<p>I'm noticing than many people have "Research" listed as one of their activities. What exactly is meant by this? Is research just reading books, magazines, and online articles that have to do with a certain topic you're interested in?</p>
<p>I ask this because I spent last summer reading extensively about how tumors and other cancerous growths form in humans. Is this considered research?</p>
<p>A Ph.D. dissertation has been described as “an original contribution to human knowledge”.
I think that describes the goal of serious research in general. Though it often has more practical aims, and people often use the word casually to refer to all sorts of investigations.</p>
<p>Well, for research to be put on your application, your work generally should have been published somewhere, be it in a national science journal or even a state science fair research summary listing.</p>
<p>Hey, these are HIGH SCHOOL students. It was to be published somewhere? That’s a pretty stiff standard.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback so far. I’m still confused as to what research is in terms of being able to mention it on my application.</p>
<p>I read several books that discussed how tumors develop in humans, and I took brief notes over what I read. I did this for over 10 weeks, so I have quite a strong foundation in the topic now. Is this not considered research?</p>
<p>I guess I’m just not sure what “qualifications” need to be met in order for something to be considered research.</p>
<p>No, you do not need to be published to be able to mention research on an application.</p>
<p>Actually doing research is being in a lab and conducting experiments and then analyzing the data to find new information.</p>
<p>^^^^ Absolutely not for the first part.</p>
<p>If so, everyone is a researcher.</p>
<p>As a Siemens Westinghouse top 60, I feel offended that so many underserving people put down “research” as an EC. I believe only those who add stones to our table of knowledge are “researchers.” Anyone can “research” their favorite superhero, soap opera, or Simpson episode. Few will see their research published by NIH and ATS.</p>
<p>To OP: Your activity is research if and only if new insights are being made. You are reading the research of other Ph.D’s, which is not research. I don’t know how many hours I have spent reading 20 page Research papers about InterLukin family and the effects of different Buffers and Salines on cells but that is not research. Research was when I put this knowledge to use through the Scientific Method.</p>
<p>That’s a ridiculous statement. Not everyone is able to access a lab and conduct experiments, especially in high school, so I don’t know where “If so, everyone is a researcher” is coming from. It is difficult to get your name onto a pub, even for a college undergraduate.</p>
<p>^^ Then perhaps “research” should be best left alone to the high schoolers who can do so.</p>
<p>Being published involves a lot of factors. Someone could spend three years part-time working in a lab and not get published, and another person could work part-time in a lab for a year and get published. I’m saying this from the perspective of both people working equally hard. Your view of research in high school is extremely arrogant and narrow-minded. Understand that most high school students do not have easy access to research, and the students that do research in high school often come from very affluent high schools. </p>
<p>When I was in high school, I had no access to major science journals, and had to depend on journals that were open-access.</p>
<p>Lol I did my research by actively seeking out local professors will to tutor and guide a curious student. If I could do research at a Lab 30 minutes away from my house and school, why can’t others?</p>
<p>There isn’t always a research institution within easy distance. Also, a high school student often can run across a professor or researcher who is not willing to accept a high school student into their lab because they don’t believe someone in high school can make a meaningful contribution. It takes up resources to train someone who has absolutely no prior experience. </p>
<p>If someone were to work in a lab for say, two years, and spent hours working on experiments, but never got published, does that mean they cannot list it as an EC?</p>
<p>What research can your reasonably expect a student in a school with no AP courses and no 4-year schools within a 1.5 hour radius?</p>
<p>The problem is that everyone goes “ooh…‘research’ looks good to colleges, where can I do it?” Research looks good to colleges because it is a rare activity that few students are capable of doing well. It takes a lot of intelligence, passion, and determination.</p>
<p>What research can you expect from a high schooler? You can expect a Publication for NIH and ATS. I would know; I have done it.</p>
<p>I have a feeling that you’re not even trying to make a point, just using this as an opportunity to brag about yourself. The average high school student obviously does not have articles published in major scientific journals. A publication is even impressive for medical school as many medical school applicants do not have a pub under their name despite the fact that many have participated in research.</p>
<p>many pre-medical students have published papers or projects as dictated by the MSAR or whatever book.</p>
<p>I’ve used the MSAR book and I’m sure it doesn’t say that. It says the % of the incoming class that has participated in research, but it does not mean that they have published.</p>
<p>By the way kosherz, was your work in NIH and ATS an actual publication, printed in a periodic science journal, or something more minor like a poster at a conference? I am wondering because the NIH and ATS themselves are not actually science journals. There is a big difference between a published article and a poster presentation. Anyone can get a poster quite easily, and nearly all research summer programs culminate in a poster presentation. On the other hand, a published article is a big deal, it is rarer and much more time consuming because there are usually rigorous standards to be met before a paper can show up in a journal.</p>
<p>My definition of “publication” does not include poster presentations.</p>
<p>I definitely disagree that one has to be published in order to put down “research” as an ec. Both my friend and I do research. She’s done it for a pretty long time (although in different labs) and has been very dedicated to it, but she doesn’t have her names on any papers as far as I know. I’ve only done research since the beginning of summer 2009 and will most likely be co-author of a paper within a year.</p>
<p>Anyone who has worked in a lab (but not as an intern or lab assistant) has the right to say that they participated in research.</p>
<p>^ I’m curious as to why you would say an intern or lab assistant can’t say they participated in research. In the case of a lab assistant, it’s their job to do research. Lab assistants hold a BS or MS and are far more involved in research than the typical volunteer in a lab. It’s one of the choices of jobs for people who want to take a year or so before applying to med school or grad school because it’s definite research experience.</p>