Factors affecting timely completion of a PhD: a complex systems approach

• Main Authors: Jegar Pitchforth, Stephanie Beames, Aleysha Thomas, Matthew Falk, Charisse Farr, Susan Gasson, Sri Astuti Thamrin, Kerrie Mengersen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Indiana University Office of Scholarly Publishing 2012-12-01
• Series: Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• Subjects: bayesian network, graduation, skills, environment, personal, project
• Online Access: http://josotl.indiana.edu/article/view/3144
• ISSN: 1527-9316

<em>Completing a PhD on time is a complex process, influenced by many interacting factors. In this paper we take a Bayesian Network approach to analyzing the factors perceived to be important in achieving this aim. Focusing on a single research group in Mathematical Sciences, we develop a conceptual model to describe the factors considered to be important to students and then quantify the network based on five individual perspectives: the students, a supervisor and a university research students centre manager. The resultant network comprised 37 factors and 40 connections, with an overall probability of timely completion of between 0.6 and 0.8. Across all participants, the four factors that were considered to most directly influence timely completion were personal aspects, the research environment, the research project, and incoming skills. </em>