Doctoral Granting Institutions Research Articles

Apprenticeship of Observation in Kinesiology: Undergraduates’ Perceptions of Faculty Roles

ABSTRACT While kinesiology scholars have focused on how future faculty members are socialized, recruited into, and prepared for academia, limited attention has been given to the apprenticeship of observation for faculty roles when college students first develop impressions and initial understandings of faculty work. This qualitative study aimed to understand undergraduate kinesiology students’ perceptions and beliefs about faculty roles and careers in higher education. Data were collected from 58 undergraduate kinesiology students at a large doctoral-granting institution in the Midwest region of the U.S. The findings were communicated through three themes: (a) incomplete understanding of faculty work limits motivation to pursue faculty careers; (b) positive associations but distal relationships with faculty through coursework; and (c) research involvement fosters an understanding of research process and faculty work. This study has implications not only for the recruitment and socialization of future faculty, but also for building public trust in kinesiology and higher education.

For Optimal Inclusivity in the Research Process, Researchers Should Reflect Early and Often on How to Create Welcoming Research Environments

A Review of: Muir, R., & Coe, M. (2023). ‘Out of sight, but not out of mind’: A collaborative reflective case study on including participants with invisible disabilities in LIS research. Journal of Australian Library and Information Association, 72(1), 26–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750158.2023.2168115 Objective – To reflect on what it means to include people with invisible disabilities as research participants in research projects. Design – Collaborative, reflective case study using interviews. Setting – Doctoral-granting institution in Australia. Subjects – 2 LIS professionals who were also pursuing doctorates (practitioner-researchers) interviewed each other, each participant fulfilling the role of both interviewer and interviewee. Methods – The researchers did a reflective case study, each reflecting on their own past experiences of including people with invisible disabilities (PwID) as research participants in projects for their doctoral theses. They then interviewed each other and engaged in collaborative discussions. Each interviewer audio recorded and transcribed their own interview, which they also coded individually. The researchers then reviewed the individual coding together and subsequently created a single collaborative codebook that described the emerging themes. The researchers used NVivo software in the development of both the initial codes and final codebook. Main Results – The authors discuss four broad themes that emerged from their coding: “ethical approval for research,” “creating welcoming research environments,” “disclosure of invisible disabilities,” and “use of data.” Key topics in the discussion include questioning assumptions about research subject vulnerability, the value of being sensitive to individual participant voices, the difference between formal disclosure of invisible disabilities (ID) and disclosure that emerges organically throughout the course of an interview, and how research designs that do not consider PwID can create limitations on the use of data from PwID. Conclusion – The article authors noted that researchers should expect that those who participate in their research studies may be PwID, whether or not it is disclosed or explicitly relevant to the project. Thus, they suggest that when researchers shape the research design of their projects, they should thoughtfully engage in questioning their own values regarding inclusivity and not rely exclusively on ethics boards to support ethical and welcoming research environments. Thoughtful engagement might include researching what is involved in creating a safe space by considering such elements as lighting, seating arrangements, colors, and accessibility to restrooms and parking areas. In addition, the authors suggest that researchers should ensure flexibility and responsiveness within the research design and approach the project with full awareness of the impact ID may have on the research processes and the data. They indicate that researchers should remain open to acknowledging their own knowledge gaps, as well as educating others when opportunities arise. Additionally, they suggest that creating welcoming environments for research participants with ID is best done from the very beginning of a project, when it can be integral to the study design and should remain present throughout the course of the research process.

Conceptualizing Slow Curation

The pressure to do things quickly is a constant in our professional lives as data curators. But what if we slowed down our work? Taking inspiration from the Slow Movement and its various sub-genres, we propose the idea of Slow Curation, specifically for the application of curating research data. Data curation is the process of reviewing datasets to prepare them for sharing, use, and reuse. We have identified areas where Slow can be embraced in the Data Curation Network’s CURATE(D) model. We also advocate for a few ways, outside of curation, where data curators can collaboratively advocate for Slowing down our work for the better. Join us as we practice radical self-care and advocate for our communities by embracing Slow and easing our way out of Busy culture.Positionality Statements:All authors are employed at large and wealthy doctoral granting institutions in the United States. Their identities and experiences have directly informed and influenced this piece.Joanna is a cisgender, white, heterosexual, able bodied female. Wanda is a white gender non-conforming queer, able bodied person who is a first generation undergraduate and graduate college studentMikala is a cisgender, white, heterosexual, able bodied female.

