Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

SCPR was commissioned by the Research Councils to carry out a survey of former postgraduates who were funded by the Research Councils and whose funding ended in the academic years 1987/8 and 1988/9. The aim of the survey was to supplement data, routinely collected by the Research Councils, on first employment destinations of students and to identify the benefits of postgraduate study to former students and the economy (in the widest sense) over the longer term. The specific aims of the study were to collect information on the following : the location of and mobility between subsequent employment sectors and occupations of research and advanced course students funded by the Research Councils; the length, level and remuneration of employment, with particular attention to the first substantive job and the current/most recent job; the quality, motivation and course outcome of these research and advanced course students; the extent to which knowledge and skills acquired during the course have aided career progression, and have been needed and used; the effectiveness of the course in preparing the student for employment, and how it might have been improved.

Main Topics:

The data includes information on : postgraduate study and qualifications; employment since postgraduate studies; views and experience of postrgaduate study; demographic variables including age, gender, marital status, children, ethnic group, nationality and country of current residence.

One-stage stratified or systematic random sample

further details of sampling procedures are given in the User Guide

Postal survey

academic institutions were approached to ask for their co-operation in providing contact addresses for the selected sample. Participating institutions were given the choice of providing SCPR with the addresses, or conducting the mail-out themselves if they preferred not to divulge this information.