Practical tips for librarians to support early career researchers’ success

Author: Saskia Hoving

This three-part blog series offers practical tips to support researchers at every stage of their journey. It begins with early career researchers, highlighting ways librarians can address their unique challenges and help them succeed. The next post focuses on teaching research integrity. Finally, the series concludes with advice on promoting published work to boost its visibility and impact. In this blog, we'll cover strategies to support early career researchers.

Early career researchers (ECRs) are at the heart of the research world, set to become the experts of tomorrow, but starting out in academia can be tough. The research environment is super competitive, and it can be hard for newcomers to figure out what they need to know. From navigating grant applications to understanding research integrity and getting published, there's a lot to learn. Librarians are perfectly positioned to guide them through these challenges.

This post looks at how to help ECRs get off to a great start. Build strong connections, offer the right resources, and provide the guidance they need to succeed.

Libraries and ECRs - a crucial relationship

Many ECRs recognise the need for guidance - nowhere is training more important than at the start of your career. However, Nature Masterclasses Online Survey Report revealed there can be a disconnect between what career development help ECRs expect from their institution and what they receive. Nearly a third of survey respondents said they felt their institution didn’t provide them with the support they needed, and 82% would like their institution to provide them with more support. These are significant findings, so with that in mind, here are some ideas for how to put things right.

Practical ways to help…

There are any number of pitfalls researchers might encounter at all stages of the research lifecycle. The blog, Research, Publication and Beyond, addresses the issues that arise during the publication process, which can be quite daunting for researchers at any career stage. Creating strong links with ECRs is essential, to start them out right, helping them navigate the research process as smoothly as possible right from the start.

Libraries are great for nurturing future talent, so here are some useful tips. These are just a few ways libraries can share their vast knowledge with the ECR community.

• Grant applications: Focussing on what funders look for increases chances of success.
• Navigating the sea of information: New researchers are still learning how to avoid poor quality information and recognise reliable, authoritative research.
• Research integrity: The importance of training in key issues of good scientific practices cannot be underestimated.
• The publication process: Understanding what to expect and how to avoid the most common pitfalls will help avoid delays or rejection.  
• Writing skills: Providing opportunities to learn how to write up research effectively will greatly improve the chances of getting published.
• Demystifying open access: Not just another publication option, ECRs need to know how to make it work for them whilst avoiding any potential pitfalls. 
• Creating researcher profiles: A key step for ECRs in making themselves known.
• Networking and collaboration: How to build their professional capital both on-and offline.
• Promoting published research: Well-disseminated research helps researchers reach their career goals.

To help with this, Springer Nature recently launched an ECR initiative which fosters collaboration between ECRs and libraries - enabling ECRs to express their needs and supporting librarians in developing resources to address them.

…and how to go about it

As already mentioned, many ECRs don’t know what they need to know, so be proactive and reach out to them. Here are a few ways to do this:

• Workshops: These can be in-person or virtual, live or streamed. Face-to-face interaction can be very engaging and social, but online training is often more convenient and attracts a wider audience. Weigh up the pros and cons of each.
• Create guides: Take specific topics (like the ones we talked about above) and draw up useful online resources. 
• Scholarly communications - join the research process: Work alongside researchers and offer insights into all stages of the research process, such as locating resources, navigating databases and data retrieval, citation management, ethical considerations and more. 
• Upskilling: Ensure your team have the necessary skills to share their knowledge and experience. If they need to brush these up, there are plenty of online courses available from industry associations such as CILIP and ACRL, for example.

How does Springer Nature support ECRs?

Springer Nature journals, like Nature Communications, are getting ECRs involved in peer reviews. Experienced reviewers mentor ECRs, giving them practical experience and guidance. There are also training programs, including webinars and one-on-one sessions with professional editors, to help ECRs improve their peer review skills. Participants get recognition for their contributions, which they can add to their ORCID profiles to boost their academic reputation. These initiatives help ECRs develop important skills, gain valuable experience, and expand their professional networks, ultimately supporting their academic careers. For more information go to the Early Career Researchers hub.

Empowering early career researchers

Focusing on the needs of ECRs helps set your researchers up from the start of their careers with the skills they need to make their way through the research process with ease. They don’t know what they don’t know at this early stage, so it’s vital to invest the time and resources in giving them the grounding they need. To further support their development the next blog in this series will look at how librarians can educate researchers on the importance of research ethics, with practical hints and tips. Stay tuned.

Related content

• ECR Program: Bridging the gap between librarians and researchers
• Insights into researcher training needs and expected librarian support
• Virtual versus in-person seminars: Which training support is most beneficial?
• How can institutions help researchers navigate the publication process?

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