Abstract

Bibliometric indicators have historically focused on counts of publications and received citations as research performance markers. While these provide relevant context into the contribution of researchers, their focus is quite narrow. One of the main missions of academic institutions is training the next generation of researchers. This methodology paper first describes a Tree Algorithm uncovering mentor−mentee links within research mentorship networks using Scopus. It subsequently delves into the construction of a Tree Index measuring the contribution of senior researchers to mentoring the next generation of researchers. Some descriptive results are then presented to illustrate their potential use in exploring the mentorship contribution of senior researchers across countries. These tools also provide unique opportunities to deepen our understanding of the dynamics of research mentorship networks. Such possibilities are introduced in the paper’s discussion.

Access the conference paper on Zenodo.

Image credit: iStock