Research experience of the PhD students in Iran: a case study in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the research experience of PhD students of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and factors influencing this experience. Design/methodology/approach - The information was gathered through a questionnaire which has been developed based on PREQ questionnaire. The statistical populations of this study consist of those PhD students whose research proposal had been approved by the educational council of their faculty or had defended their dissertation. By using random sampling method, 118 questionnaires were collected. Findings - The findings showed that there is a significant relationship between all of the research experience factors and significant differences between overall satisfactions of the students on their research experience. Variables such as sex and different stages of research have positive and significant impact on the research experience of the respondents. Originality/value - The outcomes of this study suggest that among the PhD students of Ferdowsi University, there is a relative satisfaction with factors making up the research experience.