Respectable and honest supervision ensures responsible and ethical research in the future.

Themes

Respectable and honest supervision ensures responsible and ethical research in the future.

What is this about?

While supervising a student writing a thesis, doing his/her first project or submitting his/her first research, ensure respectable and honest communication. The supervisor's approachability and stance might affect the student's long-term wilingness to engage in research or pursue a career in research, and conduct ethical and responsible research.

Why is this important?

Supervisors are usually swamped with obligations in the academic world, or with their own reserach projects. They do not have enough time to properly supervise students, or are too tired to do so. Moreover, after supervising a number of students during theses writing/research projects, supervisors take their role for granted and disregard active participation in the supervision process.

However, openeness and honesty in communication should be a priority in the supervision process. Supervision can have a significant impact on the development of virtues in students. Proper scientific communication can also impact the career development of the supervised student/researcher. Reserachers have stressed the need for the training of supervisors, and the construction of guidelines for supervisors as a key topic for the 2021-2027 Horizon Europe level. Ensuring proper communication and approachability can create a better environment for students/early career researchers to develop virtues needed for responsible and ethical research.

For whom is this important?

Peer reviewersDoctoral studentsAcademic staffEducatorsProfessorsBachelor studentsGraduate studentsmentorssuperv

What are the best practices?

The best practices include the supervisor creating a relaxed atmosphere, being open to communication and making themselves approachable for students. In that sense, it is useful when supervisors respect the ideas of open science, and share their knowledge and experience with the researcher/student they are supervising. A relaxed, yet professional communication could also be helpful in achieving these goals. If any issues occur, or if a supervised researcher/student makes mistakes, this should be resolved through suggestions and recommendations for improvement, rather than harsh criticism or stressing the student's failures.

Students/early career researchers should be honest in communication and respecftul, while taking the supervisor's comments seriously and accepting criticism as a tool for improvement.

Luka Ursić contributed to this theme. Latest contribution was Feb 17, 2022

Other information