High-quality mentoring is vital to a successful undergraduate research experience. This page provides guidance and resources that faculty, post-doc, and graduate student mentors may find useful as they work with undergraduate students.

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Undergraduate students come into higher education at various levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is likely that many of the students have not been exposed to rigorous academic research, possess vague ideas of what research looks like, and may be intimidated by the concept.  However, they do know that research is a vital part of the mission of a university and its reputation.  And more importantly, they are at a stage in their life when they are most eager to learn and explore their interests.

While undergraduate research is certainly about the act of conducting research, it’s also about the learning, education, and developmental components that the students go through as they learn about and experience academic research.  To further conceptualize this understanding, think back to your own undergraduate education and your first encounter with research.

• How would you describe that experience?
• What were some of the key moments and characteristics?
• Who were the key players?
• Why were you successful?
• How did you overcome challenges?

Contemplating and answering these questions is crucial to understanding undergraduate research and creative scholarship. It isn’t simply a project, a report, publication, or presentation.  It is the experience — the learning, the intellectual growth and development, the acquisition of skills, the maturation of thought and self, the mentoring, and the fostering of an inquiring and critical mind.

It is from this perspective that the difference between research conducted at the undergraduate level and that which is conducted at the graduate level and beyond is revealed.  It is the pursuit of not only the answers to the research question, but also the pursuit of the positive outcomes associated with student learning and growth. It involves maintaining the ideals of rigorous and responsible research while simultaneously developing students as scholars.

Undergraduate research is recognized as a high-impact learning practice (Kuh, 2008) by the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ LEAP (Liberal Education and America’s Promise) initiative. Students who participate in undergraduate research experience many benefits including increased persistence (Nagda et al., 1998); increased interest in, and pursuit of entrance into, graduate school (Hathaway et al., 2002; Kremer and Bringle, 1990); higher gains in research skills including gathering and analyzing data and speaking effectively (Bauer and Bennett, 2003); and gains in professional advancement, professional development, and personal development (Seymour et al., 2004; Lopatto, 2006). Additionally, undergraduate research has shown to be particularly effective at increasing retention amongst, and opening career pathways for, minority and underrepresented populations (Nagda et al., 1998).

Temple, Sibley, & Orr (2010) and Multhaup, et al. (2010) offer the following models of undergraduate research.  Many variations do exist within each model, especially among disciplines.

Traditional or Apprenticeship Model

The student and faculty mentor work one-on-one on a research project that is typically generated by the faculty member. Student contributions range from data collection to substantial intellectual contributions that lead to co-authorship.

Consultant Model

Student-initiated research that may or may not fall within the faculty’s area of expertise. Faculty supervises and guides the student’s research project.

Joint Creation Model

Student and faculty open a new line of inquiry based on mutual interest.

Research Teams

Students collaborate on a research project where they may split up the responsibilities/duties of a project or share them.

Course Based

May be a course with research activities incorporated into the structure or a course that is completely focused on conducting research.  Varies significantly according to discipline.

Senior Theses

A capstone experience typically found in honors colleges and programs. Requires a large time commitment for mentors as they are responsible for guiding a senior thesis student through issues related to planning, time management, goal setting, and meeting deadlines.

Quality mentoring is more of an art than science. There are recognized characteristics of quality mentoring, best practices, and common challenges associated with mentoring, but an individual’s mentoring style is something that is established through experience and is unique to each student-mentor pairing.  Below we provide information that will help you develop a foundation of knowledge about mentoring, but we encourage you to consult with colleagues that have experience in mentoring – their wisdom and anecdotes are more instructive than lists of key characteristics and mentoring tips.

Key Traits for Mentoring

Temple, L. et al. (2010) note four key traits for mentoring:

• Forwardness: this trait has to do with faculty being proactive in introducing undergraduate students to and incorporating them research.  It is based on the premise that undergraduate students often lack the confidence to inquire about or attempt to conduct research due to their low level of knowledge and ability.  As such, faculty should make efforts to reach out to students that demonstrate interest and/or ability in courses and co-curricular activities.
• Persistence and repetition: this trait focuses on the student learning that occurs through conducting research and witnessing faculty struggle with the same challenges and setbacks they are experiencing. The experience of overcoming obstacles and working with faculty outside of formal course structures fosters student resiliency.
• Emotional honesty: this trait centers on demonstrating to students the reality of your profession.  Allow students to see the joys and the challenges of teaching, research, and service. By removing any filters, both positive and negative, students can experience what it is like to be a professional in your discipline which will assist with their learning and academic/career exploration.
• Recognizing and locating alternative mentors: this trait is based on the fact that many students change their interests and goals during their undergraduate years, which can lead students in directions that move away from your research interests. This trait asks that faculty treat students as part of their professional network – which if they have genuinely invested themselves in your research they most assuredly are – and assist them in exploring new pathways and finding other mentors by using your networks.

