Using the invariance test, this study compared the research experiences of students from two sibling cultural groups in a Hong Kong context. Data were collected from 304 Mainland Chinese and 225 local Hong Kong research students. Their research experiences were measured using the Student Research Experience Questionnaire (SREQ) (Supervision, Infrastructure, Intellectual and Social Climate, Generic Skill, and Overall Satisfaction) and two scales developed from previous studies on research students in Hong Kong (Peer Support and Communication with Supervisor). The data supported the construct validity and consistency of all the scales and the measurement equivalence of all measurements except Intellectual and Social Climate. The data showed that Mainland Chinese students had significantly higher satisfaction with Infrastructure, and marginally higher satisfaction with Supervision, Communication with Supervisors, and Peer Support than local Hong Kong students. The invariance tests on path coefficients indicated that there was a nonsignificant difference in the path models of the two groups.
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