National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (NISTEP) » News & Events » The result of the System Design for Tracking Doctoral Graduates – Background of Database of Doctoral Graduates and Survey of Graduates in Foreign Countries –

The result of the System Design for Tracking Doctoral Graduates – Background of Database of Doctoral Graduates and Survey of Graduates in Foreign Countries –

NISTEP will construct a database of doctoral graduates as a part of its data infrastructure programs in “Science for RE-designing Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (SciREX)”. Through this database of doctoral graduates, we will track doctoral graduates and collect data related to their career paths. This information is useful for the development of policies and research for human resources. This report explains the construction background, existing related surveys in Japan, and surveys for doctoral graduates in foreign countries.

In the US, SED (Survey of Earned Doctorates) and SDR（Survey of Doctorate Recipients) were launched in 1957 and 1973, respectively. In addition to the accumulated collection of data on graduates, the US has also cultivated methodology. In the UK, DLHE (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education) was launched in 2002, which included a planned follow-up survey to be conducted three and a half years after graduation. In 2004, the OECD initiated a collaborative project with UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics and Eurostat on CDH (Careers of Doctorate Holders). CDH collects internationally harmonized data of doctorate holders in each country.

Upon examination of related surveys in Japan and foreign countries, we reveal the plan for a database of doctoral graduates in Japan.