Who Bears the Burden? Demographic Variations in Research Anxiety among Research

Doctoral research is widely regarded as a cornerstone of knowledge creation; however, the psychological challenges embedded within the research journey have received limited scholarly attention, particularly within the Indian higher education landscape. The present investigation examines research anxiety among doctoral scholars, with a focused analysis of the influence of gender and type of university (central and state) on its various dimensions. Employing a survey design, data were collected from 250 doctoral research scholars enrolled in central and state universities. A stratified sampling technique was used to ensure representation across gender and type of university. Research anxiety was measured using a investigators developed structured scale encompassing five dimensions: research self-efficacy, methodological competence anxiety, publish or perish anxiety, timeline anxiety, and supervisor anxiety. Independent samples t-test were employed to analyse group differences. The findings reveal significant variations in selected dimensions of research anxiety across gender and university type. Male scholars reported higher levels of anxiety related to research timeline anxiety, publish or perish anxiety, and supervisor anxiety, while no significant gender differences were observed in research self-efficacy and methodological competence anxiety. Scholars from central universities demonstrated significantly higher research self-efficacy, research timeline anxiety, and methodological competence anxiety compared to their counterparts from state universities; however, no significant institutional differences were found in publish or perish anxiety and supervisor anxiety. The study highlights the multidimensional nature of research anxiety and underscores the role of institutional structures and demographic factors in shaping doctoral research experiences. The findings emphasize the need for targeted academic support, effective supervision, and context-sensitive interventions to promote the psychological well-being and research productivity of doctoral scholars. Keywords: Research anxiety; Research scholars; Research self-efficacy; Methodological competence anxiety; Publish or perish anxiety; Research timeline anxiety; Supervisor anxiety