I have a certain interest in the concept of the doctorate, mostly because it represents a gap in my academic record. This article places the doctorate in its historical context while observing that it is undergoing substantial changes. It was rooted in an aristocratic and guild tradition, was reformed in the 1800s, but still represents an emphasis on individual scholarship and apprenticeship. It also requires deference to authority, a deference still evidenced in some of the rituals surrounding the defense of a dissertation. Today, though, a new model is emerging, based on more collaborative approaches to research and and based in a collection of papers rather than a lengthy individual dissertation. Good article; well worth a read.
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