The desire to leave a mark, or contribute to a subject of absorbing interest, is the best motivation for entering into a doctorate. The PhD or DPhil offers the opportunity to publish learned articles, teach, and perhaps eventually produce a book respected by your intellectual peers. It is the pre-requisite for enjoying an academic career, although in itself it is a curious no-man's land. The teaching load, and frequency of seminar work will depend on your chosen institution, and the differences between American and British universities are profound. You can expect a longer, more structured, and more expensive experience in the United States: one, however, that might leave you better prepared to meet the demands of the academy. A 2:1 in a degree intimately related to your specialisation is the basic entry requirement, although it is extremely difficult to obtain funding from public sources in Great Britain without a first. I remember the unpleasant feeling filling out the forms for the British Academy, which distinguish between high, low, and middle-ranking firsts. The AHRB, and now the Economic and Social Research Council, both in practice require you to undertake a masters degree, for which a separate funding competition exists. If you are prepared to fund yourself (to the tune of six to ten thousand pounds per annum) you can usually skip this stage, if your degree is strong enough."The skills that you acquire can be rather esoteric"

Even if you manage to secure funding, the financial sacrifices are considerable in lost earnings, promotions and work experience. A doctorate in the humanities is not a utilitarian option. On the other hand, you do get the chance to think and write for yourself. Something I cannot stress enough is the importance of breaking up your academic career at least once in your progress through degree, masters and doctorate. The marathon effect of seven or eight years' continuous academic study is not to be underestimated. For the same reason, it is generally useful to spread your study across two or more establishments, although this does bear a cost in setting down new intellectual and social roots. In the final analysis, however, the presence of the right resources and supervisor should be the determining factor.

It is difficult, though by no means impossible, for someone with a sociable personality to do a doctorate. The isolating effect of individual research or reading can be demoralising. Even more so than at undergraduate level, maintaining separate interests is of great importance. Paradoxically, being master of your own activity can leave you feeling that you have less time to spend on leisure than before. It depends on the amount of guilt you tend to feel about your work. On the whole, I would say that doctoral research is hell for perfectionists, although these tend to make the best scholars.

The skills that you acquire can be rather esoteric. Reading scripts in antiquarian hands is not something that will make you a better future business leader. However, there are general skills that you develop more comprehensively than at the undergraduate level. These include: the ability to absorb and interpret large - very large - quantities of information; the spur of originality; the composition of extended prose; communicating orally with a frequently sceptical audience; teaching, and the assessment of others. Obviously, these skills are best suited to an academic context, and it is unfortunate that pay and conditions in the university sector have gradually deteriorated. You stand to make more money in a secondary school. The load of bureaucracy has also increased. These are not things that will affect you directly as a research student, but you will probably witness some of the consequences at near hand in more senior academics. Awareness of the pressures on university professionals will help you to try to be as self-reliant as you can.

Striking the right balance with your supervisor is absolutely essential. I have been very fortunate, but I know of others who have not been so lucky. Simple things are important: is your supervisor genuinely interested in your topic? Is he or she so burdened with other responsibilities that the attention available to you will be desultory? Will he or she be physically present for the duration of your study? How many other research students will your supervisor be taking on? Sheer common sense suggests that you should try to talk to your potential supervisor on an informal basis before committing yourself to his or her tender care. Clearly, the frequency and intensity of supervisions will vary with the stage of your doctorate: you can legitimately expect a meeting once a fortnight in the first term, turning into monthly or bi-monthly encounters once you are on your way. Supervisions should pick up again once you approach submission of your thesis.

On balance, academic research is a glorious yet strangely shabby thing: as intrinsically worthwhile as any creative activity, but with little romance or material reward. Someone, after all, has to keep the flag flying above the little fort of reason, surrounded by the baying horde of philistines, accountants and management consultants. If you can think of it in these terms, then well and good: otherwise there is the morale booster prescribed by Dr Jack Daniels.