Latent profile triangulation: a mixed-method approach to defining latent profile analysis of postdoctoral mentorship competency

This manuscript describes the mixed method triangulation approach used to define and describe postdoctoral mentorship competency profiles identified through latent profile analysis. The method demonstrated uses example profiles from a project investigating postdoctoral mentorship competency beliefs of postdoctoral supervisors in engineering and computer science. The approach to identifying mentorship profiles from survey data required qualitative data to identify the meaning of the differences between quantitative profiles demonstrating the complexity and nuance of profiles not available through traditional profile description methods. Identifying clear postdoctoral mentorship profiles contributed to the paucity of postdoctoral research beyond the biomedical sciences. The combination of latent profile analysis with thematic analysis to triangulate distinct postdoctoral mentorship profile definitions represents a unique contribution to mixed methods research.