Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2008 Final report

infrastructure scale (standard deviation = 0.239) than on the supervision or skills development
scales, hence the ‘tails’ are steeper in Figure 6 than in Figures 4 and 5. Institutional mean scores
on this scale range between 2.880 and 4.308, and the overall mean score is 3.659.
Figure 6. Infrastructure scale: variations between institutions
Results for questions relating to infrastructure are summarised in Table 7. Students rated these
aspects of infrastructure in variable ways. The most positive aspects, with around two-thirds
of students agreeing, were the adequacy of provision of library facilities (70%) and computing
resources and facilities (66%), access to equipment necessary for research (68%), provision
of suitable working space (65%) and appropriate technical support (62%). The lowest level
of student agreement was over the existence of appropriate financial support for research
activities, with which 51% agreed and 27% disagreed. Students’ views on many of these items of
infrastructure in PRES 2008 were slightly more positive than in PRES 2007 (Table 7).
Table 7. Infrastructure items
Item Mean % Disagree % Neutral % Agree
3.a. I have had adequate
access to the equipment
necessary for my research
3.b. I have a suitable
working space
3.c. There is appropriate
financial support for
research activities
3.d. There is adequate
provision of computing
resources and facilities
3.e. There is adequate
provision of library facilities
3.f. I have the technical
support I need
3.82 [3.80] 13 [14] 19 [18] 68 [68]
3.73 [3.70] 18 [19] 17 [17] 65 [64]
3.36 [3.16] 27 [31] 22 [24] 51 [45]
3.78 [3.73] 16 [16] 19 [18] 66 [66]
3.85 [3.73] 14 [16] 16 [18] 70 [66]
3.69 [3.60] 14 [16] 24 [25] 62 [59]
The Higher Education Academy – PRES 2008 19