Abstract
Doctoral education is traditionally viewed as an important stage in the preparation of future academic and research personnel; however, public perceptions shaped within digital environments differ significantly from formal normative models. The aim of this study is to identify the features of public perceptions of doctoral education in the digital space and to analyse the thematic structure and emotional tone of discussions emerging in Russian- and English-language social media. The study is based on a qualitative content analysis of 156 posts from social networks and online forums (both Russian and English-speaking), involving semantic coding and identification of dominant narrative patterns. The findings show that the majority of messages are neutral (~68%) and consist mainly of announcements, requests for information, and calls for advice. Most discussions focus on admission to doctoral programmes, future career decision-making and choices under uncertainty. Doctoral education in digital discourse is conceptualised primarily not as a stable academic trajectory, but as a space of choice, risk, and weighing long-term consequences. The results were compared with international research, which made it possible to identify intersections between the Russian and global contexts. The theoretical significance of the study lies in expanding the understanding of social perceptions of doctoral education and the role of digital communication in shaping them. The practical significance is associated with the potential use of the findings to strengthen support measures for doctoral students and to improve policy and management decisions in the field of academic personnel development.
Keywords
- doctoral education
- public perception
- social media
- semantic analysis
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