Part two of a two-part series – read part one here.
Introduction
A research assistantship can begin with a practical need: analysis to complete, evidence to organise or findings to communicate. Alongside helping a project progress, working with an assistant can offer academics the opportunity to develop their own practice and skills.
Defining tasks, explaining expectations and giving feedback can help us become better communicators and more thoughtful supervisors. For early career researchers and lecturers, an assistantship can also provide valuable experience in delegation, project management and mentoring.
In Part 1, Kexin Huang and I reflected on what students can gain from an assistantship. Here, I draw on my experiences to offer practical suggestions for colleagues considering working with a research assistant.
1. Start with work you can explain
Identify a task within an existing project whose purpose and intended output you can clearly describe. “Help with analysis” offers little direction. A more specific brief, such as “Analyse a focus-group transcript to identify themes in students’ experiences of [topic] and select [number] quotations to illustrate those themes in [intended output]”, gives the assistant a clearer starting point.
A defined task also helps you estimate the time, experience and guidance required.
2. Plan the funding, time and support
Funding may come through a grant, an internal research or education scheme, or existing research support funds. Match the scope to your budget, the appointment period and the time you can commit to supervision.
Distinguish essential outputs from activities that could follow if time permits. This provides a basis for adjusting the work as you learn more about what it involves.
Include paid time for familiarisation, learning relevant tools and revising outputs. One of my assistants learned NVivo during her assistantship, so training formed part of the work plan.
3. Recruit for existing skills and potential
Distinguish skills needed from the outset from those someone could develop during the appointment. Use this distinction when advertising and shortlisting through your institution’s recruitment process.
I invited expressions of interest outlining relevant experience, followed by interviews. These conversations helped me explore how candidates might approach the work and what support they would need.
4. Establish a shared understanding and build in feedback
Prepare a brief explaining the purpose, expected outputs and files to hand over. Discuss what a useful output would look like, and schedule an initial briefing, an early review of a small sample of work and subsequent feedback points.
Reviewing work early can reveal assumptions that written instructions have left unclear. Explain why changes are needed so the assistant can apply that reasoning independently.
Discuss AI use explicitly: which tasks and tools are appropriate, how outputs should be checked and what material must not be uploaded. These decisions should reflect the project’s consent, confidentiality and ethical arrangements.
5. Close with a handover and reflection on employability skills
Alongside reviewing the final outputs, make time to discuss what the assistant learned, what challenged them and what they would approach differently.
Help them recognise the research and professional skills developed through the work and connect their experience to skills employers seek. Concrete examples might include analysing data, communicating findings, managing deadlines and responding to feedback, all of which can provide evidence to support their applications and interviews.
Final reflections
Assistantships require time and supervision, but they can be a fulfilling part of academic practice and an opportunity for professional development. Preparing a project brief for an assistant can sharpen our own understanding of the work and clarify what we want to achieve. Working with an assistant also offers experience in managing people and budgets, skills that become increasingly important as academics progress in their careers. For me, seeing someone develop confidence and judgement as we work together as colleagues is particularly rewarding. It is an opportunity for both of us to learn.
About the author
Dr Sara Navid is a Lecturer in the School of Economics at the University of Bristol.
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