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The methodological socialization of social science doctoral students in China and the USA

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Abstract

This qualitative study reports findings from a comparative analysis of the methodological socialization of doctoral students in the social sciences at two universities: one in China and one in the USA. Relying primarily on theories of organizational socialization, the study focuses on formal and informal processes students report as part of developing their methodological knowledge and skills toward the goal of successfully completing their dissertations. The primary goal is to generate insight potentially helpful to university reform efforts in China and the quest to build world-class research universities. As China further seeks to upgrade research capacity and quality at its leading research universities, it is likely that greater attention will need to be given to doctoral education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, 3321 Moore Hall, Box # 951521, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1521, USA

    Robert A. Rhoads

  2. Y. C. Tang Chair Professor, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China

    Robert A. Rhoads

  3. Higher Education Evaluation Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Beijing, China

    Mi Zheng

  4. Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Xiaoyang Sun

Authors
  1. Robert A. Rhoads
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  2. Mi Zheng
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  3. Xiaoyang Sun
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Correspondence to Robert A. Rhoads.

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Rhoads, R.A., Zheng, M. & Sun, X. The methodological socialization of social science doctoral students in China and the USA. High Educ 73, 335–351 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0023-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0023-y

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