, andcreate your own opportunities when you study in Japan. Your teaching and researchexperience will largely depend on you. Meeting your own deadlines, planning every stageof the degree, as well as making concrete plans for the future, are all characteristics ofacademic and personal life in Japan. However, if you prepare as much as possible, you
can enjoy the process. Enjoy your Ph.D. journey at GSID!

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