Promoting student publishing success: The progressive co-authorship cycle

Abstract

I will describe the “progressive co-authorship cycle” as a strategy for promoting student publishing success. Crucial points in this progression are: (1) an initial phase in which the advisor is the lead author on a co-authored publication, (2) a middle phase in which the student and advisor are both in transition, and (3) a final phase in which the role reversal is complete and the student is the lead author on a co-authored publication. Each phase serves a unique purpose in the overall progression: modelling of good practice (phase 1), infusion of new energy and dynamism (phase 2), and finally, consolidation of a new and more equitable partnership (phase 3). I will emphasize that, as the fulcrum of the cycle, the middle phase is the most important yet easiest-to-neglect phase in a student-advisor relationship. During this phase, the student develops other co-authorship opportunities (e.g. with fellow students and/or other mentors). By infusing new ideas and research strategies into the mentor-mentee relationship, these “external” collaborations can be particularly enriching for phase 3. While this progression is rarely realized in clearly demarcated phases, it can provide a guiding framework for mentoring, and specifically for supporting student publishing success.