End of a Presidency: Perceptions about Derailed Leaders Based on Gender

This critical discourse analysis examined the perceptions and their role in social practice of both internal and external constituents of five women and five men university presidents at doctoral-granting institutions who resigned or were fired from their positions through an analysis of publicly available commentary (e.g., social media, blogs). Findings of the study highlight how gender is a key component of the public commentary, indicate differences in constituent support, and illustrate that women are more often criticized due to traditional gender expectations compared to men who primarily faced criticism for the specific scandal or challenge. Further, discourse analysis revealed that a gendered lens continues to shape leadership evaluations and expectations in society.

Author preferences for open access in Portugal: survey findings

PurposeSurveying authors at doctoral-granting institutions of higher education in Portugal, the authors in this paper aim to seek to determine the extent to which Portuguese researchers prefer that their work appears in open access journals or open access repositories resulting in improved access to quality, peer-reviewed scientific information and faster scientific and technological advances. The authors also seek to gauge Portuguese author's familiarity with open access, the importance they attach to open access when choosing a publication outlet, and to determine their preferences for achieving open access.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology adopted in this research is the case study. The case study intends to understand a complex social phenomenon through an in-depth study holistically. In May 2020, the authors distributed a survey to faculty in all academic ranks at 14 Portuguese higher education institutions to learn the extent to which Portuguese authors currently make their research openly available, ascertain their awareness of open access, their support of the European Union (EU) open access goal and their preferences for achieving open access.FindingsResearchers at Portuguese universities overwhelmingly are aware of arguments in favor of open access and believe that open access benefits researchers in their fields. Portuguese researchers regularly publish in open access journals and deposit their papers in institutional or disciplinary repositories.Research limitations/implications16.7% of 740 potential respondents completed the survey. The relatively low response rate prevents extrapolations from being made to the universe. The study was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, which, due to the disruption created in all sectors, made data collection complex and delayed its subsequent treatment.Originality/valueSimilar studies have been conducted at individual universities and in particular disciplines to determine the degree to which their faculty authors are aware of open access, its benefits, and preferences for achieving it. A similar study of Bulgarian university authors was conducted in 2018. No previous study of Portuguese authors at institutions of higher education has been conducted. The results will be useful to Portuguese institutions of higher education and academic libraries to establish and revise open access outreach and implementation services that may be helpful to their faculty in meeting EU open access and funder open access requirements.

Relational practice of Canadian academic librarians: Exploratory content analysis using relational-cultural theory

There is increasing recognition that relational practice, such as building community, empathy, and team building, is an important facet for Canadian academic librarians. This study measures the visibility of relational practice of Canadian academic librarians. Job postings from The Partnership Job Board were collected for a six-month period beginning in July 2021. Job postings were analyzed using deductive content analysis, utilizing a framework based on relational-cultural theory (Arellano Douglas & Gadsby, 2019; Fletcher, 1998). The framework identifies relational practice as falling into four categories: preserving, mutual empowerment, emotional strategizing, and creating team. While there is mention of relational practice in the job postings, further visibility is needed to accurately reflect this aspect of Canadian academic librarian work. Emotional strategizing (51.7 % of job postings with one or more mention) and creating team (47.2 %) are the most visible relational practices, while preserving (7.9 %) is hardly mentioned. There is far less mutual empowerment for practicing librarians (9 %) compared to librarians in management positions (57 %). The visibility of relational practice increases as the highest credential offered at the post-secondary institution increases, however this trend is not seen for mutual empowerment at Canadian Ph.D./doctorate-granting institutions. There is a need to increase visibility of relational practice with more frequent inclusion in academic librarian job postings and job descriptions, inclusion in the review, tenure, and promotion process, and identification together with clear communication of the value of relational practice.

Attaining Full Professorship in Physical Education Teacher Education

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate how 14 physical education teacher education (PETE) faculty members at doctoral-granting institutions met organizational demands to achieve the rank of full professor. Open-ended 90 minute semi-structured interviews were conducted. Curriculum Vitae (CVs) were collected in order to triangulate data and better inform interview questions. Methodological rigor applied included the following: (a) an audit trail; (b) constant comparison; (c) triangulation of qualitative data through interviews and CVs; and (d) peer-debriefing. Results indicated scholarly productivity was the most salient role responsibility contributing to promotion to full professor. Teaching and service were viewed as secondary roles.

Outsiders in Executive Succession: Institutional, Industrial, or Sectoral?

