Tips for Sharing Feedback in Research as an Early Career Researcher

For any research team, feedback does more than just review, it forms the basis for new ideas and group learning. Yet for researchers starting their careers, giving feedback can feel uncomfortable when dealing with power dynamics, or diverse cultural teams. The skill to give and take feedback well is crucial for Early Career Researchers (ECRs). Still, feedback exchanges can be tricky when balancing diverse views or standpoints. How can you offer helpful criticism without discouraging your team? It doesn't matter if you work with senior scholars, stakeholders, or other researchers, what you say counts. You bring fresh insights, and firsthand knowledge from your research experiences. The key is to learn how to share these insights confidently and with respect. This guide offers some practical tips to help early career researchers share feedback in research partnerships in a productive and professional way.

Why Feedback Matters in Research Partnerships

Before highlighting how to give feedback, it’s important to understand that it:

1. Improves Research Quality – Peer feedback helps identify blind spots, strengthens arguments, and enhances methodological rigor.
2. Builds Professional Relationships – Constructive feedback fosters trust and mutual respect among collaborators.
3. Accelerates Career Growth – Learning to give and receive feedback effectively is a key leadership skill in academia and beyond.
4. Encourages a Growth Mindset – A culture of open feedback helps researchers view critique as an opportunity rather than a setback.

Despite these benefits, many ECRs hesitate to provide honest feedback due to fear of conflict, imposter syndrome, or concerns about hierarchy. The following reflective strategies can help you navigate these challenges with confidence.

 

1. Reframe Feedback as Contribution, not Critique

It is important to reframe how you view feedback. As individuals, it is easier to see the limitations in other people’s work, and usually pointing out what’s wrong, challenging their workflow, or highlighting gaps. But good feedback isn’t about fault-finding. It’s about improving outcomes, building stronger processes, and making sure all voices are incorporated into the work. Your feedback can help spot ethical concerns, improve inclusion, refine research tools, or enhance communication. Vague feedback like "This method section is not clear" isn’t helpful. Instead, pinpoint exact issues and suggest solutions. For example: "Consider adding more detail on your sampling strategy to clarify how participants were selected."

Even when pointing out areas for improvement, acknowledge the positives. This keeps the conversation encouraging and collaborative. For instance, "Your literature review is thorough and well-organized. To strengthen it further, you might include recent studies that highlight gender differences."

 

2. Recognize the Value of Your Role

As an ECR, you may not feel like the “expert” in the room, but that doesn’t mean your input isn’t valid. You may have more context in some cases, have deeper contact with participants, or bring insights from recent literature and training that others don’t.

Recognize what you bring: your unique knowledge, field experience, curiosity, and adaptability are assets. Embrace the idea that feedback isn’t just top-down and it should flow in all directions. You can speak from your lived experience such as: "In my role as a research assistant on a similar project, I learned that…" or "From my initial conversation with participants, I noticed that…."

 

3. Focus on the Work, Not the Person

Feedback should be clear and specific, but also respectful. Rather than criticizing individuals, focus on observations and impacts. Think about the timing, tone, and forum. Avoid feedback in moments of frustration. When possible, ask yourself: Will this help the team or project move forward? Separate the research from the researcher. Instead of saying, "You didn’t explain this well," try: "This section could benefit from more explanation to help readers follow the argument." Also, feedback can follow a “Situation-impact-suggestion” model like which has been an effective model for providing constructive feedback in extant literature.

 

4. Make Feedback a Normal Part of the Process

As an early career researcher, you might feel hesitant about giving or receiving feedback, especially when working with other colleagues. But regular, informal feedback leads to stronger collaborations and better research outcomes. Instead of waiting for formal peer review, build feedback into your workflow by quick check-ins with collaborators after key milestones, or dedicate 10 minutes at the end of meetings to discuss what’s working well and what could be improved. When you see feedback leading to positive changes (like a revised methodology or clearer writing), acknowledge it. This shows your team that constructive input is valuable, not confrontational.

 

5. Be Open to Receiving Feedback

Giving feedback is only half the equation, as being receptive to others’ input is just as important. When you ask for input on your own work or contributions, you signal openness to learn and humility. If something isn’t clear, ask gentle follow-up questions like, "Could you help me understand what you mean by...?" And even when you disagree, a simple "Thank you for taking the time to share that perspective" maintains goodwill. Remember, every researcher needs feedback to grow. By handling it with grace, you’re not just improving your work; you’re building the kind of collaborative relationships that make science move forward.

 

6. Choose the Right Medium

Some feedback, especially that which relates to interpersonal dynamics, or decisions relating to the use of a particular method might be best shared in private or with permission. Think about power dynamics and emotional readiness before speaking up. This implies being strategic, instead of staying silent. You can ask before offering feedback like this: “Your presentation about our preliminary findings went well, is it ok if I share some other thoughts?” If you are working on shared documents, written comments in tracked changes also work well. For complex discussions and to ensure your feedback is not misinterpreted, a video call or in-person meeting may be more effective.

 

7. Follow Up

When feedback leads to decisions or actions, follow up. This avoids miscommunication and shows that you’re invested in shared outcomes. After providing feedback, check in to see if your suggestions were helpful or if further discussion is needed. This shows you’re invested in the collaboration and also reinforces that your input had impact.

 

8. Accept That Not All Feedback Will Be Considered

Your ideas won't always be put into action immediately. There might be limits you can't see yet, like timing, money, or office bureaucracies. If your team don't use your input, don't take it to heart. Speaking up shows courage and proves you're a team player.

 

Concluding Thoughts

Feedback in research isn’t just about quality control, it’s about equity, transparency, and shared ownership. As an early career researcher, you play a crucial role in shaping how your teams learn and grow together. Your reflections, concerns, and ideas are a form of leadership even if you’re not the principal investigator.

Effective feedback is a skill that improves with practice. By being clear, respectful, and constructive, you’ll build stronger research partnerships and contribute to a more supportive academic environment. Remember that thoughtful feedback is one of the most generous things you can offer to a collaboration.

What strategies have worked for you when giving or receiving feedback? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This blog draws inspiration from the book “Delivering Negative Feedback with Empathy and Effectiveness” by Ben Sorensen, which explores how to navigate challenging feedback conversations while maintaining trust and dignity. The reflections here are based on publicly available excerpts and summaries of the book.

 

Thumbnail and first image: Getty Images on Unsplash