Why do women pursue a PhD in Computer Science? (Dataset)

This dataset accompanies the article entitled "Why do women pursue a PhD in Computer Science?", accepted for publication in the Journal of Systems and Software.

Context. Computer science, even now, attracts a small number of women, and the proportion of women in the field decreases through advancing career stages. Consequently, few women progress to PhD studies in computer science after completing master’s studies. Empowering women at this stage in their careers is essential, not just for equality reasons, but to unlock untapped potential for society, industry and academia.

Objective. This paper aims to identify students’ career assumptions and information related to PhD studies focused on gender-based differences. We propose a program to inform female master students about PhD studies that explains the process, clarifies misconceptions, and alleviates concerns.Method. An extensive survey was conducted to identify factors that encourage and discourage students from undertaking PhD studies. The analysis identified statistically significant differences between those who undertook PhD studies and those who didn’t, as well as statistically significant gender differences. A catalogue of questions to initiate discussions with potential PhD students which allowed them to explore these factors was developed. These were structured into a Women’s Career Lunch program where students can explore and discuss the benefits of PhD study.

Results. Encouraging factors toward PhD study include interest and confidence in research arising from a research involvement during earlier studies; enthusiasm for and self-confidence in computer science in addition to an interest in an academic career; encouragement from external sources; and a positive perception towards PhD studies which can involve achieving personal goals. Discouraging factors include uncertainty and lack of knowledge of the PhD process, a perception of lower job flexibility, and the requirement for long-term commitment. Gender differences highlighted that female students who pursue a PhD have less confidencein their technical skills than males but a higher preference for interdisciplinary areas. Female students are less inclined than males to perceive the industry as offering better job opportunities and more flexible career paths than academia.

Conclusions. The insights collected from the survey facilitated the development of a questions catalogue structured into the Women Career Lunch program to help students make a more informed decision concerning whether they should pursue a PhD in computer science. Localised versions of this program, in 8 languages, were created to support its adoption in different countries and assist in mitigating the female under-representation challenge.

本数据集配套于已被《系统与软件学报》（Journal of Systems and Software）录用的题为《为何女性攻读计算机科学博士学位？》的学术论文。

研究背景：时至今日，计算机科学领域的女性从业者占比依然偏低，且随着职业层级的提升，女性占比呈逐步下滑趋势。因此，在完成硕士学业后，选择攻读计算机科学博士学位的女性寥寥无几。在此职业阶段赋能女性群体，不仅是出于性别平等的考量，更有助于释放社会、产业与学术领域尚未被充分挖掘的潜力。

研究目标：本文旨在厘清学生对博士阶段深造的职业认知，以及与性别差异相关的博士深造相关信息。我们提出一项面向女性硕士研究生的博士升学引导计划，该计划将详细阐释博士深造流程、澄清认知误区并缓解其顾虑。

研究方法：本研究开展了大规模调研，以识别推动与阻碍学生攻读博士学位的各类因素。分析结果显示，已攻读博士学位者与未攻读博士学位者之间存在具有统计学意义的显著差异，同时不同性别群体间也存在具有统计学意义的显著差异。据此，我们编制了一套可用于与潜在博士生展开对话的问题清单，帮助学生深入探究上述影响因素。该清单被整合至「女性职业午餐会」项目中，供学生探讨博士深造的各项益处。

研究结果：推动学生攻读博士学位的积极因素包括：早期科研经历所培养的科研兴趣与自信心；对计算机科学领域的热忱与自信心，以及对学术职业的向往；来自外部的鼓励；以及对博士深造的正向认知，包括将其视为实现个人目标的途径。阻碍因素则包括：对博士深造流程的不确定性与知识匮乏；认为岗位灵活性不足；以及需要长期投入。性别差异层面的分析显示：相较于男性，攻读博士学位的女性对自身技术技能的自信心更低，但对跨学科领域的偏好更强；同时，相较于男性，女性更不倾向于认为产业界能提供比学术界更优的就业机会与更灵活的职业路径。

研究结论：本次调研所得的见解助力我们编制了一套问题清单，并将其整合至「女性职业午餐会」项目中，以帮助学生更全面地了解相关信息，从而做出是否攻读计算机科学博士学位的明智决策。该项目已开发出8种语言的本地化版本，以支持其在不同国家的推广应用，助力缓解女性在计算机科学博士群体中占比不足的困境。