Mentorship and Research Misconduct
Many times when an allegation of research misconduct is made, elements of poor mentorship also come to light. While poor mentorship alone does not meet the definition of research misconduct per Penn State Policy RP02, mentorship (or the lack thereof) may be a contributing factor to poor research practices, including research misconduct. As such, mentorship is taken into consideration throughout the research misconduct process. However, unless coupled with a finding of research misconduct, poor mentorship practices are beyond the Research Integrity Officer's (RIO) scope and the RIO will need to refer the concerns to the appropriate college and/or department so that they may be addressed. Even if there is not a finding of research misconduct, the RIO takes concerns regarding poor mentorship practices seriously. Providing proper mentorship to students and early career faculty is essential to Penn State's mission and to instilling the highest ethical and professional standards as they pursue research activities.
In the book "On Being a Mentor, A Guide for Higher Education Faculty" the author W. Brad Johnson defines mentorship as
"a personal and reciprocal relationship in which a more experienced (usually older) faculty member acts as a guide, role model, teacher, and sponsor of a less experienced (usually younger) student or faculty member. A mentor provides the mentee with knowledge, advice, counsel, challenge, and support in the mentee's pursuit of becoming a full member of a particular profession" (Johnson, 2006 p. 23).
Qualities of Good Mentorship
Penn State Policy RPG01 explains the responsibilities of research supervisors or mentors and provides the following guidelines:
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Ensure the scientific integrity of all work stemming from one's research group.
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Provide supervision, guidance, and example to trainees to further their academic, technical, and professional development.
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Provide oversight of experimental procedures including study design and data collection, validity, reporting, and retention.
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Instruct graduate students, post doctoral fellows, and other research assistants on all relevant regulations, university policies, and university procedures for research with humans, animals, and/or hazardous materials.
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Ensure the proper fiscal management and conduct of the project.
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Oversee the preparation and submission of technical reports and any other required deliverables.
Good mentorship also includes establishing clear expectations regarding authorship. Learn more about authorship and acknowledgement expectations: https://www.research.psu.edu/authorship.
Mentorship Resources
https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-program-resources/mentoring-matters/
http://equity.psu.edu/faculty-pathway-sfm/mentorship
https://ori.hhs.gov/mentorship