<p>First of all, I'm 90% sure that after my undergrad, I will want to join the industry and work.</p>
<p>However, I like to keep my options open just in case I want to attend grad school in the future. The thing is, I've never done research before and want to try some to see if I would prefer this over industry, but I don't know how to approach the profs for these types of positions... Would they even want someone who isn't passionate about research?</p>
<p>Finally, what type of research in undergrad is needed for grad school? Do I need to eventually do original research or is having some experience (such as recording data for the prof) in a research lab good enough? And did you guys do research during the summer or during school?</p>
<p>In my experience, the only thing that professors are looking for is a genuine interest in research. They don’t care what your grades are, what courses you’ve taken, or anything like that because they know you aren’t going to be particularly useful to start off. But they want to see that you care about the goals of the research, and that you’re willing to put in the effort to become a useful member of the lab. </p>
<p>The best way to get research, I would say, is to read the lab websites of a bunch of professors and pick the ones you’re most interested in to read in depth. Then explain your interest in an email to the professor, and there’s a strong chance they’ll take you on. I only had to email one professor to get a position, and I was only a freshman.</p>
<p>You don’t NEED original research, but most undergrads work on one of the graduate students’ projects, and sometimes can get their name on some papers as 3rd or 4th author.</p>
<p>Research that’s little more than obedient monkey work will still get you into some grad school as long as you were diligent enough that the prof will at least write you a generic letter of recommendation. Even senior theses at top schools are typically just recording data. Very few undergrads manage to be the primary researcher on something original.</p>
<p>If you’re not requesting payment, then it shouldn’t be too hard to get a position regardless of your background. Just read the professor’s website and email them expressing interest.</p>