Scientometrics· 2026Q1
On association between the research performance of academic advisors and their PhD students
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- 2026year
Short summary
PhD students in Slovenia mirror their advisors' collaboration patterns but show weak and negative correlations in productivity and independence, respectively, with trends shifting towards more collaboration and less individual productivity over 35 years.
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Key points
- PhD students adopt advisor collaboration patterns but not necessarily their productivity or independence.
- Student productivity shows a weak positive correlation with advisor productivity.
- Student independence shows a weak negative correlation with advisor independence.
- Student-advisor dynamics have shifted from independent relationships to more collaborative ones over 35 years.
- Student productivity shows a downward trend despite increased collaboration.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract In this paper, we examine whether and how the research performance of advisors is associated with that of their PhD students. We analyze the entire population of PhD students in Slovenia who successfully defended their theses, along with their advisors, between 1988 and 2022. For each individual, we compute five bibliometric indicators (covering the publication activities, collaboration patterns, and research independence) within a five-year interval around the PhD defense and use these values to classify students and advisors into six performance classes. Our results show that while students mirror their advisors’ collaboration patterns, their productivity and independence exhibit weak and negative correlations, respectively, although significant differences are observed across scientific disciplines. Additionally, over the past 35 years, student–advisor dynamics have generally shifted from independent relationships to more collaborative ones. Today’s students are more integrated into their advisors’ research networks and have more coauthors, while their productivity shows a downward trend. Our findings highlight the uneven distribution of mentorship effects and suggest practical implications for doctoral programs, including the need to strengthen support mechanisms that help students to select suitable advisors.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Scientometrics, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: General Health Professions
General Health ProfessionsHealth Professions