ABSTRACT
The first of the Dublin Descriptors – that a successful doctoral candidate will ‘have demonstrated a systematic understanding of a field of study and mastery of the skills and methods of research associated with that field’ – can be seen as the establishment of the basic skill set required of a researcher at doctoral level in the relevant discipline. This chapter will encompass general research approaches and skills beyond the more technical and specific, including an understanding of why these skills and methods matter, and where the research fits within the field. This is what differentiates the doctoral researcher from the craftsman or technician.
