PDP is a multi-phase project. Each task within the project builds upon on information collected in previous steps as new information and data sources are found. This strategy balances flexibility and responsive design with steady progress towards the main goals:
- Build a sampling frame of postdocs incompletely covered in current SRS surveys
- Use the sampling frame to conduct surveys which enhance and expand current information gathered about postdocs
- Integrate the frame and the information into current SRS postdoc-related surveys
Phase 1
The first phase of the study explored the data needs of the postdoc community. It evaluated how well those needs were met—both in terms of content and coverage—by existing SRS surveys.
Phase 1 ended in a report designed to inform Phase 2 research. It recommended integrating the existing SRS surveys with a new sampling frame.
Phase 2
The objective of Phase 2 was to test the feasibility of:
- Improving the coverage of postdoc data from academic institutions by supplementing the existing SRS sources with data from nonacademic institutions
- Improving the content of postdoc data to capture a broader array of topics relevant to the postdoc community and to SRS needs in tracking changes in the science and engineering enterprise
- Creating a plan for integrating PDP findings with other SRS postdoc data
The PDP explored various approaches for identifying suitable lists for sample frame building and questionnaire design. They conducted a series of quantitative and qualitative studies to examine:
- The suitability of lists for filling data-coverage gaps
- Best practices for collecting postdoc data from establishments
- Approaches for operationally defining a postdoc
To meet the remaining data needs, the PDP team identified data-coverage gaps and developed options for questionnaire content and design.
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