Prepared but not empowered: exploring the role of pre-doctoral research experience in a doctoral journey
基于俄罗斯全国博士生调查数据，研究发现博士前研究经历虽能提升研究参与度和能力，但对师生关系等影响有限，揭示了结构性障碍限制了其赋能作用。
As doctoral education persistently faces low completion rates and growing diversification of the student body, universities increasingly seek predictors of doctoral success at the admissions stage. Prior research experience is often associated with timely publication output and degree completion, yet it's unknown how this pre-doctoral research experience translates into differential experiences during the PhD journey. This paper addresses this gap, using data from a nationwide survey of Russian PhD students (N = 1,796) and drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's theory of fields and capitals. We conceptualize the doctorate as a social field in which students’ prior research activities represent field-specific cultural capital that may shape their academic trajectories. Our analysis reveals that pre-doctoral research experience is positively associated with greater research engagement, participation in international activities, interaction with peers, receipt of research-related funding, and higher self-assessed research competencies, although these associations are relatively weak. However, no substantial associations were found between prior experience and students’ relationships with supervisors or departments, nor with most reported difficulties during doctoral training. These findings suggest that while pre-doctoral research experience can facilitate the accumulation of cultural and economic capital during the PhD, structural barriers within the Russian doctoral education system may limit its transformative potential. We discuss implications for admissions policies and institutional support mechanisms, advocating for integrated pre-doctoral tracks to better prepare future doctoral candidates.