<li><p>How much knowledge do you usually need to have on the subject before hand. I am interested in doing some thing along the line of engineering but my knowledge is limited on the subject</p></li>
<li><p>How does one usually get a research position? Is it best to email professors in the area and ask if I could research with them? Or should I use some networking (my dad knows a professor of engineering from a community college that is either doing research or can hook me up with one of his friends)? </p></li>
<li><p>Finally are most of the positions paid or are they voluntary?</p></li>
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<p>mine didn't require any background knowledge, as it was a really specific project... i took ap bio the same year, so i knew basic concepts, but i didn't really know anything about peroxiredoxins and cancer, which is what i worked with. i knew the prof beforehand, which really helped... i met her at a science camp the year before, and she asked me if i'd be interested in doing research with her the following year. it sounds like you have enough connections... and for the last one, my position was voluntary. i'm pretty sure they all are, but don't quote me on that.</p>
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<li><p>Usually professors may ask you to look at some background literature (ie. real professional research papers) prior to working. Sometimes its done before the "interview." Sometimes they may not ask, at which point its best to do some research on the research your prof is doing anyway.</p></li>
<li><p>I'd say 90% of high school research is done as a result of networking. I personally emailed and called department heads/interesting profs in the area (I have two relatively decent research universities in my vicinity). Many rejected (note: I contacted them around March/April - probably too late anyway), but a few wanted to talk with me.</p></li>
<li><p>Depends. My position was paid, some of my friends were too, but some others weren't. Depends on the professor, if they have funding and if theyre willing to spend it on you. Either way, no pay shouldnt prevent you from doing the research - be grateful enough that they're letting you work in the first place (unless of course its done through connections/networking).</p></li>
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<li><p>Well, during my research in the summer, our supervisor gave us some research papers from journals to read, relating to our subject and topic. We also just read up a little on the techniques that we would be using in our project just to get a better understanding of the methods and why we do the specific steps.</p></li>
<li><p>I am not sure how one gets research positions but I got mine through Howard Hughes Medical Institute which also happened to pay me $2000 for the 7 weeks. My high school, even though I consider it pretty crappy, has a great medical magnet program, which is the only reason I attend, and our medical magnet counselor had connections with one of the people who was in charge of HHMI in our city.</p></li>
<li><p>I would think not. Even though I was paid, we weren't paid through the lab. We were paid through HHMI. So going on that, I would say most are "voluntary." The reason why I put voluntary in quotations marks is because in my opinion, the lab is already paying you by letting you use their tools, animals, and/or chemical reagents, which are very expensive.</p></li>
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<li><p>I think if you work aside a mentor (who does research in that area) he/she would guide you along and give you any reading if necessary. I don't think they expect that much out of high schoolers. so probably a little more stronger science background than average is sufficient.</p></li>
<li><p>You either seach and apply for positions, usually summer internships or if you know someone at a nearby college/university (I don't think I know anyone who's done the second one, heard it around CC)</p></li>
<li><p>Depends on the internship, sometimes internships have stipends, sometimes it's just "volunteer" thing</p></li>
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