The survey of earned doctorates, the data source for this report, is an annual census of individuals who receive research doctoral degrees from accredited U.S. academic institutions. The survey is sponsored by six federal agencies: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Education. These data are reported in several NSF publications, the most comprehensive and widely cited of which is this report, "Doctorate Recipients from U.S. Universities." This report calls attention to important trends in doctoral education, organized into five themes. Each theme highlights an important question about doctorate recipients. Online, the reader is invited to explore trends in greater depth through detailed data tables and interactive graphics (www.nsf.gov/statistics/sed/). This paper also includes: (1) Glossary; (2) Data Source; (3) Further Reading; and (4) Online Resources.