Approaches and tools to measure individual-level research experience, activities, and outcomes: A narrative review
Strengthening the research workforce is essential for meeting the evolving needs and challenges in the health and biomedical fields. To do so effectively, it requires an understanding of how the experiences of a researcher shift over time and how one’s research career evolves, particularly as suppor...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Clinical and Translational Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125100769/type/journal_article |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849235921851908096 |
|---|---|
| author | Brenda M. Joly Carolyn Gray Julia Rand Katy Bizier Karen Pearson |
| author_facet | Brenda M. Joly Carolyn Gray Julia Rand Katy Bizier Karen Pearson |
| author_sort | Brenda M. Joly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Strengthening the research workforce is essential for meeting the evolving needs and challenges in the health and biomedical fields. To do so effectively, it requires an understanding of how the experiences of a researcher shift over time and how one’s research career evolves, particularly as supports are put in place to foster research. This narrative review provides a summary of published individual-level assessment measures and survey tools from 2000–2024. All measures were abstracted, classified, and coded during analyses to describe the areas of focus, and they were organized into one of six research categories. The review identified a range of measures and methods across all categories. However, the measures were often narrow, focused on outputs, and not ideal for assessing the full range of experiences a researcher may have throughout their career. The most common metrics were related to research productivity and bibliometric measures. Our review of survey tools revealed a gap in comprehensive approaches available to assess an individual’s research experience, efforts, supports, and impact. As efforts expand to evaluate and study the research workforce, tools that focus on a broad range of individual-level measures, tied to specific underlying constructs and drawn from the literature, may prove useful. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-50d937abdd324816aace3c788a8a41fc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2059-8661 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical and Translational Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-50d937abdd324816aace3c788a8a41fc2025-08-20T04:02:32ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Clinical and Translational Science2059-86612025-01-01910.1017/cts.2025.10076Approaches and tools to measure individual-level research experience, activities, and outcomes: A narrative reviewBrenda M. Joly0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7102-8954Carolyn Gray1Julia Rand2Katy Bizier3Karen Pearson4Public Health Program, Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, Portland, USACutler Institute for Health and Social Policy, Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, Portland, USAPublic Health Program, Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, Portland, USAPublic Health Program, Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, Portland, USACutler Institute for Health and Social Policy, Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, Portland, USAStrengthening the research workforce is essential for meeting the evolving needs and challenges in the health and biomedical fields. To do so effectively, it requires an understanding of how the experiences of a researcher shift over time and how one’s research career evolves, particularly as supports are put in place to foster research. This narrative review provides a summary of published individual-level assessment measures and survey tools from 2000–2024. All measures were abstracted, classified, and coded during analyses to describe the areas of focus, and they were organized into one of six research categories. The review identified a range of measures and methods across all categories. However, the measures were often narrow, focused on outputs, and not ideal for assessing the full range of experiences a researcher may have throughout their career. The most common metrics were related to research productivity and bibliometric measures. Our review of survey tools revealed a gap in comprehensive approaches available to assess an individual’s research experience, efforts, supports, and impact. As efforts expand to evaluate and study the research workforce, tools that focus on a broad range of individual-level measures, tied to specific underlying constructs and drawn from the literature, may prove useful.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125100769/type/journal_articleResearcher investmentresearcher experiencesresearch careermeasurementevaluation metrics |
| spellingShingle | Brenda M. Joly Carolyn Gray Julia Rand Katy Bizier Karen Pearson Approaches and tools to measure individual-level research experience, activities, and outcomes: A narrative review Journal of Clinical and Translational Science Researcher investment researcher experiences research career measurement evaluation metrics |
| title | Approaches and tools to measure individual-level research experience, activities, and outcomes: A narrative review |
| title_full | Approaches and tools to measure individual-level research experience, activities, and outcomes: A narrative review |
| title_fullStr | Approaches and tools to measure individual-level research experience, activities, and outcomes: A narrative review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Approaches and tools to measure individual-level research experience, activities, and outcomes: A narrative review |
| title_short | Approaches and tools to measure individual-level research experience, activities, and outcomes: A narrative review |
| title_sort | approaches and tools to measure individual level research experience activities and outcomes a narrative review |
| topic | Researcher investment researcher experiences research career measurement evaluation metrics |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866125100769/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brendamjoly approachesandtoolstomeasureindividuallevelresearchexperienceactivitiesandoutcomesanarrativereview AT carolyngray approachesandtoolstomeasureindividuallevelresearchexperienceactivitiesandoutcomesanarrativereview AT juliarand approachesandtoolstomeasureindividuallevelresearchexperienceactivitiesandoutcomesanarrativereview AT katybizier approachesandtoolstomeasureindividuallevelresearchexperienceactivitiesandoutcomesanarrativereview AT karenpearson approachesandtoolstomeasureindividuallevelresearchexperienceactivitiesandoutcomesanarrativereview |