British supervisors’ conceptions of ideal and successful PhD attributes and their implications for equity in doctoral candidate selection

Purpose This study aims to explore supervisors’ conceptions of successful and ideal doctoral students’ attributes and their implications for integrating equity and diversity considerations into the doctoral selection process. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative approach and analyses data from extensive interviews with senior academics and a member of the professional staff in England on their perspectives of the attributes of ideal and successful doctoral candidates. The study is conceptually framed by the Research Development Framework (RDF) and an adapted ecosystem model of the factors influencing PhD completion (Lovitts, 2005). Findings The findings reveal that supervisors value both cognitive and non-cognitive attributes, with the majority of the non-cognitive attributes categorised in the RDF sub-domains of personal qualities, self-management, working with others and communication and dissemination. Non-cognitive attributes were, moreover, valued not just for their contribution to doctoral success but also to the doctoral experience. Practical implications In contrast to the typically narrow criteria emphasised in UK doctoral selection, the authors argue that a wider, more holistic, range of attributes better represents what supervisors actually value, while offering greater opportunities for equitable selection of diverse doctoral cohorts. Two key macroenvironmental challenges are discussed: the difficulty of selecting for highly valued non-cognitive attributes and the importance of institutional support for the creation and sustainability of more equitable selection processes. Originality/value This paper deepens the literature on supervisors’ perceptions of the qualities or attributes of doctoral success and links this to the use of criteria that avoid reinforcing structural racial inequities in higher education.