The Careers of Doctorate Holders (CDH): Principles for Broad International Surveys—The CDH Example

Abstract

Highly educated and skilled people are central to the creation, commercialisation and diffusion of knowledge. Among them, doctorate holders are both the most qualified in terms of educational attainment and those who have been trained to conduct research. Their contribution to the advancement of knowledge is therefore of particular interest to practitioners in charge of steering research and innovation systems. While regarded as essential in a knowledge-based and complex economy, the training of doctoral graduates and researchers is also a long and costly effort. Since 2000, doctoral awards have increased at the same pace as, or even slightly more rapidly than other degree awards. Measuring the return on investment of such long education and training has drawn policy attention. Generic statistical sources on human resources, such as censuses and labor force surveys, are however not fit to provide a full picture of the employment patterns and the contribution of doctorate holders. It is with this in mind that the OECD launched a collaborative project with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and Eurostat in 2004 that aims to address the evidence gaps about this population group and develop internationally comparable indicators on the labor market, career path and mobility of doctorate holders.