The 2000 National Doctoral Program Survey Released October 17, 2001
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• What is the survey based on?
• Haven't I taken this survey already?
• Who should complete the survey?
• What about students in master's programs or receiving professional degrees?
• What about doctoral-stream students?
• Who is conducting the survey?
• What is your funding source?
• Who is supporting the survey?
• How can I promote survey participation?
• When will the results be available?
• How will the data be reported?
• Why is there a minimum number of responses for results to be made public?
• What are your controls? Why should I trust your results?
• Why do I have to provide my e-mail address? Why do I have to validate my responses?

What is the survey based on?

The National Doctoral Program Survey is based upon best practices in doctoral education, as recommended by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council, and the Association of American Universities, among others. It is adapted from the Spring 1999 Grad School Survey which drew upon the AAU Graduate Education Report and the work of researchers Chris M. Golde (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Melissa Anderson (University of Minnesota).

Haven't I taken this survey already?

You may have participated in the Grad School Survey conducted at PhDs.org during the Spring of 1999. The present survey is a follow-up effort to that survey and contains a number of important differences. As such, we do ask you to complete the present survey. The authors of the PhDs.org survey and the survey on Doctoral Student Education and Career Preparation are members of The National Doctoral Program Survey team and advise the present effort.

Who should complete the survey?

Anyone who has been enrolled in a doctoral program for at least one semester since January 1, 1995, at any institution in the United States or Canada. This includes current students, Ph.D. recipients, and those who were previously enrolled, but did not receive their degree.

What about students in master's programs or receiving professional degrees?

The National Doctoral Program Survey is directed toward students in Ph.D. (or Ed.D) graduate programs. The structure of Ph.D. programs is often quite different than the structure of M.A. and other programs, so many questions may not apply to non-Ph.D. students. However, we invite students in any doctoral programs to participate if they feel the questions apply to their experiences.

What about doctoral-stream students?

Some students may not be officially enrolled in a doctoral program, but consider themselves to be on the doctoral track and expect to move directly into a doctoral program upon receipt of their masters degree. These students are invited to participate as well.

Who is conducting the survey?

The National Doctoral Program Survey is being conducted by the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students (NAGPS). Representing nearly 900,000 graduate and professional students on 150 member campus, NAGPS is dedicated to improving the quality of graduate and professional student life and education by actively promoting the interests and welfare of graduate- and professional-degree-seeking students.

What is your funding source?

The National Doctoral Program Survey is funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Who is supporting the survey?

Many professional societies, institutions, doctoral programs, graduate student associations, and others have already committed to supporting The National Doctoral Program Survey by publicizing the survey to their members. All other interested parties are also urged to support the effort by encouraging current and recent doctoral students to complete the survey.

How can I promote survey participation?

Spread the word! E-mail your friends and colleagues across the country. Include messages in newsletters and Web sites. Contact campus, local, and national media and encourage them to publicize the survey. Ask department administrators and chairs, deans and administrators to pass along the word. Consult the suggestions for publicity for more ideas.

When will the results be available?

Surveys are being accepting through August 15, 2000. After survey submission has closed, it will take some time to compile the results and put them in a form which will be most useful to interested parties. Public release of results is scheduled for Summer 2001 and will be available on this Web site.

How will the data be reported?

In Summer 2001, results will be compiled based on disciplinary and many other demographic categories. In addition, results from individual doctoral programs will be available for any program with a sufficient response rate. Data will be publicly available on the Internet for any interested parties, including graduate student associations, doctoral programs, institutions, and prospective students. Thus, it is imperative that the data be comprehensive and representation; it is vital that you complete the survey and encourage all of your colleagues to do so as well.

Why is there a minimum number of responses for results to be made public?

Results will only be made publicly available for doctoral programs with ten or more responses. This threshold is designed to help protect the anonymity of respondents and to be sure that the results represent the experiences of more than one or two respondents. Since the survey is open to anyone who has been enrolled in a doctoral program since January 1, 1995, we hope that even most small programs will be able to garner ten responses. Respondents will also be able to review results for their own program, regardless of the number of responses received.

What are your controls? Why should I trust your results?

The National Doctoral Program Survey is an observational study based upon self-submission and is not a controlled study. Responses may not necessarily fully reflect the views of the entire doctoral student population. NAGPS regards the material submitted to this site to be expressions of personal opinion, and does not undertake to assess, verify or correct the accuracy of any submissions. NAGPS takes no responsibility for the accuracy, currency, content, or quality of any comments collected on this site.

Why do I have to provide my e-mail address? Why do I have to validate my responses?

Respondents to the survey are required to provide a valid e-mail address in order to have their results recorded and to validate their entry with an ID which will be sent to this address. The validation process is to allow authentication of responses and will also allow respondents to amend their responses at a later date. Addresses will NOT be released to any third party, including, but not limited to, doctoral programs, graduate student associations and institutions. For additional information, please consult our privacy policy.