1.   DSc is somewhat different, being awarded usually to recipients on the basis of a long and distinguished record of scientific publications within a subject field.

2.   This is particularly important in subject fields which have poor bibliographic control of thesis literature.

3.   The number of scientists, globally, nationally, and within subject fields, can be estimated from employment figures, society memberships, and statistical demographic sampling.

4.   It could also be used in other subject fields, which currently lack specialist thesis listings, to generate maps of research activity.

5.   The author also argues that the correlation between A-level grades and degree performance is either weak or non-existent in many subject fields.