A survey of the mentor-mentee relationship in early career research (ECR): Implications for publishing and career advancement in the STEMM disciplines

Lordan, R.; Wride, M.; O'Sullivan, I.

doi:10.1101/2024.10.29.620999

Home/Archive/bioRxiv

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2024.10.29.620999

A survey of the mentor-mentee relationship in early career research (ECR): Implications for publishing and career advancement in the STEMM disciplines

Lordan, R.·Wride, M.·O'Sullivan, I.

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Early career researchers (ECRs) are the most abundant workforce in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). ECRs are generally mentored by experienced principal investigators (PIs) who direct the research objectives. The ECR mentee- mentor partnership can be mutually beneficial, but it is a critical relationship for ECRs with implications for publishing and career development. In this study, a mixed methods approach involving a survey, X polls (formally Twitter), and semi-structured interviews were used to determine how the ECR mentor-mentee relationship affects ECRs and their perceptions of career development in STEMM. To address this aim, two main research questions were developed: (1) Who do the STEMM ECR mentees and mentors currently perceive to be ECRs? and (2) What characteristics of the ECR mentee-mentor relationship are perceived to be important for ECR publishing practices and career progression? The main survey findings indicate that respondents largely from the life sciences and health field and they consider Ph.D. researchers and postdoctoral researchers as ECRs, but mentors also to a greater extent than mentees perceive new PIs (< 2 years experiences) as ECRs. Survey respondents also mostly agree on publishing practices regarding journal selection criteria such as journal scope and impact factor, although mentees appear to favor journal prestige and open access publishing more than mentors. This is likely due to the importance of visibility early in ones career. Mentees take the lead in preparing manuscripts for submission, although a minority have described issues regarding authorship disputes. Finally, setting clear expectations, being collegial, mutually respectful, and having regular communication was identified by survey respondents and interviewees as integral features of a healthy ECR mentee- mentor relationship. In conclusion, the mentee-mentor relationship is critically important for ECR career development, and the findings of this study have wider implications for the development of effective ECR mentee and mentor training programs across the STEMM disciplines.

Explore related subjects

scientific communication and education Preprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Lordan, R., Wride, M., O'Sullivan, I.. 2024-10-30. A survey of the mentor-mentee relationship in early career research (ECR): Implications for publishing and career advancement in the STEMM disciplines. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.29.620999

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

Internal Grant Review: A Pre-Submission Program for Early-Career Clinical and Translational Researchers

The iTHRIV Scholars Mentored Career Development Program initiated an Internal Grant Review (IGR) program in 2020 for current and recently graduated Scholars seeking funding through K and R awards from the NIH. The IGR program is designed to replicate the NIH review process and provide Scholars the opportunity to receive valuable feedback on their applications prior to NIH submission. A key characteristic of the program is the integration of REDCap, enabling automation and year-round offering while improving tracking and reporting efforts and capabilities. Results of the program have been overall positive, both in proposal development and participant feedback. IGR is a sustainable, valuable resource for early-career faculty competing for limited resources in the pursuit to become independently funded clinical translational scientists.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2026

Multi-Lab Testing of Early Preclinical Discoveries Identifies Promising Treatments

A fundamental challenge in drug development is the frequent failure of early laboratory research to translate into clinical benefit. One promising solution is to confirm findings from exploratory single-laboratory studies across multiple laboratories before clinical testing. We investigated this approach following the conduct of preclinical multi-laboratory studies across different fields of medicine. For this, we evaluated effect sizes, experimental rigor, and a set of criteria to identify determinants of confirmation success. When tested under increased rigor, only a fraction of multi-laboratory studies confirmed the initial results. The underlying effect size reduction was associated with outcome-relevant experimental differences between exploratory and confirmatory stages. In summary, multi-laboratory studies proved highly informative and served as an effective filter for promising treatments.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2026

Technology-enhanced learning in undergraduate neuroscience education: tractography-based virtual dissection in psychology

Background: Neuroanatomy poses a significant challenge for Psychology students due to its spatial and conceptual complexity. Educational approaches that enhance the relevance and visualization of neuroanatomical content may improve students learning experiences. This study implemented a tractography-based activity focused on the virtual dissection of the arcuate fasciculus, a major white matter pathway, in undergraduate Psychology students and examined the relationships between perceived learning and students perceptions of utility, difficulty and handling, and organizational aspects of the activity. Methods: First-year undergraduate Psychology students participated in a two-session tractography-based activity combining instruction on white matter anatomy and diffusion tractography with a hands-on virtual dissection of the arcuate fasciculus using research-grade software routinely employed in neuroscience research. Following the activity, students completed an anonymous questionnaire assessing perceived learning, utility, difficulty and handling, and organizational aspects of the activity. Pearson correlations, multiple regression analyses, and relative importance analyses were performed. Results: Sixty-eight students completed the questionnaire. Students reported generally positive perceptions of the activity across the evaluated dimensions, with perceived learning receiving the highest mean score (M = 3.44, SD = .85). Perceived utility showed the strongest association with perceived learning (r = .64, p < .001). The regression model explained 41% of the variance in perceived learning (R2 = .41, adjusted R2 = .38, p < .001). Perceived utility was the only significant predictor in the model ({beta} = .59, p = .001), accounting for 67.9% of the explained variance. Conclusions: The findings support the feasibility of integrating authentic neuroimaging tools into undergraduate neuroanatomy teaching. Students who perceived the activity as more useful also reported higher perceived learning outcomes, with perceived utility emerging as the strongest predictor of perceived learning. In contrast, perceived difficulty and handling, and organizational aspects did not make significant independent contributions. These results suggest that students perceptions of educational relevance may play an important role in technology-enhanced STEM learning experiences.

scientific communication and education↗