Expectations of independence from the outset? The discourse of researcher independence in the pre-application stage of doctoral admissions

Drawing on semi-structured interview data from an institutional case study of pre-admissions practice at a UK Russell Group university, we examine how doctoral programme officers and academic directors of doctoral programmes interact with enquiries from pre-applicants. Our Foucauldian-inspired analysis demonstrates that researcher independence functions as a powerful discursive formation structuring staff expectations of pre-applicants.

Specifically, we find independence at the core of a dense web of desired values including autonomy, professional responsibility and academic preparedness. Contrary to previous accounts, we find ‘researcher independence’ is not simply a quality staff expect will be demonstrated later in the doctoral journey, but a discourse projected onto hopeful applicants. This paper calls for greater reflexivity among all admissions actors regarding how unspoken ideals like ‘researcher independence’ govern access to doctoral education.