PhD graduate obtains international commendation for groundbreaking work
January 31, 2012 
27 Comments
Rose Richards
A doctoral dissertation produced by a PhD graduate from the Psychology Department at Stellenbosch University (SU) was recently selected as one of the 10 most highly commended dissertations by the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology (IIQM) in 2011.
The Institute is based at the University of Alberta in Canada and receives dissertations from all over the world for the IIQM Dissertation Award competition.
Ms Rose Richards, who works at the Language Centre at SU, explains that her research focused on the experience of chronic illness. She used her own “experience of chronic kidney disease, dialysis, transplantation and life after transplant to explore what it means to tell the story of the experience of chronic illness”.
The research work for the PhD dissertation was conducted by using autoethnography – using both academic and personal writing – as a methodology.
“Autoethnography also allowed me to contextualise my own narrative and experiences against the larger field of Qualitative Health Research, illness narratives and a growing body of research into the liminal state of surviving something that used to be fatal and lingers with you for the rest of your life. I discovered that growing well was as traumatic as becoming ill,” explains Richards, who will receive her degree during the SU graduation in March this year.
“It also allowed me to play with academic form and to see how far I could change the conventions of the genre without becoming non-academic. That part was a lot of fun.”
Richards says she was thrilled to learn that her dissertation was considered good enough to compete for the award and even more delighted to be in the top ten.
“It was a tremendous validation of my work. My research has had immense personal significance for me and it feels really good to know that it is meaningful to others too. At first I worried that what I did would have limited value to others, but being shortlisted tells me that my work can speak to others too.”
According to Richards’ supervisor, Prof Leslie Swartz from the Psychology Department, her work is “amongst the most interesting and original” that he has had the privilege to supervise. “I therefore believe that her groundbreaking work richly deserves international recognition”, says Swartz.
Richards was encouraged to submit her work for consideration by Professor Sally Thorne who is an examiner and Professor of Nursing at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Thorne is well-known across the world for her substantial work on Qualitative Health Research Methodology. In 2009, Thorne received Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women Award from the Canadian organisation, Women’s Executive Network.
Thorne described Richard’s work as one of the “most exciting and powerful pieces of original scholarship” that she has had the pleasure to read.
“It set out to ‘perturb’ thinking, in both the author and in her eventual audiences, and it clearly accomplished that in a brilliant and compelling manner,” wrote Thorne.
Dear Rose, this is a job well done. As a former “Matie” and Alumnus, I say thank you for this achievement. I wish I had thousand hands to applaud with no stop.
Thank you for exploring and having the ability to navigate in unfamiliar territories of auto-ethnography.
Guy-Roger
Hi Rose
I’ve been diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure in April 2011. It has been a difficult journey up to now. Will it be possible if you could e-mail me your thesis, I think it would be beneficial for me as well as my support system.
Kind regards
Stella
Well done, Rose!
You’re one of the clearest, most gentle people who’ve have ever tutored me (…MPA Contact Week 2011). God bless you!
Congratulations Rose
You continue to inspire us in the doctoral scholarship… we draw on your strength and know that we will make it too!!
Marcia
This is excellent news. Congratulations and well done and here’s to more success in the future.
Nalini
Dear Rose (Dr Rose that is!)
Congratulations with this wonderful achievement – a well deserved award at the end of your PhD journey and motivation for great things to come.
I was thrilled to read this news. Congratulations, Rose. This achievement made all the long hours of hard work even more worthwhile. Nadine
Fantastic achievement Rose…congratulations!
This is good work. Congratulations.
By Mooketsi Bennedict Tekere (Stellenbosch University MPHIL Alumni).
I knew I had an exceptional roommate on the Greek tour. You enjoy life, you savour the challenge and whatever it offers you. Again, congratulations. I hope we can have another tour togehter and I promise not to break anything!
Hello Rose
Well done and congratulations. You’re truly an inspiration top all of us who seeks to produce something meaningful. May you enjoy many more highlights in return of your hard work.
Rose, this recognition of your fine achievement bears testimony to your deep strength, sheer determination and resilience. What a brilliant woman you are! This is only the beginning and I am privileged to watch you fly.
Rose, congratulations on your outstanding academic achievement. As a doctoral student, reading this article reinvigorates me to complete my own work. I wish you everything of the best as this is the beginning of more successful journeys that you will be travelling on. Cheers,
Anisa
Dear Rose, Congratulations on a number of counts! I am sooooooooooo thrilled for you! I say a HUGE THANK YOU for making a very significant mark for auto-ethnography! Please know that your contribution to self study research approaches will be greatly enhanced because of your excellent achievement. What a wonderful example you set us all of how to make high quality lemonade out of really bad lemons! love, Joan
Rose, what a superb accomplishment and so impressive. To have taken on all that, while so ill, and to have finished not just a dissertation (a feat in itself)but one selected as one of the ten best among an international competition is a tribute to how awesome you are. Keep on inspiring us all.
Mickey
Well done, Rose! So proud of you!
Hi rose, I just read about this heartwarming news. It is fantastic. Congratulations! This is the best gift to us for the year 2012. You have given women another level of impetus to fly higher. Thank God for your life, your gift of astuteness and determination and above all , your gift of reaching out to others in a special way. Fly higher and higher. God bless.
Wonderful achievement, Rose. So very thrilled for you.
Well done Rose! You are an inspiration.
Congratulations Rose! You have proven without a doubt that you are the best! And that without the slightest hint of arrogance. I am proud to know you.
Dear Rose,
Congratulations on this remarkable achievement. We know how hard you worked, and it is wonderful to see you are receiving due recognition for your effort.
We are so proud of you,
From all of us at SUN MeDIA.
Congratulations Rose. You are trully a woman of strength and academic excellency. Wish you God’s richest blessings for the future.
Rose
We are so proud of you. Thanks for encouraging us at the research support group. You really are for us an excellent example of commitment, positive thinking and determination.
Hi Rose,
Congratulations and well done!
Dear Rose
What wonderful accomplishments: overcoming illness, completing the PhD and the acclaimed recognition!
Best wishes with the post-doc (pressure:)).
Kind regards
Jean
Hi Rose, congratulations!
Hi Rose, I just saw this article about your amazing academic achievement, and I must say – with the success of completing your PhD, there shall be more challenges, obstacles and opportunities in life. Face and tackle them with the same zeal, vigour and determination, as you have always done. Congratulations on completing your PhD and best wishes for your future life.