An important consideration in the executive succession process is the successor’s origin. Traditionally, this has been defined as the difference between being promoted from within the organization—an insider—versus being externally recruited and hired—an outsider. More recently, this approach has been challenged by scholars who instead point to industry experience as the identifying characteristic of an insider. Specific to public organizations, scholars have theorized that the fit between the publicness of the organization and the prior public sector work experience of the new manager is a key distinguishing factor of the insider/outsider distinction. Among these differing conceptualizations of outsiders, which matter most for organizational performance? Using the presidential hires of public, doctoral-granting institutions of higher education in the U.S. from 2010-2018, this paper tests three measures of outsiders—institutional, industrial, and sectoral—in the executive succession process and their effects on organizational performance. Findings provide some evidence that only sectoral outsiders have any meaningful (positive and significant) influence on performance. However, being an outsider by all three definitions is associated with a large drop in performance two years after hire.

The Socialization for Teaching: Factors Related to Teaching Career Aspirations for Doctoral Students of Color

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of our study was to gain a better understanding of the socialization factors that contribute to the aspirations of doctoral students of Color to pursue teaching careers. Background: Internationally, there has been a renewed call to diversify the professoriate. While the literature often examines early pathway issues and hiring bias, one efficient solution is to continue encouraging the socialization of those doctoral students of Color already interested in pursuing a teaching career. Methodology: We used a sample of 2,717 doctoral candidates of Color from over 221 doctoral-granting institutions in the USA who completed a survey about their graduate experiences. The sample of participants indicated they aspired to a teaching career at the beginning of their doctoral study, yet not all were interested in the same career choice by the end. To analyze our data we used Logistic Regression Modeling (LOGIT) to test which socialization factors (i.e., anticipatory, formal, informal, and personal) contribute to teaching career aspirations. Contribution: We found that factors associated with anticipatory and personal socialization contributed greatest to the continued aspiration of being a teaching faculty member, along with teaching experience. These results are somewhat different than previous literature and practice that places a greater emphasis on formal and informal socialization experiences as contributing to a future teaching faculty career. Findings: Anticipatory (publishing before the start of a PhD program), formal (teaching experience), and personal socialization (sense of belonging) were most related to aspirations to pursue a teaching faculty career, while more factors more traditional in the literature (e.g., relationship with advisor, career and research support, etc.) were not significantly correlated with the desire to pursue a teaching faculty career. Recommendations for Practitioners: We recommend that faculty advisors, graduate education administrators, and academic leaders pay close attention to the personal and social development of doctoral students of Color in order to sustain their interest in teaching in higher education. In addition, it is important for academic leaders to recognize doctoral socialization begins before a student enters a PhD program, so more attention should be given to the opportunities for undergraduate students of Color to learn about the academy through research and publication. Recommendation for Researchers: Doctoral socialization as a topic of study has continued to be of interest to scholars, but there are more quantitative and mixed-method scholarship that could be used to influence academic leaders and policymakers. In addition, scholars should continue to complicate and refine graduate socialization theory in order to understand and represent racially diverse populations. Impact on Society: Multiple interventions will be needed in order to increase the amount of faculty of Color in the professoriate but improving pre-PhD experiences and sense of belonging for doctoral students of Color could be a targeted policy intervention for academic leaders. As researchers and practitioners in the field are looking for ways to better support doctoral students of Color, a nuanced understanding of developmental needs is essential not only for graduation but for intended career aspiration. Future Research: With these findings, we offer opportunities for future research to further our understanding of socialization for doctoral students of Color. Future studies should include more robust measures of socialization factors along with longitudinal research designs in order to understand the temporal developmental needs for students of Color along multiple pathways to the professoriate.

Applying the social ecological framework to enhance wellness for student veterans

Objective To increase campus-wide wellness for student service members/veterans (SSM/Vs), student services professionals, healthcare providers, and faculty collaborated to implement the Social Ecological Framework (SEF) over a three-year project. Participants One thousand six hundred and seventy eight SSM/Vs enrolled at a medium-sized doctoral granting institution with high-research activity (R2). SSM/Vs were directly and indirectly impacted through a series of initiatives, including stigma reduction efforts, wellness promotion, faculty training, therapeutic services, and peer-advising. Methods Data collection included student success measures such as retention, student satisfaction/feedback, peer-advising meetings, psychotherapy sessions, TBI screenings, and growth measures from a mental health stigma scale. Results A significant increase in therapy sessions conducted at the Wellness Center, increased faculty trainings, new and strengthened partnerships, and an increase in SSM/V retention. Conclusions Results suggest that collaborative efforts applying the SEF can create improved educational conditions and outcomes for SSM/Vs. A review of SSM/V wellness literature and suggestions for other campuses are offered.

