Marshalling the Professional Experience of Doctoral Students: Towards Bridging the Gaps Between Theory and Practice

We propose a partial solution to the problem of the relevance of IS research by adjusting doctoral programs to the specific needs and talents of doctoral students, who are distinguished from traditional doctoral candidates by significant prior professional life experiences. The purpose of this paper is first to clarify the concept of "professionally qualified doctoral students" (PQDS). Next we examine the epistemic evidence for the claim that practical experience constitutes a specific type of "applicative" knowledge that should be considered as different but of equal value as theory, which has been the mainstay of academic education. Three independent lines of academic research have contributed such evidence: neurological brain research, the communities of practice literature and the philosophical discussion on applicative knowledge. We enumerate some reasons why qualitative research may be the most effective research methodology for PQDS. Finally we outline some key principles for adjusting doctoral programs.