Best Practices & Key Factors for Success

Through their work, Shelito et al. (2001) and Temple et al. (2010) identified many best practices, key factors for successful mentoring, and common challenges. We have combined these ideas and actions into four categories: communication, establishing expectations, planning, and soft skills.

Communication

• Mentors should communicate frequently and clearly with students. Also, following up with students shortly after giving new direction is important so they can ask any questions that came about during their initial processing of the information.
• Create a culture in which students believe you are approachable and one in which they are encouraged to ask questions and are not punished for not knowing something.
• Once expectations have been set (see next section) make sure to clearly communicate, revisit, and reaffirm them during the research project.
• Meet consistently with your undergraduate research student(s) and provide positive, constructive feedback and encouragement.

Establishing Expectations

• At the beginning of your project be sure to work with your students to set goals, deadlines, and expectations. Post the agreed upon expectations where everyone has access.
• For students new to research, make sure to establish the difference between your expectations of them in this environment against those of students taking a course.
• Take the time to teach your students to appreciate the research process – as slow as it may seem at times – rather than simply the outcomes of research.  One can do so by disrupting the process with opportunities to reflect on their experiences.
• Encourage students to disseminate their work in the same way faculty would – many undergraduate research publication and presentation opportunities exist.

Planning

• When developing a research schedule, consider student time commitments outside of the research project.
• Budget time for students to acquire necessary skills or techniques, especially for students that are new to research.
• Allow students to learn through trial and error, to an extent.  Students will naturally explore paths that seem unlikely to work, which is good for learning, but they also need to be reined in before significant time and resources are wasted.
• For the portions of the research that the student will being conducting, make sure to create a well-defined project with student interest and ability in mind and one that will allow them to have intellectual ownership.
• Craft the student portion of the research product to lead towards student independence.

Soft Skills

• Spend time with your students and get to know them as individuals.
• Encourage persistence in face of setbacks.
• Once they have demonstrated commitment to the project students should be treated as professionals and be given the same respect and opportunities for development as other colleagues.
• After the research project is complete, provide continued mentorship and offer career guidance.

Undergraduate research and creative scholarship is often cited as a high impact learning practice. In order to validate and maintain this particular status, regular assessment of the outcomes of undergraduate research are necessary. UROP identifies three categories of outcomes for assessment:

1. Student engagement - This category includes metrics that assess student engagement with the subject matter, faculty, peers, and the greater university community. It also measures how participation in the research activity contributed to their understanding of research and scholarship and whether it affected their interest in academic studies.
2. Gains in knowledge, skills and abilities - This category measures gains in a variety of knowledge, skills and abilities that are associated with undergraduate research and higher education at large.
3. Program satisfaction - This category measures the student experience with the programmatic elements of the undergraduate research experience, including co-curricular activities, the relationship with the faculty mentor, and the research design.

UROP has an assessment instrument available for use by UO faculty and staff that are directing undergraduate research programs or supervising undergraduate researchers. Please contact urop@uoregon.edu to gain access to the instrument.

References

• Bauer, K.W., & Bennett, J.S. (2003). Alumni perceptions used to assess undergraduate research experience.  Journal of Higher Education, 74, 210-230.
• Hathaway, R.S., Nagda, B.A., & Gregerman, S.R. (2002). The relationship of undergraduate research participation to graduate and professional education pursuit: an empirical study. Journal of College Student Development, 43, 614-631.
• Jenkins, A, Healey, M and Zetter, R (2007). Linking teaching and research in departments and disciplines. York: The Higher Education Academy.
• Kremer, J.F., & Bringle, R.G. (1990). The effects of an intensive research experience on the careers of talented undergraduates.  Journal of Research Development Education, 24, 1-5.
• Kuh, G.D. (2008). High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access to Them, and Why They Matter. AAC&U, Washington, D.C.
• Lopatto, D. (2006) Undergraduate research as a catalyst for liberal learning. Peer Review. 8 (1), 22-25.
• Multhaup, K., Davoli, C., Wilson, S., Geghman, K., Giles, K., Martin, J., et al. (2010). Three Models for Undergraduate-Faculty Research: Reflections by a Professor and Her Former Students. CUR Quarterly, 31(1), 21-26.
• Nagda, B., Gregerman, S., Jonides, J., von Hippel, W., & Lerner, JS. (1998). Undergraduate Student-Faculty Research Partnerships Affect Student Retention.  Review of Higher Education, 22, 55-72.
• Seymour, E., Hunter, A. B., Laursen, S.L., & Deantoni, T. (2004). Establishing the benefits of research experiences for undergraduates in the sciences: First findings from a three-year study. Science Education, 88 (4): 493-534.
• Shellito C, Shea K, Weissmann G, Mueller-Solger A, Davis W. (2001). Successful mentoring of undergraduate researchers: Tips for creating positive student research experiences. Journal of College Science Teaching, 30, 460-465.
• Temple, L., Sibley, T. Q., & Orr, A. J. (2010). How to Mentor Undergraduate Researchers. Washington, DC: Council on Undergraduate Research