Interdisciplinary research and the early career: The effect of interdisciplinary dissertation research on career placement and publication productivity of doctoral graduates in the sciences

This paper uses data from the 2008 Survey of Doctorate Recipients, with matched data from the Survey of Earned Doctorates, to explore how conducting interdisciplinary research for one's dissertation affects the first few years of graduates’ careers. Using a sample of doctoral graduates from the years 2004 to 2007, this research assesses the relationship between interdisciplinary dissertation research and three career-related indicators. Results show that conducting interdisciplinary dissertation research increases individuals’ likelihood of obtaining a position within academia. Secondly, among those employed within higher education, interdisciplinary research does not have a dramatic effect on the types of positions individuals hold. However, the effect of interdisciplinary dissertations on the type of academic employment graduates obtain is different for the two cohorts included in this study. Additionally, this paper finds that graduates who report interdisciplinary research have a higher number of publications than those who do not, but this is partly the result of the different types of jobs graduates hold.

► Examines how interdisciplinary dissertation research affects the early career.
► Interdisciplinary graduates are more likely than others to work in higher education.
► Interdisciplinary dissertations may also affect the type of academic job obtained.
► Interdisciplinary graduates report higher numbers of publications than others.