Professor Allison Snow

Ohio State is a big place and when it comes to research, bigger truly is better. Our huge faculty, staff, and research facilities are a great resource for undergraduate students. Now, more than ever, students are taking advantage of opportunities to do research at OSU. What do we mean by “research?” At its most basic, research consists of a systematic investigation that contributes to generalizable knowledge — in other words, it is almost any type of creative and scholarly inquiry. Most people know about scientific research, but students majoring in the arts, humanities, business, and other fields also can get involved in research. Doing research can be a challenging and rewarding way to enrich your education, while helping to answer some of society’s most basic questions. And, equally important, research experience can give you a competitive edge when you apply for jobs and graduate programs.

The new Undergraduate Research Office (http://ugresearch.adm.ohio-state.edu), located in 150 Page Hall, helps students learn about research opportunities, find faculty mentors, get the funding they need, and present their work at venues like the annual Denman Forum for Undergraduate Research. We offer workshops to introduce students to opportunities at OSU and around the world. We also offer individual advising. You can get involved in academic research in many ways — individually or as part of a group; as a volunteer, a paid research assistant, or a paid research fellow; for academic credit or not; for a few months or much longer; at OSU or elsewhere — the possibilities are endless. Summer quarter is often the most convenient time to carry out a research project.

The best way to do meaningful research is to work closely with a faculty mentor, often in collaboration with his or her graduate students. Here is a checklist for getting started on a project of your own:

• First, decide what interests you and consider what relevant skills you may have. To spark some ideas, investigate OSU department websites and the Undergraduate Research Office website, http://ugresearch.adm.ohio-state.edu. You can contact us at uro@osu.edu.

• Attend department, college, and university research forums to get a sense of the scope of research that is happening at OSU.

• Talk to other students about how they became involved in research and ask for their advice. To get a glimpse of the types of projects that students have completed, browse the abstracts of recent presentations at the Denman Forum: http://www.denman.osu.edu.

• Start looking for research mentors and opportunities, following the guidelines on our website. Be flexible in considering what you could do for a project with an interested professor or graduate student. Make an appointment to talk with your major advisor about opportunities that may be available within your major. Consider volunteering to get an insider’s view of research before starting on a project.

• Take advantage of office hours and talk to professors whose courses and research interest you. If they are not able to serve as your mentor, ask for recommendations about other faculty who might be available.

If you can fit a research experience into your schedule, you should give it a try! You will learn new skills, meet interesting people, and it just might change your life!