Abstract:
Much has been written on the implementation of Twitter in the higher education
environment, but few essays exist on the role that this social media space could
potentially fulfill in the postgraduate supervision process. This role is reflected on in this
paper. Key literature is reviewed that discusses the essential components of
doctorateness: enculturation, communities of practice, and research identity for both
student and supervisor that this role could serve. The position of this role in Africa is briefly
highlighted. We postulate that Twitter may indeed serve as a valuable and meaningful
platform that serves the intersection between the four components of doctorateness.
