Methodological approaches at PhD and skills sought for research posts in academia: a mismatch?

Abstract

There is a concern in the UK about a lack of research methods skills among social researchers, especially in relation to quantitative methods. This article draws on findings of a study exploring the training needs of social scientists across the lifespan in the UK and focuses on the research training needs identified by PhD students and the research skills sought by academic employers. The data reported comprises a survey of PhD students, a survey of directors of research centres/holders of large grants and a content analysis of social science research posts. The findings indicate that students in several social science disciplines have a preference for qualitative methods in their PhDs while academic employers and job vacancies for academic posts indicate a need for researchers with skills in quantitative methods. The findings have important implications for training and supervision of research students and identify a need to narrow the gap between early-career researchers' skills and employers' needs.

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