publications

2026

1. 

   Do thesis topics matter? How thesis topic characteristics relate to doctoral experience and self-confidence in defence

   Danila Pavliuk

   Higher Education, 2026

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   The literature on doctoral students’ experience rarely examines the importance of thesis topic characteristics, even though this is one of the central decisions both at the start and throughout the doctoral journey. Although studies examine how students choose their thesis topics, there is little research on how different topic characteristics are linked to doctoral experience and potential outcomes. This study addresses the gap using data from a nationwide survey of doctoral students at Russian universities (N = 1,539) and regression analysis. We measure thesis topic characteristics (personal choice, alignment with the supervisor’s research, strong personal interest, and continuation of prior research) and show how they relate to doctoral experience and to confidence in future defence. Strong personal interest emerges as the most consistent predictor across outcomes and is more strongly related to research activities and confidence in defence than topic alignment. Alignment with the supervisor’s research is also positively associated with all outcomes, but usually more weakly. Personal choice matters more selectively for peer, departmental, and international engagement, whereas continuation of prior research is not significant once other characteristics are taken into account. Overall, the findings suggest that motivational mechanisms linked to topic interest are at least as important as resource-related fit and, for several outcomes, may be more influential. We argue that doctoral programmes should support topic selection by combining students’ interests with access to supervision and research support.

2025

1. 

   Choosing to succeed? Insights into doctoral students’ supervisor selection and its outcomes

   Danila Pavliuk and Svetlana Zhuchkova

   PLOS ONE, 2025. Vol. 20, no. 7, pp. e0328471

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   Doctoral student experience and outcomes largely depend on the quality of supervision. Research on doctoral supervision usually focuses on the attributes, styles, and roles of a supervisor during doctoral training, while the process and effects of initiating supervisor-supervisee relationships remain less explored. This paper aims to examine how students’ strategies for supervisor selection are related to subsequent difficulties in interaction with their supervisors and their confidence about their future dissertation defense. Based on a nationwide survey of doctoral students in Russia (N = 1796) and regression analysis, we demonstrate that academic criteria such as a supervisor’s subject-matter expertise and successful supervision history are the best factors for students to consider to reduce the probability of future difficulties with the supervisor and to avoid experiencing a lack of confidence. Using an existing positive personal relationship with a supervisor as a criterion reduces the chances of interaction difficulties, but does not affect a student’s confidence in future academic success. At the same time, the "only option" scenario (i.e., a situation when students have no alternatives to choose from) is associated with higher chances of facing difficulties during the doctoral journey and a lower level of student confidence. The study highlights the critical role of agency in supervisor selection, showing that structured support for informed decision-making - whether through institutional matchmaking systems or student mentoring programs - can mitigate risks of poor supervision outcomes. These findings call for policy interventions to promote transparency in supervisor selection processes, especially in contexts where students have limited choices. The results of the research can be used by prospective doctoral students and doctoral program administrators to create a personal or institutional navigation system for choosing a supervisor.

2024

1. 

   Is doctoral education a priority? Doctoral education improvement as an element of “Priority-2030” universities’ development programs

   Svetlana Zhuchkova and Danila Pavliuk

   University Management: Practice and Analysis, 2024. Vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 21–33

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   This study aims to identify how often universities of the "Priority 2030" program offer measures for doctoral education improvement in their development programs, what these measures are, and how they correspond to the reasons for the low effectiveness of Russian doctoral education. The empirical study data were the texts of the development programs of the universities participating in the "Priority 2030" program (N = 121). The texts were analyzed using quantitative content analysis. Four measure groups were determined: financial support and employment of doctoral students, development of partnerships, improving the quality of selection and training of doctoral students and improving the quality of supervision. According to the results obtained, in general, the absolute majority of universities use doctoral education as an instrument to achieve the goals set by the program. Measures related to financial support and employment of doctoral students are the most common in universities of the "Priority 2030" (almost 75% of universities plan to implement such measures). Diversification of programs, cooperation with industry, and increasing the quality of training of doctoral students are found in university development programs with less prevalence - from 12 to 50% of universities plan to implement these measures. Finally, less attention in university development programs is paid to modifying the criteria and procedures for selecting doctoral students and improving the quality of supervision - only 5% of universities announced such measures. The article also provides examples of implementation of these measures in particular universities. The results of the conducted research can be useful to the heads of doctoral departments of Russian universities to develop local measures of doctoral education improvement.

2. 

   Why school olympiad winners are excluded from highly selective universities

   Elena Gorbunova, Ekaterina Mayukova, Elena Ovakimyan, and Danila Pavliuk

   Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, 2024, no. 4, pp. 33–60

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   This paper sheds light on opinions of reasons of dropout of students enrolled at university as Olympiad winners. This phenomenon is considered using the case of a highly selective university, which has faced a significant increase in the share of enrolled by Olympiads for state-funded places in the past few years. The study is carried out using a qualitative methodology, based on interviews with the organizers of the Olympiad movement and students of the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Computer Science. The individual and institutional reasons for the expulsion of students-winners of the Olympiads are singled out and the recommendations are proposed to reduce the dropout rate.