Requirements for undergraduate researcher: The skills

Research is pretty easy – visit a website or two, find some quotes and your research is on its way, right?

That's true, but if you put in a little more effort, you'll find better information faster and hand in a better work.

A significant number of students are overwhelmed by the academic process and do not even know that research is an option for them, let alone how to get involved.  Many students get involved in research late in their undergraduate careers, often by chance and learning the hard way that there are opportunities for determined students, others show an interest but might not know how to get involved.

There is a special set of traits that will equip an undergraduate researcher to help them build strong intellectual and practical connections between research frontiers and their own learning; Creativity, judgment, communication, organization, and persistence are all equally important skills to make the leap from gaining knowledge from others’ discoveries to making discoveries on your own.

It is difficult to find a definition of research that does not contain terms such as original, authentic, or unique. Clearly, then, creativity is a constant for the undergraduate research process.

Students researchers should learn to make judgments in a fluid environment by not over-utilizing a mentor’s valuable time; instead, strike a balance between independence and seeking assistance. Forming the ability to discern their own and other's’ needs .

Well organizational skills facilitate effective research and good science, as well as it allows balancing classes, studying, research, socializing, hobbies, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Persistence is the drive to never give up. But it is important to realize that persistence involves facing failure as well,  failure is a normal part of progress, and we often learn more from our mistakes than our successes, especially in research.

So an undergraduate researcher should be creative, has the ability to use knowledge and skills to devise solutions to unfamiliar problems, analyse and critically evaluate arguments and evidence, knowledge of research methods to interpret findings, but should also need a basic knowledge of ethics and safety rules, for all researchers, from students to faculty, must participate in safety and ethics training before engaging in research. Another important skill in many areas of research is statistical training. Having the suitable research reference and writing guides is also important. And lastly, you need to be able to present your research well in the right venues.

Applying the skills outlined above will help an undergraduate transition from being a student to becoming a researcher and move from learning to discovering.

References: cornell
griffith
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