The first thing I did was to take a step back and thought about the topic of mentorship in general. I asked myself what role has mentorship played in my life and realized that while I never officially enrolled in a mentorship program, I have had many individuals molding and guiding me along my academic and career path. I valued their advice and experiences gained through unofficial mentorship/personal connection and incorporated them into my life.
Next, I listed a series of questions that naturally came to mind as I continued to explore the topic. These research questions provided the framework to guide my research, survey, and interviews. I wanted to understand: Why students need mentorship, How students currently find their mentors, and What the goals of mentors are.