Doctoral student persistence and progression: a program assessment

PurposeGlobally, traditional and online doctoral programs face difficulties with student persistence and progression. An online doctoral school implemented a first-year program sequence taught by a cadre of 20 specialized faculty members who engage in best practices to assist students in persisting and progressing toward program completion.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative program assessment using content analysis examined the program effectiveness of one online doctoral program's first-year program sequence. Two research questions guided this program assessment, they were: RQ1. Based on online doctoral students' perspectives, what motivators contribute to online doctoral student persistence and progression in an online doctoral program? RQ2. How do online faculty contribute to online doctoral student persistence and progression? Data collection included myriad of program metrics: content area meetings (CAMs); closing the loop assessment data; faculty and student end of course survey data; and faculty and student semistructured interviews.FindingsThe resultant themes indicated that students are motivated by support from family, friends and religious beliefs; and students persist based on support from fellow doctoral students and faculty members. Additional themes revealed that faculty members motivate students through building faculty–student relationships, individual coaching, providing university resources and through clarification of program requirements; and faculty members perceive that face-to-face doctoral residencies greatly contribute to student persistence and progression through interpersonal interaction and through improved clarity.Originality/valueImplications of this program assessment have far-reaching impact on how doctoral granting institutions can structure small cadres of faculty to develop interpersonal relationships with doctoral students with focus on support and development.

Research Development and Its Workforce: An Evidence-Based Compendium for Higher Education and Other Environments

Research development (RD) is a relatively new area of professional practice in and outside higher education for which “the full extent of practitioner purposes and practices is yet to be delineated” (Preuss, Eck, Fechner Walker, 2018, p. 2). To address this gap, data was compiled from 442 position descriptions, two surveys that asked about the background, experience, employers, roles, responsibilities, and salaries of RD professionals, and the membership roll of the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP). Quantitative and qualitative analyses were completed as well as comparisons of findings from each of the sources. The result was an overview of the field and the persons who work in it. The average research development professional was a middle-aged, White, female with six or less years of experience in RD who held an advanced degree, who worked full time in a position she had occupied for four years or less and for an entity where she had been employed for longer than four years. More than 75% of the RD professionals were women but minorities were underrepresented as in many other areas of higher education and in STEM-related fields. More than half of the informants were recruited to, grew into, or had positions created for them in RD by their employer rather than being recruited from outside the organization. Approximately 72% of research development professionals in the United States worked at public colleges or universities in 2017, with the same percent working for doctorate-granting institutions. Their employers were located in 49 US states and one territory but there was a group of 14 states in which two-thirds of all known RD professionals could be found. There was also a tendency for large state and private universities that have more selective admission policies and a strong and extended focus on conducting research to employ groups of five or more RD professionals. RD professionals hold positions with a wide range of responsibilities, 62 were demonstrated to be part of the field. The data substantiated that these can be grouped in four categories already used by practitioners, strategic research advancement, communicating about research and research priorities, enhancing collaboration, and support of proposal production. Evidence of employment tiers and development of areas of specialization was found with statistically significant differences in responsibilities demonstrated between persons with the title Director and Proposal Developer/Grant Writer. RD offices tended to be small, most commonly staffed by one to two persons. Centralized offices were the type most frequently reported, 37.6% of respondents, but seven other organizing patterns existed. RD offices with five or more employees occurred at larger, flagship institutions that have had an historic focus on externally-funded research yet, over half of research development offices were reported to have existed for six years or less. Compensation reported for research development professionals was comparable to that noted by McDonald and Sorensen (2015) for Assistant and Associate Professors. Combined, the data facilitated formulation of the first detailed definition of research development that is fully evidence-based including identifying RD’s contribution to the mission of higher education and an operational description of how RD is practiced.

