7.2 Mentee Evaluation of the Research Process and Experience

It is important that mentees are given a chance to provide feedback on the research experience and the mentoring process. For short-term programs, such as 10-week or semester-length programs, the mentee’s feedback might be requested as part of the final evaluation. However, for longer-term programs, it is helpful to request the mentee’s opinion at least once, half-way through the program. This strategy allows the mentor and any program officers to make adjustments while still leaving time to affect the outcome of the research project. Furthermore, soliciting feedback from mentees demonstrates that their opinion is valued and taken into account in the decision-making process. This might motivate them to increase their level of effort and performance for the remainder of the program.

A conceptual framework for mentee evaluation may be divided into five components: 1) Pre-mentoring Research Program; 2) The Research Experience; 3) Resources; 4) Mentor/Mentee Relationship; and 5) Program Assessment. These thematic areas may be adjusted for discipline-specific content, and/or expanded based on each mentor’s preference and experience. Mentors are encouraged to formulate the evaluation questions in the form of open-ended questions, rather than on the basis of a grade scale (e.g. 1-5). The following questions can be used as guidance when developing evaluation questions, and might be supplemented by leaving additional room for comments.

Component 1: Pre-Mentoring Research Program

• How did you hear about the program?
• How easy was it for you to collect information about the program?
• If you attended an information session about the program, did you find that enough information was provided?
• How was your experience approaching possible mentors and collecting information about possible research projects?

Component 2: The Research Experience

• Were you able to get a clear idea of the scope and goals of the research project?
• Did you find that the research project assigned to you was interesting, adequate to your skills level, and helpful in understanding whether you are interested in pursuing this research topic further?
• Did you encounter roadblocks during the research project, and if so, how did you (and your mentor) overcome them?
• What research skills did you gain from this research project?
• How did this project aid in developing your time management, presentation, and/or networking skills?
• Did you feel that the weekly workload was adequate for you?

Component 3: Resources

• Did you have enough resources to perform the assigned research? (Please include tools such as appropriate workspace/computers, as well as reading material or any other resource provided by your mentor.)
• Did you have access to external resources and expertise, if needed?

Component 4: Mentor/Mentee Relationship

• Were you satisfied with the structure and frequency of your meetings with your mentor? Did you find your mentor to be approachable and respectful? Were you comfortable asking questions or requesting help?
• Was your mentor adequately prepared for your meetings, and did he/she provide useful feedback on your progress on a regular basis?
• If you encountered difficulties, were you satisfied with how your mentor helped you overcome them?

Component 5: Program Assessment

• Do you plan to continue participating in this program? Why?
• Are you likely to recommend this program to friends or classmates who are interested in pursuing research opportunities? Why or why not?
• Would you be willing to provide peer mentoring to new students entering the program (for example, meeting with them a few times per semester)?