Conclusions: demystifying the PhD by publication and the research road ahead

This concluding chapter draws together some of the emergent themes from the papers presented within this collection on the PhD by Publication, and does so by first of all providing a socio-historical context for the recent interest in this qualification route. We describe developments in academic culture and suggest that the PhD by Publication is one small part of much broader changes in how the academy functions within contemporary society. Two clear and interrelated themes are then developed and suggested for further research. Firstly, work on the development processes and linguistic characteristics of a developing genre are signposted. Relatedly, the way that academic identities are negotiated and motivated within the expanding vision of what it is to be an academic is suggested as an important area for further examination.