Knowledge Practices: Experiences in Writing Doctoral Dissertations in Different Formats

This work discusses articles versus monographs as routes toward the doctoral degree and the challenges of writing within these formats. Two stories are presented from candidates reflecting on their experiences. These stories are analyzed and discussed in relation to the conceptions of academic genres, Vygotskian notions of learning, and writing as identity formation. Dissimilarities between monograph- and article-based dissertations are discussed in regard to time, maturation, focus, feedback influences, and contributions to different writing and learning experiences. This study concludes by articulating the need to develop greater awareness of genre demands and learning in dissertation writing.