PhD study is the foundation for creating and developing knowledge at individual, organizational, and national levels. Unfortunately, many universities worldwide have poor quality PhD production – even in the United Kingdom, which has a high quality education system. Due to high competition and the notion of the autonomous university, university executive boards are forced to create plans to entice a multitude of students, including PhD students. Consequently, the rigorousness of PhD admission decreases in order to accept as many students as possible, leading to much criticism as to their quality.
