'Context, capital and care': Understanding and alleviating pressures to support successful research higher degree completions in regional Australia

This pilot research project was undertaken on behalf the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) and the Regional Universities Network (RUN) to investigate the experiences of higher degree by research (HDR) candidates at RUN member institutions and to recommend strategies to address HDR non-completions in regional Australian contexts. 

Relatively little research has been undertaken on Australian HDR non-completions. Previous studies have focussed on the experiences of Australian postgraduates in general education settings (that is, non-specific to research degrees). Targeted studies about HDR attrition have also been published, but these are for international settings. These projects have revealed many factors influencing completion rates, including student demographics; enrolment type; relocation requirements; financial, family, or health-related barriers; difficulties with supervisor relations or the research environment; as well as academic and project difficulties or disengagement. By contrast, the departures of Australian research candidates from their degrees—either voluntary or involuntary—remains poorly understood. This is a critical issue especially for regionally-based research candidates, given the importance and impact of their research to regional communities and industries, as well as the essential value of having a research workforce with an appreciation of, and willingness to conduct, quality research in regional Australian settings. 

The main objective of this project was to identify and investigate the multiple and intersecting factors that influence whether a HDR candidate successfully completes their degree, with a specific focus on understanding the issues and challenges evident in regional Australian settings. The work also sought to make evidence-based recommendations for government, universities, and postgraduate bodies, and inform data collection tools for future research on postgraduate research non-completions. 

The title of this report ‘Context, capital, care’ encompasses three important messages that emerged from the data analysis. Firstly, the context of these HDR candidates must be recognised with respect to their regionality, their nature as researchers rather than coursework enrolments, and the complexity of their lives. Secondly, there is a need to provide research candidates with the social, economic, and intellectual capital to thrive within regional university settings. Thirdly, it is important to refrain from viewing these candidates through a lens of ‘enrolment and attrition statistics’ but rather to recognise the complexity of demographic and personal challenges that may impact on their aspirations for achieving a research degree.