When Scholarship in Practice launched in September this year, it did so with a clear but deliberately open ambition: to create a space where professional doctoral researchers, supervisors and practice-based scholars could think out loud about what it means to do scholarship in, through and for practice. A few months on, as the year draws to a close, this feels like a good moment to pause, take stock, and reflect on what has already begun to take shape.
One of the most striking successes of the blog has been the sheer range of contributions. Since launch, posts have explored professional doctorates across education, health, leadership and organisational contexts, as well as broader reflections on identity, methodology, writing and impact. Some articles have been explicitly conceptual, unpacking ideas such as scholarship, rigour or reflexivity in accessible ways. Others have been deeply grounded in lived experience, capturing moments of uncertainty, insight or growth within doctoral journeys. What connects this variety is a shared commitment to scholarship as something active and situated, rather than abstract or detached. Across posts, scholarship consistently appears not as a finished product but as a process, one that involves negotiation between theory and practice, between institutional expectations and professional values, and between confidence and doubt. This emphasis on process feels especially important for professional doctorate communities, where learning often happens in motion, alongside demanding roles and complex workplaces.
Several themes have emerged as the blog has grown. One is the importance of language. Contributors have returned repeatedly to the challenge of finding words for what they do, whether that is articulating practice-based knowledge, explaining professional doctorates to others, or writing academically without losing authenticity. Another recurring theme is identity. Many posts reflect on becoming a scholar-practitioner, not as a sudden shift but as a gradual reworking of how people see themselves and their work. A third theme is generosity. This shows up in posts that share tools, frameworks or reflective prompts, but also in a willingness to write honestly about struggle. By making uncertainty visible, contributors have helped normalise the messy middle of doctoral work, offering reassurance to readers who may be navigating similar terrain. The blog has also benefited from the rhythm created by different types of writing. Short provocations sit alongside longer reflective pieces. Some posts speak directly to professional doctorate candidates, while others are clearly addressed to supervisors, examiners or organisational leaders. Together, they create a conversation rather than a single narrative, one that invites readers to dip in, return, and make their own connections.
Looking ahead to the coming year, Scholarship in Practice will continue to build on this foundation. Planned posts will delve further into themes such as impact, ethics in professional research, creative and alternative forms of doctoral writing, and the afterlife of the doctorate beyond graduation. There will also be space for more international perspectives and for dialogue between professional doctorates and other forms of applied scholarship. Crucially, the blog will remain open to new voices. One of its strengths so far has been the way external contributors have expanded its scope and depth, bringing fresh perspectives and experiences that challenge easy assumptions.
As this first year comes to a close, it feels important to say thank you. On behalf of the Scholarship in Practice editorial team, thank you to the contributors who have taken the time to write, reflect and share their thinking so openly. Thank you to the readers who have engaged with the posts, shared them, and returned for more. Scholarship in Practice exists because of this collective effort, and its future will be shaped in the same way.
We hope you enjoy the New Year’s celebrations, and look forward to working with you and seeing you in 2026!