This text is a handbook for PhD students providing a practical, realistic understanding of the processes of doing research for a doctorate. It is an outcome of the authors' blending of systematic rigorous research into doctoral education and considerable practical experience of PhD supervision. It discusses many important issues such as the importance of time management and how to achieve it, and how to overcome the difficulties of communicating with supervisors. Consideration is given to the particular problems of groups such as women, part-time and overseas students. The book also provides practical insights for supervisors, focusing on how to monitor and, if necessary, improve supervisory practice in order to provide a successful outcome of the process both for the supervisor and the student. It aims to assist senior academic administrators by examining the responsibilities that universities have for providing an adequate service for research students. With the increased emphasis on the need for effective and efficient education at doctoral level, the book is particularly timely in offering realistic ways of improving the success of PhD candidates. This is a revised and updated second edition.