Open AccessStudents as ecologists: Strategies for successful mentorship of undergraduate researchers
Author(s) -
Emery Nathan,
Hund Amanda,
Burks Romi,
Duffy Meghan,
Scoffoni Christine,
Swei Andrea
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.5090
Subject(s) - mentorship , undergraduate research , flexibility (engineering) , process (computing) , diversity (politics) , engineering ethics , medical education , psychology , computer science , sociology , engineering , management , medicine , anthropology , economics , operating system
Guiding undergraduates through the ecological research process can be incredibly rewarding and present opportunities to break down barriers to inclusion and diversity in scientific disciplines. At the same time, mentoring undergraduate researchers is a complicated process that requires time and flexibility. While many academics receive extensive guidance on how to be successful in research endeavors, we pay much less attention to training in mentorship and working collaboratively with undergraduate students. This paper seeks to provide a framework for successfully collaborating with undergraduates including initial recruitment, development of a contract, fostering student ownership of research projects, and submission of a polished manuscript.