<p>How do students get started with research? I know what I'm majoring in, and I'm wondering how people get research positions. If I were to email a professor and ask if I can help with research, is that considered research for grad school? Or should I email them with a research proposal or something? How does it work?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>well whats your intended major?</p>
<p>The best way is to email a professor with similar interests as you and then talk to them about getting involved with their research, this is considered research for graduate school.</p>
<p>Coming up with an independent research proposal is admirable, but likely unrealistic in many fields that require significant funding to conduct research. If there is something that you are interested in that wouldn't cost anything then maybe you could hash out your plans with a potential research adviser. </p>
<p>Either way, the best thing for you to do is contact potential faculty members.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>At my alma mater, undergrad research was quite rare (maybe 5% of people did it). The typical process by which it happened was you got an A in a professor's class and they would send out an e-mail to their A students saying they have some projects to do if anyone wanted independent study credit. I imagine it's a bit more involved in other places though.</p>
<p>At my alma mater, over 80% of undergrads did research. There were three main ways to get going. One was to impress or otherwise become friendly with a professor and get into their research that way. Another was to find a professor who you didn't know but whose research you were interested in and contact them. The third was to reply to a posting on the undergrad research job board or to emails from various professors who were seeking assistants to the undergrads in their departments.</p>
<p>I had two undergrad lab jobs and both were obtained through bulletin board postings on the department secretaries' office. I would bet this kind of stuff has been computerized by now.</p>
<p>There are diff methods depending on the dept but the 1 tried and true method that is probably the most common is simply compiling a list of all the PIs whos research interests you and sending out emails.</p>
<p>Don't send out generic emails. Personalize each one. You don't have to make new emails for each PI but do try and put in a paragraph or so clearly showing you read through their research background.</p>
<p>While my university has an online bulletin board type deal for science job openings, the reality is that it's usually outdated and doesn't contain half of the real openings. All I did was e-mail the professor of the biology course I was taking and asked if she knew of any openings. She gave me a couple of referrals and I interviewed, and got one of them. It's been going great ever since.</p>
<p>I think you just have to be semi-proactive and not worry about getting a rejection. I definitely agree with mastermoe to send out personalized e-mails if you go with that method. Try and read up on some of their research and one of their recent published papers, not only will it give you something to talk to them about if you get a meeting, but it will broaden your knowledge base as a scientist (if that is your major..).</p>
<p>Also, asking members of your cohort. Other people majoring in your dept may have lab jobs and can suggest a lab that they may know is hiring.</p>
<p>My likely major is Ecological and Evolutionary Biology. I'm currently starting my sophomore year, and haven't had research experience, which is why I asked. Thanks for the responses and please add if you have advice or experiences to share.</p>
<p>Speak to your biology professors about their projects, most will be more than happy to talk about their research even if it's just for your own information. If the project interests you, ask if they have any openings for research assistants. If not, you can then ask if they have any colleagues doing similar research in the area. </p>
<p>You can also apply for research or lab jobs directly through the hr (human resources) website of a university or research facility.</p>
<p>REUs during the summer may also be a good option if you are not able to find research oppertunities within your area. </p>
<p>I got my position through an email that was circulated throughout my department. The application and interview process was very casual, and the experience turned out to be greater than I would have ever thought!!</p>