Originality Of Doctorial Dissertation In The Humanities And Social Science And Its Factors

In 2008,The number of PhD candidates in China has ranked the top one in the world.With the increasing number of PhD candidates,the education quality of PhD students is widely controversial,especially their research originality.PhD students’research originality is mainly demonstrated in their dissertations.And it seems difficult to evaluate originality in the humanities and the social sciences compared with that in natural sciences.In recent years,A lot of PhD graduates choose to return to China,pursing their personal development.A large number of them are PhD graduates in the humanities and the social sciences.A series of talent policies in China seems in favor of these returnees,suggesting returnees are more competent than their domestic counterparts.This research aims to explore dissertation originality in the humanities and the social sciences and factors contributing to that.The contribution of this research is that we adopt a new perspective to explore the factors contributing to dissertation originality.To be more specific,we compare PhD returnees and their domestic counterparts in dissertation originality and try to find the causes behind the differences.The chances are that these differences arise from their different academic experiences,different motivation when selecting their dissertation topics.Theoretically,this research enrich our understanding of this topic by providing a new perspective.Practically,we can learn something from foreign PhD education so as to enhance education quality of PH.D students by formulating more effective teaching and education policies.The study combines a qualitative survey and a quantitative interview.In the qualitative survey,We survey 226 samples with a questionnaire and focus on these four aspects:dimensions of motivations in the selection of doctorial dissertation topic,dimensions of doctorial academic experience,comparison of dissertation originality between returnees and their domestic counterparts,factors contributing to dissertation originality.The results are as follows:① Students select doctorial topics for three motivations:academic motivation,feasible motivation and practical motivation.Most PhD students are academically orientated.② PhD academic experience is composed of interdisciplinary learning,class involvement,project participation,front-edge contact and communication with tutors.PhD students are active in project participation and are less exposed to frontier research.③ Returnees are significantly more competent than their domestic counterparts in dissertation originality and exposal to frontier research.④ The status of returnees,academic motivation and frontier contact exert a significant positive influence on dissertation originality directly.Meanwhile,The status of returnees and academic motivation have an indirect potential significant influence on dissertation originality by way of frontier contact.In the qualitative interview,11 PchD graduates are interviewed,including 4 returnees.We focus on these four questions.Is it necessary for us to learn western research pattern in the humanities and the social sciences?What is dissertation originality in the humanities and the social sciences?How is dissertation originality influenced by frontier contact?What are the advantages in foreign PhD education?The results are as follows:①In the current times,PhD students still need to learn foreign research patterns in the humanities and the social sciences in order to keep pace with the international trend.② Originality in the humanities and the social sciences can be defined more broadly,as using a new approach,theory,method,or data;studying a new topic;doing research in an understudied area;or producing new findings.③ By reading international academic periodicals or attending international academic conferences,PhD students get to know where frontier is,which is beneficial for them generate originality in their dissertations.④The differences in dissertation originality and frontier contact between returnees and their domestic counterparts come deeply from academic professionalism environment,which consists of teacher professionalism in teaching,professionalism in team,professionalism in academic training and professionalism in academic resources.Based on the above findings,some practical suggestions are put forward to improve PhD students’ education quality.① Professionalism of PhD tutors should be enhanced.② More detailed work need to be done in the evaluation of dissertation originality in the humanities and the social sciences.③The current PhD curriculum reform,interdisciplinary learning and project participation should be given more considerations.④ PhD students should be given more opportunities to attend high-quality international academic conferences.In the end of the paper,I look forward to the future research and hope that number of samples can be enlarged and measurement instrument can be improved.