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Table A-8. Imputation for nonresponse in postdoc and nonfacutly research totals, by field: 2017–18

Year and field Total in survey Number imputed Imputation rate (%)
Postdoctoral appointees Doctorate nonfaculty researchers Postdoctoral appointees Doctorate nonfaculty researchers Postdoctoral appointees Doctorate nonfaculty researchers
Fall 2018, all surveyed fieldsa 64,783 29,284 2,254 2,937 3.5 10.0
Science and engineering 45,478 21,848 1,571 2,231 3.5 10.2
Science 37,564 18,278 1,475 1,887 3.9 10.3
Agricultural sciencesb 1,072 565 14 0 1.3 0.0
Biological and biomedical sciencesa,c 21,533 8,250 861 1,097 4.0 13.3
Computer and information sciences 879 515 20 42 2.3 8.2
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 1,726 2,106 145 90 8.4 4.3
Mathematics and statistics 982 266 11 53 1.1 19.9
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies 980 832 122 23 12.4 2.8
Natural resources and conservationb 764 580 4 5 0.5 0.9
Physical sciences 6,976 3,056 265 446 3.8 14.6
Psychology 1,145 507 19 29 1.7 5.7
Social sciencesa 1,507 1,601 14 102 0.9 6.4
Engineering 7,914 3,570 96 344 1.2 9.6
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 207 115 2 11 1.0 9.6
Agricultural engineering 113 60 0 0 0.0 0.0
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 1,433 440 9 47 0.6 10.7
Biological and biosystems engineering 96 51 0 0 0.0 0.0
Chemical engineering 1,142 257 8 10 0.7 3.9
Civil engineering 739 414 5 31 0.7 7.5
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 1,197 588 22 103 1.8 17.5
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 354 220 19 8 5.4 3.6
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 156 105 8 32 5.1 30.5
Mechanical engineering 1,069 489 8 39 0.7 8.0
Metallurgical and materials engineering 549 215 0 0 0.0 0.0
Mining engineering 26 52 0 0 0.0 0.0
Nanotechnology 134 43 0 0 0.0 0.0
Nuclear engineering 106 41 7 8 6.6 19.5
Petroleum engineering 63 80 0 32 0.0 40.0
Engineering nec 530 400 8 23 1.5 5.8
Health 19,305 7,436 683 706 3.5 9.5
Clinical medicined 16,563 6,159 572 637 3.5 10.3
Other health 2,742 1,277 111 69 4.0 5.4
Fall 2017, all surveyed fieldsa 64,733 28,180 2,229 1,792 3.4 6.4
Science and engineering 46,080 20,542 1,604 1,372 3.5 6.7
Science 38,241 17,268 1,540 1,200 4.0 6.9
Agricultural sciencesb 1,024 496 9 3 0.9 0.6
Biological and biomedical sciencesa,c 21,781 8,203 803 681 3.7 8.3
Computer and information sciences 854 476 30 33 3.5 6.9
Geosciences, atmospheric sciences, and ocean sciences 2,089 1,794 52 29 2.5 1.6
Mathematics and statistics 991 240 55 8 5.5 3.3
Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies 1,131 806 145 18 12.8 2.2
Natural resources and conservationb 731 364 15 1 2.1 0.3
Physical sciences 7,211 2,871 385 389 5.3 13.5
Psychology 1,082 494 30 8 2.8 1.6
Social sciencesa 1,347 1,524 16 30 1.2 2.0
Engineering 7,839 3,274 64 172 0.8 5.3
Aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering 196 102 1 1 0.5 1.0
Agricultural engineering 111 52 0 0 0.0 0.0
Bioengineering and biomedical engineering 1,398 415 19 19 1.4 4.6
Biological and biosystems engineering 78 36 0 0 0.0 0.0
Chemical engineering 1,197 281 6 29 0.5 10.3
Civil engineering 804 422 6 19 0.7 4.5
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering 1,170 557 5 36 0.4 6.5
Engineering mechanics, physics, and science 316 200 0 0 0.0 0.0
Industrial and manufacturing engineering 127 119 2 26 1.6 21.8
Mechanical engineering 1,089 458 10 27 0.9 5.9
Metallurgical and materials engineering 550 181 12 12 2.2 6.6
Mining engineering 15 52 0 1 0.0 1.9
Nanotechnology 85 33 0 0 0.0 0.0
Nuclear engineering 94 22 0 2 0.0 9.1
Petroleum engineering 65 59 0 0 0.0 0.0
Engineering nec 544 285 3 0 0.6 0.0
Health 18,653 7,638 625 420 3.4 5.5
Clinical medicined 16,100 6,448 503 343 3.1 5.3
Other health 2,553 1,190 122 77 4.8 6.5
nec = not elsewhere classified.
a In 2017, changes to the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering (GSS) taxonomy led to the fields of architecture, communication, and public administration (part of social sciences) to become ineligible for the GSS. Parts of family and consumer sciences and human sciences and nutrition (in biological and biomedial sciences) also became ineligible. These newly inelgible units led to a large drop in overall counts of graduate students in the GSS.
b In 2017, natural resources and conservation was split out of agricultural sciences.
c Prior to 2017, neurobiology and neuroscience was reported as a separate broad field; starting in 2017, neurobiology and neuroscience is reported as part of biological and biomedical sciences.
d Clinical medicine includes postdoctoral appointees and nonfaculty researchers in anesthesiology, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology and cancer research, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, psychiatry, public health, pulmonary disease, radiology, surgery, and clinical medicine nec.
NOTES: "Field" refers to the field of the unit that reports postdocs to the GSS. Sum of the broad fields may not add to total because of rounding.
SOURCE: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.