Early careers of recent U.S. Social Science PhDs

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emory Morrison ◽  
Elizabeth Rudd ◽  
Maresi Nerad
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Career Pathways ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
Comprehensive Survey ◽  
Tenure Track Position ◽  
Academic Job Market

In this article, we analyse findings of the largest, most comprehensive survey of the career paths of social science PhD graduates to date, Social Science PhDs - Five+Years Out (SS5). SS5 surveyed more than 3,000 graduates of U.S. PhD programmes in six social science fields six to ten years after earning their PhD. The survey collected data on family, career and graduate school experiences. Like previous studies in Australia, the U.K., the U.S.A. and Germany, SS5 found that graduates several years after completing their education had mostly positive labour market experiences, but only after undergoing a transitional period of insecurity and uncertainty. Most SS5 doctoral students wanted to become professors, despite the difficult academic job market and the existence of a non-academic market for PhD labour. Many respondents' career pathways included a delayed move into a faculty tenure-track position, but exceptionally few moved from a faculty tenure-track position into another labour market sector. Respondents reported that their PhD programmes had not trained them well in several skills important for academic and non-academic jobs. Men's and women's career paths were remarkably similar, but, we argue, women 'subsidised' gender equality in careers by paying higher personal costs than men. We conclude with recommendations.

scholarly journals The Manuscript Dissertation: A Means of Increasing Competitive Edge for Tenure-track Faculty Positions

10.28945/4093 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 273-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney Freeman Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
High Quality Research ◽  
Competitive Edge ◽  
Tenure Track Faculty ◽  
Doctoral Candidate ◽  
Peer Reviewers ◽  
Academic Job Market

Aim/Purpose: The traditional doctoral dissertation is the first major research project that is led by doctoral students, but it does not necessarily prepare them to publish shorter articles in journals. The manuscript dissertation provides a way for doctoral students to establish themselves as researchers while gaining the experience of developing peer-reviewed manuscripts before graduation, thus enhancing career opportunities as tenure-track faculty. Background: This paper demonstrates how the manuscript dissertation can be employed to increase doctoral student publications before graduation. Methodology: This article uses autoethnography to describe the process and results of writing a manuscript dissertation. Contribution: This paper contrasts dissertation styles, explaining the benefits and challenges of the manuscript dissertation option in particular. Findings: I found that it was important to have an influential and established dissertation chair, develop credibility by displaying competence and clear goals, being curious about what you don’t know may be an asset and to be humble and comfortable with sharing what you don’t know. I also discuss the personal benefits I gained from developing a manuscript dissertation including producing refereed articles earlier, committee members serve as peer-reviewers of your chapters and gaining the opportunity to learn and master multiple methodological approaches. I also shared the challenges I encountered during my dissertation process which included, committee members not being familiar with and not being willing to invest the time to support me in developing the manuscript dissertation, the timeframe for completion of my dissertation was extended, and balancing my responsibilities as a doctoral candidate. I also discussed challenges that I had not experienced but still could be an issue for others utilizing this style of dissertation including, insuring the cohesion of publications and having the copyediting support. Recommendations for Practitioners: Dissertation advisors and chairs should consider recommending the manuscript dissertation to doctoral students interested in gaining the experience of developing peer-reviewed manuscripts and becoming tenure-track faculty. Recommendation for Researchers: Doctoral students interested in becoming tenure-track faculty should consider the manuscript dissertation option as a means of producing publications before graduation, thus increasing competitive edge in the academic job market. Impact on Society: Publication before graduation will help young scholars to produce high-quality research earlier in their academic careers. Future Research: Future research should examine the prevalence of the manuscript dissertation, allowing researchers to determine where and how commonly it is used.

scholarly journals Left Out in the Academic Field: Doctoral Graduates Deal with a Decade of Disappearing Jobs

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 101-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Acker ◽  
Eve Haque
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Culturally Diverse ◽  
Sociology Of Education ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Doctoral Graduates ◽  
Academic Field

In 2001–2002, the authors of this article interviewed 31 ethno-culturally diverse doctoral students about their experiences in a sociology of education program at a Canadian university. Approximately 10 years later, in a second qualitative study, we had the chance to conduct semi-structured interviews with 13 of the former students to find out what had happened to them in the intervening years. Two of the 13 had become tenured academics, three were on the tenure track after years in temporary positions, and most of the others worked in the contingent sector of the academic labour market. Bourdieu’s concepts of “habitus” and “field” are particularly useful for our analysis, and we explore the tensions between these concepts for our participants.

scholarly journals Left Out in the Academic Field: Doctoral Graduates Deal with a Decade of Disappearing Jobs

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 101-119
Author(s):  
Sandra Acker ◽  
Eve Haque
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Culturally Diverse ◽  
Sociology Of Education ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Doctoral Graduates ◽  
Academic Field

In 2001–2002, the authors of this article interviewed 31 ethno-culturally diverse doctoral students about their experiences in a sociology of education program at a Canadian university. Approximately 10 years later, in a second qualitative study, we had the chance to conduct semi-structured interviews with 13 of the former students to find out what had happened to them in the intervening years. Two of the 13 had become tenured academics, three were on the tenure track after years in temporary positions, and most of the others worked in the contingent sector of the academic labour market. Bourdieu’s concepts of “habitus” and “field” are particularly useful for our analysis, and we explore the tensions between these concepts for our participants.  

