Characteristics of Faculty Mentors in Library and Information Science Doctoral Education

Abstract

Mentoring by faculty advisors is closely related to the personal and professional outcomes of doctoral students. However, few researchers have examined the characteristics of faculty mentors. To deal with this lack of research, the author attempted to explore the characteristics of faculty mentors from the perspective of Library and Information Science (LIS) doctoral students in the United States. In the study, the author combined interviews and a survey to examine the characteristics of faculty mentors. The interview and survey findings present a list of characteristics that are comprehensive and specific to LIS doctoral education. Specifically, the author describes a faculty mentor as a well-rounded person who possesses both professional and interpersonal characteristics. In addition, the findings show some aspects in which the current advising/mentoring could improve. The current study offers a guideline for the accomplishment of doctoral mentoring at a concrete level, rather than vaguely recommending that faculty advisors support the professional and psychosocial development of their students. In a following paper, the author will relate background characteristics of doctoral students to their perception of mentors.