Sample questions for group members:

• How much time does your mentor spend with the research group?
• How often do you meet individually with your research mentor? What would happen if you wanted to meet more or less frequently?
• Does your mentor promptly answer e-mail or other communications from students and fellows?
• Do you enjoy working with your research mentor? Why or why not?
• Does your mentor respect the students and fellows in the group? Does he or she listen to them and offer constructive criticism?
• What would happen if you disagreed with your mentor on the direction of your research or on the interpretation of your results?
• Are students and fellows given the chance to work independently?
• Do students and fellows have a chance to write papers and publish their work?
• Do they receive funds to take courses or go to meetings?
• Would you consider the research group to be a collaborative environment? A competitive environment? Some other description?
• How does the mentor deal with conflict between group members?
• What is a typical day like in this research group?
• What are the mentor's expectations of students and fellows in the research group? How many hours per week do people typically work? Do people take vacations?