Exploring STEM postsecondary instructors\u2019 accounts of instructional planning and revisions

BackgroundLocal and national initiatives to improve the learning experiences of students enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses have been on-going for a couple of decades with a heightened momentum within the last 10 years. However, recent large-scale studies have demonstrated that transmission of information is still the primary mode of instruction in STEM courses across the undergraduate curriculum. The limited impact of instructional change reform efforts can be partly explained by the one-sided focus of educational research on the development of evidence-based instructional practices and production of evidence demonstrating their impact on student learning. This has been done at the expense of understanding faculty members’ instructional practices and mindsets about teaching and learning that underlie their practices. This study addresses this gap in the literature by characterizing STEM instructors’ instructional intentions and reflections on their teaching performance for a week of instruction. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 42 STEM faculty members from one doctorate-granting institution in the USA.ResultsSTEM instructors in this study had teacher-centric mindsets with respect to their instructional planning (e.g., content-focused learning goals, lecture is seen as an engagement strategy). We found that these instructors mostly saw formative assessment tools as engagement strategy rather than tools to monitor student learning. Reflections on their level of satisfaction with their week of teaching focused heavily on content coverage and personal feelings and minimally considered student learning. Finally, we found that pedagogical discontent was not a driver of planned course revisions.ConclusionsThis study identifies mismatches between STEM instructors’ teaching mindsets and current approaches to instructional change. STEM instructors in this study paid minimal attention to student learning when considering course-level revisions and many of their reflections were anchored in their personal feelings. However, instructional reform strategies often attempt to convince faculty of a new approach by demonstrating its impact on student learning. The misalignment identified in this study further highlights the need to better characterize STEM instructors’ cognition around teaching so that reform efforts can better meet them where they are.

Design and impact of the national workshop for early career geoscience faculty

The National Association of Geoscience Teachers’ Workshop for Early Career Geoscience Faculty: Teaching, Research, and Managing One’s Career has been offered annually since 1999. The five-day workshop with accompanying web resources employs a “whole faculty” approach to support geoscience faculty members during their transition into academic careers. More than 1,000 faculty members (53% female, 47% male) have attended the national workshop; 52% from doctoral-granting institutions, 15% master’s, 28% bachelor’s, and 5% associates. Evidence-based instructional practices are shared and modeled during workshop sessions. Situated learning theory grounds the workshop design and promotes the development of a community of practice. Examination of the 2016 National Geoscience Faculty Survey data using univariate analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) showed that workshop alumni report spending more class time on student activities, questions, and discussion than faculty members who did not participate in the workshop, particularly on small group discussions or think-pair-share and in-class exercises (for introductory courses p < .05; for majors courses p < .001). Workshop alumni also were more likely than faculty who did not participate to report feeling part of a geoscience community that shares their goals, philosophy, and values for geoscience education (p < .01), more likely to report that interactions with this community help them to become better educators (p < .001), and more likely to attend talks on teaching methods or science education (p < .001). Although causality cannot be established without random assignment, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that this discipline-based workshop with its holistic approach is effective at promoting evidence-based teaching strategies and a community of practice.

Investigation of chemistry graduate teaching assistants' teacher knowledge and teacher identity

AbstractGraduate students play an integral role in undergraduate chemistry education at doctoral granting institutions where they routinely serve as instructors of laboratories and supplementary discussion sessions. Simultaneously, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) balance major research and academic responsibilities. Although GTAs have substantial instructional facetime with large numbers of undergraduate students, little is known about their conceptions of teaching or their identities as teachers. To investigate the knowledge that GTAs have regarding teaching in this unique context, their teaching identities, and how these developed, we conducted 22 interviews with graduate students from several universities at various levels in their graduate school career using a modified Teacher Beliefs Interview. Interviews were analyzed for two overarching teacher learning constructs: teacher knowledge and teacher identity. We characterized chemistry GTAs' teacher knowledge and identity and determined major influencing factors. We found that chemistry GTAs often identified as a tutor or lab manager, which hindered their self‐investment in developing as teachers. The results presented herein contribute to an understanding of GTAs' teacher knowledge, teacher identity, and their teaching context, from which training can be designed to best support GTA development.

Effects of the Culture and Climate of Doctoral-Granting Institutions on the Career Aspirations of Women Midlevel Student Affairs Professionals

Women fill the majority of the entry and midlevel student affairs positions across institution types yet are underrepresented in senior-level roles such as the chief student affairs officer role at doctoral-granting institutions. This explanatory mixed-methods study explored the experiences and perceptions of midlevel women student affairs professionals at doctoral-granting institutions. Of specific interest is how these individuals have experienced the culture and climate of their institution and how they perceive they have affected their career aspirations. Two-hundred fifty-seven participants completed the online survey and 10 completed a 60-minute semi-structured interview. Findings from this study revealed that women midlevel student affairs professionals continue to face challenges due to the cultures and climates of their institutions, which affect their career aspirations. Although about a third of the participants indicated that they aspired to senior leadership roles, personal and professional factors that are not supported by institutional cultures and climates have derailed their career aspirations.

