Obstacles, facilitators, and needs in doctoral writing: A systematic review

Abstract

Writing is one of the main challenges doctoral students face in their process of becoming researchers. Nonetheless, institutional initiatives to support writing processes are relatively recent and not necessarily research-grounded. This systematic literature review aims to address this gap by answering the questions: What obstacles and facilitators in the writing process do doctoral students encounter in the areas of SS&H? And what clues do these offer about students' needs for institutional support? To do so, we focus on empirical student-centred research. Systematizing the evidence may strengthen pedagogical decisions and programmatic orientations focused on the students' experiences and writing processes. We analysed a total of 38 studies on these topics collected from mainstream databases and identified patterns of recurring results that illustrate obstacles and facilitators from which the needs arise. Negative self-perceptions and low self-regulation are among the main obstacles of the writing process, while shared writing experiences foster affective dimensions self-regulation, and improve familiarisation with the discursive community. Lastly, institutional spaces specifically dedicated to writing as well as sustained positive and constructive feedback emerged as needs.