I posted the query below a few days ago and have been inundated with responses off-list as well as noting the rich discussion on-list.
To answer the most common queries:
[a] the student in the first instance had successfully defended and competed the doctoral degree at a school with an ALA-accredited master’s degree program; the context was a research presentation for a faculty position; this was not a confused beginning student;
[b] the student in the second instance is beginning her dissertation at a respectable state university that does not have a school with an ALA-accredited master’s degree program; the topic in question is not a current area without precedent, rather it is a perception study of roles and support for which there is important research well before 2006.
The most common remarks about these situations off-list were “bizarre” and “beyond my experience”.
Obviously these are “outliers”.

voice: 778-689-5938




From: Open Lib/Info Sci Education Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 2:23 PM
To: [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Subject: Doctoral Expectations and Frameworks

Two incidents in the past month lead me to raise a question on this list about doctoral studies. I want to be very careful to frame the question so that it is clear that I am seeking to understand expectations not to criticize them.
At a recent doctoral student presentation the candidate was asked about the theoretical framework for the study. The response was that the institution did not require a theoretical framework (for some of us this is a distinguishing feature between master’s and doctoral work). Is this the case at your institution? Is this a change?
Today a doctoral student from another institution asked me about recent research in a specific area. The institution “requires that I use research no further back than the year 2006.” (I will set aside whether there is any relationship between the topic of study and the date prescription.) Again, is this the case at your institution? Is this a change?
I have not encountered these before and wonder if there are changes underway or I am less aware of expectations elsewhere or whether these are unique.
Thank you.

Ken Haycock
voice: 778-689-5938