On association between the research performance of academic advisors and their PhD students

Abstract In this paper, we examine whether and how the research performance of advisors is associated with that of their PhD students. We analyze the entire population of PhD students in Slovenia who successfully defended their theses, along with their advisors, between 1988 and 2022. For each individual, we compute five bibliometric indicators (covering the publication activities, collaboration patterns, and research independence) within a five-year interval around the PhD defense and use these values to classify students and advisors into six performance classes. Our results show that while students mirror their advisors’ collaboration patterns, their productivity and independence exhibit weak and negative correlations, respectively, although significant differences are observed across scientific disciplines. Additionally, over the past 35 years, student–advisor dynamics have generally shifted from independent relationships to more collaborative ones. Today’s students are more integrated into their advisors’ research networks and have more coauthors, while their productivity shows a downward trend. Our findings highlight the uneven distribution of mentorship effects and suggest practical implications for doctoral programs, including the need to strengthen support mechanisms that help students to select suitable advisors.