AuthorAID: Supporting your research career

AuthorAID provides regional events and an e-mail discussion list, but the main purpose of the site is to help early-career researchers in developing countries to find mentors who can help them to progress their research careers.

How will I benefit from mentoring?

AuthorAID mentors are experienced researchers and are encouraged to be supportive and helpful. They may be able to provide advice on some or all of the following:

• Research methods and analysis
• Appropriate journals for submitting manuscripts
• Manuscript preparation
• Writing style
• The peer review process and how to respond to referees’ comments
• Presentations and posters
• Preparing grant proposals
• Scientific communication in general

By choosing to receive mentoring via AuthorAID, you will also receive some intellectual protection.  You will be required to produce an online learning agreement with your mentor that outlines the goals and expectations of the relationship. This agreement will be monitored by AuthorAID.  Furthermore, there is no requirement for you to name your mentors as co-authors on any publications. However, there is an understanding that you will be committed to the project and will go on to be a mentor yourself once you  have enough experience.

How does the mentoring process work?

Setting up a mentoring relationship can be done entirely online, via the following steps:

• Register for AuthorAID and indicate that you are interested in receiving mentoring support.
• Fill in your AuthorAID profile.
• Use our online Member Search to find a potential mentor. (Alternatively, a mentor may occasionally contact you.)
• Start a conversation with your potential mentor, using AuthorAID’s messaging system.
• If you both agree to mentoring, set up a formal learning agreement. 
• Share your ideas via our collaborative mentoring workspace.

Need more help?

You can read more about this in the AuthorAID website guidelines and the Guidelines for Mentees: Mentoring Relationships.   For a more general example of how AuthorAID might work, follow Rahim on his Mentoring Journey.

If you have specific questions, please feel free to contact us at authoraid@inasp.info.

Join AuthorAID now!