Getting Started in Undergraduate Research
What is Research?
research. n. Scholarly or scientific
investigation or inquiry. Close, careful study.
Defining research is as difficult as explaining how
gravity works. As members of an academic community, we
are well aware of its tremendous effects yet are
simultaneously at a loss to fully explain or comprehend
this complex entity. There are people with the term
loosely Scotch-taped into their titles, and then there
are societies and buildings with the term plastered left
and right. One might become so flustered in defining the
term as to give up and consider the matter a fruitless
endeavor.
The "Truth" about research is that it means something
different
for each individual. Research is a tool that solves
problems. But more so, research often is a journey that
encompasses many experiences. Sometimes there is active
pursuit like a cheetah chasing a gazelle across the open
savannah. But often, it is an engaging process by which
there are accidental discoveries. Research has changed
people's lives for better and for worse. There really
isn't one way to think about it or its effects, only to
acknowledge that in this journey you are about to embark
upon—in becoming one of these so-called
researchers—you will see, learn, and do things that
you never imagined. Through research you develop
objectives and work hard toward goals. But along the way
you will pick up so much more. Tacit information, keen
insight, and acumen for solving some of life's greatest
mysteries will lead toward your becoming a student for
life.Before you get started in "research," it is
important to identify your goals and objectives in
joining this pursuit. What are your expectations for
becoming involved in college-level research projects? How
committed are you to a project in terms of time, energy,
and enthusiasm? How will you evaluate your experience?
Knowing what you can contribute and what you hope to
develop through research will not only help you to find a
great position, it will help you make the most of it.
Research comes from the old French word cherchier, which
means to search. The opportunities before you at
Washington State University, a world-class institution,
grants you opportunity to search out your interests and
new self-identity. As much as we hope our research will
have a positive long-term impact on society, it is also
important to acknowledge that it will forever change our
lives.
Used with permission, © Cornell University
