What Makes a Good Research Assistant
Working as a research assistant in clinical, basic lab, public health, and secondary research for over 6 years, I’ve had some time to reflect on what actually makes a good research assistant, and what qualities stand out to PIs. Boiled down, I think these are 1) curiosity, 2) organization, and 3) initiative. The first two came relatively naturally to me, but the third took me longer to develop, largely because I misunderstood what taking initiative had to involve.
Curiosity: Take an Interest in the Bigger Picture
As a research assistant, you may initially be responsible for a fairly small part of a larger project. It can be tempting to focus entirely on learning your assigned task and completing it correctly, especially when everything is new.
That is a good place to start, but I would encourage you to also make an effort to understand the research around it. What question is the team trying to answer? Why does that question matter? How will the work you are doing help answer it?
One of the simplest ways to build that understanding is to ask your mentor whether there are papers they recommend you read. Reading gives you context, helps you become familiar with the language of the field (and the authors; it is fun to start recognizing names!), and gives you a starting point for more specific questions.
Curiosity also means being willing to say when you do not understand something. I know that can feel uncomfortable when you want to make a good impression, but pretending to understand usually makes it harder to learn and can create problems later. If you are unsure why you are doing something a particular way, ask.
The same goes for when you ask for help or have to acknowledge you did something wrong. Be thoughtful about these communications. If you have attempted to work through a problem, explain what you tried and where you got stuck. If you did something wrong, take responsibility, share the steps to correct the mistake that you would make next, and ask whether that plan sounds alright to your mentor. Thoughtful, proactive communication gives your mentor something concrete to respond to and helps them understand how you are thinking (and that you are thinking).
Organization: Make It Easy to Rely on You
Organization may sound less exciting than curiosity, but it has a huge influence on how useful you are to a team.
Research involves a lot of details: assignments, deadlines, files, protocols, decisions made in meetings, and changes that need to be carried through to the next version of something. Keeping track of those details helps you follow through and makes your work easier for other people to use.
Figure out a reliable way that you will take notes and keep track of the little details and to-dos for a given project. It could be a physical notebook, a spreadsheet, a shared drive, etc. Take notes during meetings, particularly when you are receiving instructions or feedback. Keep a clear list of what you are responsible for, when it is due, and what you need clarified. For example, at the end of a meeting, I create a separate list of “action items,” which pulls out what my team and I need to do before we meet next. If you are working with data or documents, follow the team’s conventions and record what you did so someone else can understand your work later.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, communication is another important part of organization. If an assignment is taking longer than expected or you have run into a problem, let your mentor know early. You may be worried that this makes you seem less capable, but it gives the team a chance to adjust, help you, or clarify expectations. Communicating has only ever led me to be less stressed about a task or deadline.
The goal is not to become perfect, or a robot who gets everything done without any problems regardless of whatever life circumstances might be thrown your way, but to become someone whose work people can trust. That includes being honest about your progress, checking your work, and making sure feedback carries over into future assignments. Unlike paper deadlines for a course, when it comes to research, there are many cases where it is more valuable to take an extra couple of days to do better quality work than have the product faster.
Initiative: Look for Opportunities to Contribute
Initiative was the quality I had to grow into the most. When I first started as a research assistant, I thought obedience was the way to be a good research assistant. Basically, I thought to be the best research assistant possible, I should do exactly what they asked, well. I thought that in order to take initiative, I needed to have an impressive research idea. Since I was surrounded by people with much more knowledge and experience, I often assumed that any idea I had would be too obvious or not particularly useful. I was comfortable being curious and organized, but less comfortable proposing something myself.
Over time, I realized I was setting the bar unnecessarily high. There are many ways to contribute an idea, and some of the most useful begin with simply noticing what would benefit the team.
Maybe a shared resource needs updating. Maybe information is scattered across several files and would be easier to use in one place. Maybe a question comes up in a meeting that you would be interested in exploring further. If you notice an opportunity, ask whether you can take it on.
A specific offer helps: “I noticed we don’t have a central place to track this. Would it be helpful if I put something together?” You have identified a need and proposed a way to help, while giving your mentor a chance to tell you whether it fits the team’s priorities.
Every PI has different preferences, but many appreciate initiative. Identifying questions, recognizing opportunities, and deciding what to pursue are central to their own work. Showing an interest in those parts of research can help them see how you might develop as a researcher.
You do not need to wait until you feel like the most knowledgeable person in the room to make a suggestion. You do need to be open to guidance, willing to hear that an idea may not be the right fit, and prepared to follow through if it is.
You Can Contribute While You Are Still Learning
If you are starting your first research role, there will probably be plenty you do not know. I certainly felt that way, and still do.
What helped me was taking an interest in the work, keeping track of my responsibilities, and gradually becoming more willing to offer ideas. Those habits gave me ways to contribute while I was building experience.
Be curious about what your team is trying to understand. Be organized enough that people can rely on you. And when you see something that might help, ask whether you can do it. You may have more to offer than you think.
You can also reach us directly at success@admitmd.com, or call or text 512-693-9228.
Comments