<p>I keep hearing about how research is some kind of big hook, but how do you get involved in doing research? Do you just go to some scientist and be like "hey, can i do research with you". Or do you just do it by yourself and like try and publish it? </p>
<p>How do you get started doing research?</p>
<p>To be honest, research is mostly for those who have the opportunity. Most people aren't near any labs to do such, or they don't have the access, or they don't have the money to get to it, or they simply aren't aware of it. In my town, for example, there are no independent labs -- the closest thing is Michelson Lab, a government-run lab on base that develops weapons and that no high school student could get an internship at (especially considering that only top officials even know the full floorplan of the lab). So few people have access to anything akin to that.</p>
<p>You can try research on your own, if it doesn't require materials. I know many who conducted research on their computers. Try scholar.google.com -- awesome resource, that is.</p>
<p>Do science fairs count?</p>
<p>dont think so</p>
<p>Contact a local university department you're interested in. For me it was neurobiology for two years, and now I'm doing math... which, oddly enough, is applied to neurobiological models. </p>
<p>And yes, you submit them to science fairs, so they do count.. what do you think Intel ISEF is?</p>
<p>
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Do you just go to some scientist and be like "hey, can i do research with you". Or do you just do it by yourself
[/quote]
It depends on what you want to do. Many research projects, particularly in the humanities, can be completed by yourself. Many science projects, like ecology or behavioral studies, can also be done without much equipment. More complex research would need lab equipment (NMR, SEM, whatever), and in that case it would be useful to have a local university faculty member adopt you for the summer.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Or do you just do it by yourself and like try and publish it?
[/quote]
Well, keep in mind that not all research needs to be published, especially for high school students. Even the number of college students who have been published is very small (~5%). Simply doing the research, regardless of recognition or outcome, is perfectly legitimate. </p>
<p>I have no idea how other schools do it, but Duke prefers to pass research abstracts to the relevant departments, who judge the quality of the research and the potential for more complex work.</p>
<p>Tyler: whatever opportunities that you take hold of: know that research should be for YOU and not to bump your coll admissions chances. It's to let you learn the academic environment of lab research and scholarly publication. If you go in as an opportunist (which is what you appear to be at this moment), I'd hope that every scientist rejects you.</p>
<p>Go speak frankly w/your favorite science teacher and see if research is for you. Then follow his/her advice. </p>
<p>Good luck to you</p>