Threshold Concepts in Doctoral Education A Framework for Writing Development in Novice Nurse Scientists Deborah E. Tyndall, PhD, RN; Kerri B. Flinchbaugh, MAEd; Nicole I. Caswell, PhD; and Elaine S. Scott, PhD, RN, NE-BC, FNAP ABSTRACT Pedagogical practices for writing development in doctoral programs are often the by-product of completing dissertation research and may lack deliberate strategies to assist students with complex genres of writing. This article proposes a framework for doctoral education to assist students with mastery of threshold concepts in writing. Threshold concepts in writing are examined for their applicability to the evolution of writing in PhD nursing students as they begin to think and write like nurse scientists. Keywords: doctoral nursing program, nursing education, threshold concepts, writing, writing development Cite this article as: Tyndall DE, Flinchbaugh KB, Caswell NI, Scott ES. Threshold concepts in doctoral education: a frameworkfor writing development in novice nurse scientists. Nurse Educ. 2019;44(1):38-42. DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000535 D isciplinary genres of writing describe the forms and formats of written texts that contain recogniz- able patterns, syntax, and/or conventions within a discipline. Graduates of PhD nursing programs are ex- pected to produce complex genres of writing such as ab- stracts, research grants, manuscripts for publication, and dissertations. 1 Research evidence shows a wide range of variability in writing among doctoral nursing students, 2-5 and these variations may become more profound when ex- posed to complex genres. 6 Pedagogy for scholarly writing in nursing students has focused mostly on developing skills and competencies through course assignments. 7,8 More specifically, writing development in doctoral programs is often the by-product of completing dissertation research. 9 These pedagogical practices support an outcomes-based approach that often captures writing capabilities during specific moments and may not be sustained over time. Alternatively, a “threshold concepts” approach to writ- ing development emphasizes the process of writing, rather than writing products. 10-12 Threshold concepts are ideas and understandings that are central to mastery of a subject. Some have described threshold concepts as a kind of portal that exposes new and previously inaccessible ways of think- ing for learners. 13 In this context, learning involves occupa- tion of a liminal, or unstable, space during the process of mastery of a threshold concept. Progression through a threshold often requires a learner encountering some form of troublesome, unfamiliar knowledge. Examples of thresh- old concepts resulting in troublesome learning for doctoral students include notions of argument and theory, 12 writing up qualitative data, 11 and critical appraisal of the literature. 10 As doctoral students begin to think and write like nurse scientists, they will encounter these and other threshold con- cepts. Attempting to master such concepts results in some students having a transformational learning experience, whereas others may get “stuck” in the liminal space of learning. 14 Understanding threshold concepts that students encounter and find challenging can inform pedagogies aimed to assist students with “crossing the threshold. ” The purpose of this article was to identify 5 threshold concepts in writing and examine their applicability to the evolution of writing in PhD nursing students. Although the number of research-focused nursing pro- grams has increased in the past few decades, the amount of funded grants and major contributions to nursing science has not mirrored this trend. 1 To contribute to their aca- demic communities in a meaningful way, doctoral students in research-focused programs need productive career tra- jectories. Accordingly, communicating their scholarship though complex genres such as abstracts, peer-reviewed publications, and grant proposals is critical. Identifying and ultimately mastering threshold concepts associated with these genres will optimize students’ ability to suc- cessfully generate and disseminate nursing science. Researchers argue that writing skills are often overlooked and need to be more integrated into doctoral education. 15 Author Affiliations: Assistant Professor (Dr Tyndall), East Carolina University College of Nursing; Assistant Director (Ms Flinchbaugh), University Writing Program, and Director of University Writing Centers (Dr Caswell), East Carolina University; and Professor (Dr Scott), East Carolina University College of Nursing, Greenville, North Carolina. Dr Tyndall was a participant in the 2017 NLN Scholarly Writing Retreat, sponsored by the NLN Chamberlain College of Nursing Center for the Advancement of the Science of Nursing Education. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Correspondence: Dr Tyndall, East Carolina University College of Nursing, 4165-N Health Sciences Bldg, Greenville, NC 27858 (tyndalld@ecu.edu). Accepted for publication: February 19, 2018 Published ahead of print: May 8, 2018 DOI: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000535 Nurse Educator 38 Nurse Educator • Vol. 44 • No. 1, pp. 38–42 • Copyright © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. www.nurseeducatoronline.com Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.