The Education of Research Psychologists in Sweden

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Knut Larsson ◽  
Josef Frischer
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Science Department ◽  
Research Education ◽  
The Core ◽  
Social Science Department ◽  
Learning Alliance ◽  
Laissez Faire ◽  
The Government

The education of researchers in Sweden is regulated by a nationwide reform implemented in 1969, which intended to limit doctoral programs to 4 years without diminishing quality. In an audit performed by the government in 1996, however, it was concluded that the reform had failed. Some 80% of the doctoral students admitted had dropped out, and only 1% finished their PhD degree within the stipulated 4 years. In an attempt to determine the causes of this situation, we singled out a social-science department at a major Swedish university and interviewed those doctoral students who had dropped out of the program. This department was found to be representative of the nationwide figures found in the audit. The students interviewed had all completed at least 50% of their PhD studies and had declared themselves as dropouts from this department. We conclude that the entire research education was characterized by a laissez-faire attitude where supervisors were nominated but abdicated. To correct this situation, we suggest that a learning alliance should be established between the supervisor and the student. At the core of the learning alliance is the notion of mutually forming a platform form which work can emerge in common collaboration. The learning alliance implies a contract for work, stating its goals, the tasks to reach these goals, and the interpersonal bonding needed to give force and endurance to the endeavor. Constant scrutiny of this contract and a mutual concern for the learning alliance alone can contribute to its strength.

Unravelling the Web of Qualitative Dissertation Writing!

2022 ◽  
pp. 260-282
Author(s):  
Nirupama R. Akella
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Social Science Discipline ◽  
Dissertation Writing ◽  
Qualitative Dissertation ◽  
The Web

This chapter, written in the first person, uses the research method of autoethnography to identify, explore, and discuss six key elements essential for writing a qualitative dissertation in a social science discipline. The author bases her autoethnographic account of reflections, dialogue, and theory within a conceptual framework of critical literacy and a grounded theory analytical approach to detail six foundational elements of qualitative dissertation writing which must be present in the doctoral student's arsenal before beginning to write the dissertation and/or draft. The chapter attempts to solve a dilemma of paucity of empirical research by doctoral students/candidates about how to write qualitative dissertations. The purpose of the chapter is to showcase and unravel the dissertation writing web from a doctoral student/candidate's active learning experience and perspective.

Research productivity of sociology PhD candidates at interdisciplinary schools of social science at elite Australian universities, 2013–17: A gender perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 144078332092709
Author(s):  
Adam Rajčan ◽  
Edgar A. Burns
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Research Productivity ◽  
Research Output ◽  
Gender Composition ◽  
Academic Leaders ◽  
Students First ◽  
Phd Theses ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Australian Universities

Gender data are presented from a study into sociology PhD completions and student research outputs during enrolment at Australian ‘Group of Eight’ interdisciplinary schools of social science. Findings confirm views and impressions offered by Australian sociology academic leaders. The present data contributes to this wider discussion by describing patterns in the contemporary cohort of sociology PhD students. First, we document a stable gender composition of the discipline in Australia reflective of the literature across several decades rather than a recent feminisation process. Second, we report for this cohort of contemporary PhD sociology completions in Australia women and men publish at similar rates during candidacy. Third, there is no significant gendered difference between students at any level of research output production. Fourth, methodological approaches used by sociology doctoral students confirm the epistemological domination of qualitative analysis in this current cohort of sociology PhD theses.

A Critical Review of the Big-Data Paradigm

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 46-59
Author(s):  
Ruben Xing ◽  
Jinluan Ren ◽  
Jianghua Sun ◽  
Lihua Liu
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Internet Of Things ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Transitional Period ◽  
Strategic Plans ◽  
Strategic Changes

The moving directions of big data are readjusted with updated concerns along with the quick boom of Internet of Things (IoT). Any serious contribution to the advance of the IoT must necessarily be the result of synergetic activities conducted in different fields of knowledge, such as telecommunications, informatics, electronics and social science. Big data was a hot topic in past years. It is not a new technology, but a huge resource generated from those fields. Some of the omitted focuses become major strategic plans for developers, and several new functions are becoming critical needs for the smart Internet movement. This paper is to address big data with the strategic changes and directions during the sensitive transitional period to be recognized for the business leaders and information technology (IT) developers.

Pursuing Careers Inside or Outside Academia? Factors Associated With Doctoral Students’ Career Decision Making

2020 ◽  
pp. 089484532090796
Author(s):  
Gaeun Seo ◽  
Joonkil Ahn ◽  
Wen-Hao Huang ◽  
Julia P. Makela ◽  
HyeJin T. Yeo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Academic Career ◽  
Career Decision ◽  
Career Decision Making ◽  
Career Experiences ◽  
Career Support ◽  
Career Needs

A lack of empirical research on career decision-making experience of doctoral students prevents them from developing relevant career competencies to achieve desired career goals. Understanding career experiences and diverse career needs of doctoral students is crucial to better prepare them for varied career paths inside and outside academia. Grounded in social cognitive career theory’s career self-management model, we investigated the association of the personal and contextual factors of doctoral students with their career decision making. To gain a comprehensive understanding of career choices of doctoral students, comparisons are made between academic and beyond academic career groups. Data were collected from 313 doctoral candidates from a research-oriented public university located in the U.S. Midwest. The results of logistic regression analysis show significant associations between career support, marital status, and major and career choice of doctoral students. Implications for graduate education to support doctoral students for diverse career paths are discussed.

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