Module 6: Summary and Assessment

This module will provide a summary of research mentorship as well as an assessment of modules 1 – 5.

Learning Objectives

• Review the importance and need for research mentorships
• Assess understanding of research mentorship

Research mentorship is an opportunity for those more skilled in the field of research to impart their expertise and knowledge with those faculty seeking to learn more and pursue research opportunities themselves. The field of research can be intimidating and overwhelming for those lacking experience and how to get started.  

As discovered, relationship building and communication are part and parcel to an effective research mentorship. Although research mentors possess more knowledge and skill in the area of scholarship and publication, it is important to remember that mentors do not hold a supervisory role. The relationship is built on equality and mutual trust. This aspect of mentorship becomes even more important as more people work remotely and communication takes place electronically or through technological tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and so on. Barriers to communication and progress can be mitigated by recognizing problems and having a process in place to address them equitably.

 Reasons for pursuing a research mentorship vary widely as individuals can be internally or externally motivated. Service to the university, recognition, a desire to professionally develop others and contributions to the greater research community are all valid reasons to become involved in a mentorship. Collegiality, actions intended to benefit others, is improved as each individual puts forth the effort to help one another meet shared goals.

 Once a research mentorship has been formed, it will be necessary for the mentor and mentee to identify roles and responsibilities to stay organized and ensure both work is evenly distributed. The Research Mentorship Strengths and Weaknesses Assessment Form provided in module 4 can be used to help align roles and responsibilities with each person’s strengths while identifying areas to focus on for improvement.

 A research mentorship should be mutually beneficial for the mentor and the mentee alike. By understanding the benefits as well as potential challenges that may arise, both parties can look forward to a more successful and productive relationship geared toward scholarship and collegiality.

Recommended Links

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-02-2019-0018

https://www.academicimpressions.com/blog/improve-faculty-mentoring-higher-education/

https://rackham.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Fmentor.pdf

https://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/rcr/rcr_mentoring/foundation/index.html#2

https://provost.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/MentoringBestPractices.pdf

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2019.00155/full

https://www.ache.org/-/media/ache/career-resource-center/mentee_guide.pdf