Careers of young scientists: Preferences, prospects and realities by gender and field

With data from a national survey of 3800 doctoral students in departments o f chemistry, computer science, electrical engineering, microbiology and phy sics, and data from the Survey of Doctoral Recipients/National Science Foun dation, we analyze the career-preferences and prospects of young scientists . We analyze patterns by field and gender of students, and assess the exten t to which the preferences and subjective (reported) prospects of doctoral students reflect the objective tactual) employment experiences of recent Ph D recipients. The findings point toward the intricacy of the relationship b etween subjective and objective career prospects; and to the ways in which individual inclinations and conditioned 'expectations' rest upon what is re garded as feasible, by gender and by field in science.