Working with Undergraduate Researchers
- A defining feature of the undergraduate research experience is the role of the faculty mentor.
- Faculty mentors help to teach students a variety of skills, techniques and methods; introduce them to the culture of the discipline; and ask questions that advance students' research to the next level.
- To help manage the experiences undergraduate researcher's experience, faculty should consider several issues:
- Students have varying levels of skills, preparation and abilities. They often possess the potential and enthusiasm for their work. Be prepared to meet them at their level.
- New researchers likely need to be socialized into your discipline's research culture. It's imperative that students learn about those values as well as the ethics of a particular discipline.
- Safety. For disciplines involving lab work, student researchers should receive thorough training in safety precautions and handling equipment.
- Every student is different. Student researchers will require different levels of encouragement and discipline. Some students may need prodding, while others simply require a little affirmation of what they're doing.
- Undergraduate research should be an educational experience. The student's research should encourage intellectual stimulation and utilize advanced analytic skills. While "intellectual bottle washing" is sometimes a necessary step to help students understand the basic foundations of a discipline, the student's research should lead to the exploration of an issue or to the development of a new idea.
- Find additional resources at MSU's Undergraduate Research Web site
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