EMUZE, Fidelis (Prof.)

Through the reviewed literature, this paper argue that shared responsibilities advocated by Salzburg Principle 5 should influence the support of doctoral supervision needed for the demonstration of doctorateness by a thesis. In other words, a supervision exercise should seek to produce a thesis that demonstrates a higher level of thinking that advances knowledge through originality. Given that doctorateness represents a threshold concept and its demonstration requires the synergy between its components, it is crucial for supervisors to assist candidates with issues around it so that candidates would achieve a transformed way of understanding, interpreting and perceiving a phenomenon of interest. The consequence of comprehending a threshold concept is the development of a transformed personal perception of the subject. The transformation enabled by the threshold concept helps doctoral candidates to make progress with their learning (research). The premise of the argument is based on the notion that ‘enlightened’ individuals are those who use reason to overcome problems and ‘knowers’ in a specific discipline are those that have gained access to powerful knowledge available in a disciple. The knower use access to the powerful knowledge to resolve problems through higher levels of thinking and application. The doctoral supervision journey thus require doctoral candidates and their supervisors to share responsibilities for the demonstration of doctorateness by a thesis.