Scholarly Writing Experiences of Doctoral Students as Nonnative Speakers of English: Encountered Challenges and Needed Support

Abstract

This study explores the challenges doctoral students encounter and the support they require at an international university where publishing is a prerequisite for graduation. Conducted at an English as a Medium of Instruction university in Northern Cyprus, the research study focuses on nonnative English-speaking students and academic staff who use English as an Additional Language. A mixed-methods approach was employed, triangulating data from various research instruments (interviews, questionnaires, and group discussions) and multiple perspectives, including 147 PhD students, six supervisors, and two policymakers. The findings reveal four main challenges faced by PhD students: language-related, genre-related, support-related, and journal-related. The study also reports the types of support PhD students need to enhance students' scholarly publishing literacy. Based on the results, the importance of guiding to improve doctoral students' publication literacy is underscored. The implications suggest further research should investigate how to enhance publication literacy across diverse academic disciplines.