Commentary—Preparing today’s researchers for a yet unknown tomorrow: Promising practices for a synergistic and sustainable mentoring approach to mixed methods research learning

Abstract

There is a pressing need to prepare mixed methods researchers for the creative development of methodological advances so that they can contribute to solving complex societal problems. One way to prepare researchers, through mentoring, has long been considered as being one of the most impactful learning experiences because of its developmental and relational focus. Mentoring often focuses on building specific skills to support the mentee’s personal and professional development. Inspired by issues of mentor capacity and the potential of a synergistic mentoring framework advanced by Frels, Newman, and Newman (2015), this commentary describes promising practices for promoting sustainability within mixed methods research mentoring approaches. In closing, we encourage the global mixed methods research community to consider the practical implications of designing and implementing an effective synergistic and sustainable mentoring approach for mixed methods researchers.