Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Doctoral Students’ Thesis/Dissertation Progress

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to document the impacts COVID-19 pandemic for doctoral students who were proposing, conducting, or writing up their thesis, dissertation, other culminating project. Background: For students, process designing, implementing, and a project is key part learning experience. These projects typically require direct own manage setbacks, obstacles, challenges as they arise. During pandemic, around globe had undertake experience in context global crisis. Methodology: August September 2020, 235 from world completed an online questionnaire consisting demographic questions three open-ended about during pandemic. Analysis involved several cycles In Vivo Coding data, which yielded codes, categories, eventually themes. At each stage, researchers collaborated generate categories themes arose through rounds discussion. Contribution: Our adds small body knowledge on students’ experiences by identifying qualitative, survey questions. highlights how these either exacerbated mitigated pandemic-induced changes. Findings: respondents described projects’ progress five major categories: research design, access resources, workload, mental health, finances. Recommendations Practitioners: emerging our participants’ responses may be useful faculty administrators programs consider reviewing programs’ making future plans providing academic continuity crisis situations well re-evaluating priorities structures program better support overall moving forward. Recommendation Researchers: Further needed understand impacted individual processes, including adaptive strategies. Impact Society: Institutions need aware systemic strain under best conditions especially plan contingencies assist with focus areas finances, resource access, health. Future Research: should seek out additional perspectives male students. Additionally, data capturing at points time are continued unfold after study’s collection period.