This paper describes a qualitative case study that explored threshold concepts in doctoral writing – specifically the places where students get “stuck” and are unable to make writing progress. The case examined doctoral students’ views of the various components of research writing and then developed strategies to help them clarify thinking and writing processes. This paper focuses on two threshold concepts in doctoral writing and describes how learning developers at one New Zealand institution have structured a programme to help students move from conceptual space to writing competence.

Keywords: Doctoral writing, doctoral research, threshold concepts