This report presents data about recipients of research doctorates awarded by U.S. universities from July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1998. The information is taken from the 1998 Survey of Earned Doctorates, an annual census of new research doctorate recipients. During 1998, 387 universities in the United States conferred 42,683 doctorates, slightly more (0.3%) than in 1997, marking the 13th straight year of increase in doctorates awarded. U.S. citizens earned 27,532 of the 1998 research doctorates. The largest number of doctorates awarded was in the broad field of life sciences, in which 8,540 Ph.D.s were earned. Women received 17,856 doctorates, or 41.8%, the highest percentage ever for women. U.S. citizen racial minorities earned 14.7% of the doctorates earned by U.S. citizens in 1998, the largest percentage ever. The median time to receiving the doctorate since earning the baccalaureate was 10.4 years in 1998, with median time to degree since first enrollment in any graduate program being 7.3 years. The typical Ph.D. recipient was just under 34 years of age at the time the degree was conferred. Three in five (60.6%) of all doctorate recipients in 1998 reported fellowships or teaching/research assistantships from programs or institutions as their primary source of financial support for graduate education. Only half of the doctorate recipients reported educational indebtedness at the time of graduation. Almost 70% of new doctorate recipients reported definite postgraduate commitments for employment or study. (Contains 15 figures and 47 tables.) (SLD)