<p>This may be a silly question, but what exactly are grad schools looking for in "research?" Are they looking for your own research or research done with a professor on his/her research? Or both?</p>
<p>While doing your own research and having it published would carry a great deal of weight with graduate admission departments, most grad schools are looking for participation in a faculty member's research and a letter of recommendation from that faculty member that would indicate the student's potential for graduate study and research.</p>
<p>Ah. Thanks for replying. :) </p>
<p>I'm really hoping to get a Howard Hughes grant at Duke for summer biology research. It's only open to freshmen, so I think I have a fairly good chance.</p>
<p>Any research...It is the value of the research that counts.</p>
<p>Although, I think doing research with a professor would probably be a lot better.</p>
<p>The HHMI grant would definately look good on a grad school application and would be worth your while; however, at least for your last two years of college, it's best to work in somebody's lab. There are plenty of labs at Duke that take in undergrads so you shouldn't have a problem there.</p>
<p>how does one go about asking for permission to do research? Does he just go up to the professor and ask, "can I do research with you (join your goup, etc.)" or would it be better to send emails? (what would you include?)</p>
<p>I'd never hire a research assistant based on an e-mail. Most professors hire students they know and trust--students they've had in class, more than once if possible. If you did well in prof. X's class, and you know that prof. X has an ongoing research program, go see her, sit down with her, and explain that you'd be interested in doing research with her should she need a research assistants. Some schools also have organized research programs (sometimes called UROP) that you can apply for through a formal process--check your school's website or ask around.</p>