A total of 4,350 postgraduate research students responded to the 2023 PGR StudentSurvey.ie. This represents a national response rate of 38.1%.

This is the highest response rate to date and it is positive to see participation in the survey grow from year to year.

Table 2.1 presents the demographic profile of the national student population.

The profile of the 2023 PGR StudentSurvey.ie respondents is also presented. It matches the national student population profile, as it has done in previous years.

The response rates for any one year should not be taken as a direct indication of the effort expended to promote participation within individual higher education institutions in that year.

Factors such as timing of the fieldwork or other major events within the institution and the outside world can influence the response rate. Nevertheless, any institution that notes consistently low response rates should reflect on the nature, tone, and visibility of feedback activities.

It is important that all institutions continue to act meaningfully on the data they have available, rather than “wait” for some target response rate.

Students will respond to the survey when it is clear to them that their institution as a whole and the staff they encounter on a regular basis value the resulting data and do something or intend to do something with it.

This is likely the primary factor that will have greatest impact on the number of responses and, accordingly, enable reliable analysis of increasingly disaggregated data. Communication of analysis undertaken, results considered, and actions taken are essential for continued participation in PGR StudentSurvey.ie by students.