The Duality of Students and Faculty: Illustrating the Sociological Utility of Doctoral Committee Data

In the context of growing interest in social networks and the sociology of graduate education, the authors examine a relational feature of postbaccalaureate study that has received particularly little attention: the doctoral committee. Data on committee memberships speak to multiple theoretical issues and are presumably maintained by most doctorate-granting institutions, yet this information is seldom aggregated or analyzed. Here, the authors draw on records from the University of California, San Diego to illustrate the utility of doctoral committee data for four areas of sociological inquiry: interdisciplinary knowledge production, departmental community, inequality in the workplace division of labor, and variation in student outcomes. For each, the authors present core findings, discuss their implications, and suggest directions for future research.

Pracademics in Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration accredited programs: Insights from a survey of program faculty members

This article examines current and previous practitioner experiences of faculty in Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration accredited programs. Using original survey data, this study demonstrates that a majority of Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration program faculty members have prior or current practitioner experiences. However, prior practitioner experiences among younger faculty is significantly lower when compared to older faculty. Faculty report far less current engagement and, of those who do have active engagement roles, most are participating in short-term activities and in non-profit roles. Evaluation credit may be one dynamic to understanding a lack of engaged service activity. A majority of respondents engaging in outside service are from research-focused, doctoral-granting institutions, where it is more likely positive credit is received. Collectively, the results demonstrate that, for the most part, faculty members do have practical experience that can influence their teaching and research functions; however, current incentive and promotion structures may not actively support service engagement activities for modern faculty.

Age discrimination and academic labor markets

In a sample of Canadian Ph.D.’s, Warman and Worswick (2010) report that forty-two percent obtained their degree at thirty-four years of age or older. One implication is that those starting their academic career vary in age. As a result, academic labor markets provide a somewhat unique way to investigate the outcomes of workers of different age with similar work experience. This study uses a national sample of over 9,000 faculty to look at the relationship between age at the time a person earns their degree and income. Older individuals are less likely to attend graduate programs in Carnegie Research I institutions, and they are less likely to find employment at a Research I institution. Males are less likely to obtain employment at Carnegie research or doctoral granting institutions even if they attended a graduate program in a Research I institutions. Regression analysis reveals a negative relationship between age at time of degree and earnings. The age penalty is largest for those with the title of professor working at Carnegie research/doctoral institutions. The size of the age penalty for females is less dependent on this distinction. Lastly, the age penalty is evident at the start careers as older faculty are found to learn less in the first three years of obtaining their degree.

Review of Literature and Overview of Study

ABSTRACTThis thematic issue entitled, Kinesiology Doctoral Students’ Perspectives on Their Doctoral Training, presents a study with a four-phase design. The overall purpose of this study was to examine Kinesiology doctoral students’ (KDS) perspectives of their doctoral training, which was the fourth and final phase. In Phase 1, the researchers solicited input from a panel of Kinesiology sub-discipline experts to establish content validity related to inclusiveness and completeness of the survey items linked to each expert's sub-discipline. Panel members were on faculty at Doctoral Granting Institutions (DGI). Based on the panel member’s feedback, revisions were made on Golde and Dore’s Doctoral Student (DS) survey, which then became known as the KDS survey. In Phase 2, the authors established reliability of the KDS survey through application of Cronbach’s alpha and test–retest using KDS across sub-discipline areas. In Phase 3, we gathered names of DGI and their respective faculty to compile a list of past and current KDS. Additionally, several DS were recruited and/or volunteered to fill out this survey and their names were added to the list. Finally, during Phase 4, we collected data on KDS’ perspectives on their doctoral programs. Results from Phases 1 to 3 are outlined and the demographics of DS who participated in Phase 4 are included in this article. Lastly, a section outlining the content of the remaining six articles is presented. Specifically, these chapters focused on six main topics: (a) teaching, (b) research, (c) advisor, (d) departments and programs, (e) dissertation, and (f) careers of past DS. These topics are viewed through three perspectives: (a) status (past and current), (b) gender, and (c) sub-disciplines (social and behavioral sciences [SBS] research and health/hard sciences [HS] research). A final article with recommendations completes this thematic issue.