Systematic Scoping Review of PhD Completion Factors, 2020-2024

A systematic scoping review of 42 studies published between 2020 and 2024, identifying factors related to PhD completion, dropout, and attrition. The review was conducted by Kjersti Velde Helgøy and includes 58 full-text assessments from an initial pool of 6927 records. It identifies three overarching categories of factors: candidate characteristics, institutional factors, and supervisory characteristics.

Use Cases

• Identify key risk factors for PhD attrition based on the three overarching categories identified.
• Inform the design of institutional support programs based on the review's findings on supervisory and institutional factors.
• Guide future research agendas based on the identified gaps in geographic diversity and research methodology.
• Benchmark doctoral program outcomes against the synthesized factors related to candidate characteristics.

Strengths

• The review is based on a systematic search of 6927 records across three major databases (ERIC, Web of Science, Scopus).
• It includes 42 studies that met inclusion criteria, providing a defined scope of evidence.
• The review follows a structured methodological framework (Arksey and O'Malley) and reporting guidelines (PRISMA-ScR).
• It focuses on recent literature, with included studies published between 2020 and 2024.

Limitations

• The dataset is a 25.8 KB DOCX file, which is a very small document summarizing findings rather than a primary data collection.
• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; the file contains a review article, not structured data tables.
• The review notes limited geographic diversity and a predominance of quantitative methods in the underlying literature.

Provenance

Source

Kjersti Velde Helgøy via figshare.

Collection Method

Systematic scoping review of literature from ERIC, Web of Science, and Scopus.

Time Range

Studies reviewed were published between 2020 and 2024.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-28 04:43:22.