What took them so long? Explaining PhD delays among doctoral candidates
Date
2013Author
Van de Schoot, Rens
Yerkes, Mara A.
Mouw, Jolien M.
Sonneveld, Hans
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A delay in PhD completion, while likely undesirable for PhD candidates, can also be detrimental to universities if and when
PhD delay leads to attrition/termination. Termination of the PhD trajectory can lead to individual stress, a loss of valuable
time and resources invested in the candidate and can also mean a loss of competitive advantage. Using data from two
studies of doctoral candidates in the Netherlands, we take a closer look at PhD duration and delay in doctoral completion.
Specifically, we address the question: Is it possible to predict which PhD candidates will experience delays in the completion
of their doctorate degree? If so, it might be possible to take steps to shorten or even prevent delay, thereby helping to
enhance university competitiveness. Moreover, we discuss practical do’s and don’ts for universities and graduate schools to
minimize delays
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10394/17800http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/asset?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0068839.PDF
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068839
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- Faculty of Humanities [2033]