Summary
Based on these results, it was quite clear that, although the majority of candidates (more than
55%) understood that a doctoral research is a project, more than 95% of the students have not
learned how to manage a research project, and in practice they worked without planning their
work consistently. Only about one quarter of the students answered that they worked using an
updated plan, which meant that all the rest worked without one. About three quarters of doctoral
candidates in all disciplines and locations lacked the management skills needed to efficiently
complete a doctoral thesis.
The answer to the question “who is your customer while working on a doctoral research,” is central
for understanding adviser-candidate relations and the formation of potential conflicts and crises.
Based on candidates’ replies, it was obvious that most candidates, regardless of their academic
field or university location, did not understand the difference between the project’s customer
and the project’s stakeholders or users. The majority of candidates replied that their customers are
their peers in the academic world.