L&S Honors Program
College of Letters & Science

Getting Involved in Research

The World of Research

Participating in research as an Honors student can provide unparalleled access to some of the most prestigious faculty members, exceptional students, and areas of study at the UW. Research provides an opportunity for students to take their learning into the “real world.” Beyond its applicability, research also provides legitimate job training and experience, each of which is paramount in competitive fields. Finally, in some instances, research at the UW can be an actual paid experience.

The L&S Honors Program would love to help you find an opportunity! The resources below can be incredibly helpful. If you would like more one-on-one assistance, please contact Associate Director for Admissions and Engagement Pete Keys (pkeys@wisc.edu) to schedule a chat!

The basics

  1. There is no “Master List” of opportunities
  2. There is no need (in most cases) for prior experience
    • Many research tasks require specific training. Therefore, even if you had some experience, you will likely receive training anyway
    • Think about your “experience” abstractly. In what situations have you been presented with new and unique challenges?
  3. Research happens in all academic areas
    1. Research does not only occur in a “wet lab” (work hands-on with a biological specimen or chemical compounds)
    2. Other examples include (but are not limited to):
      1. Dry labs (computer-aided work, e.g. coding)
      2. Literature research (metanalyses-compilations of other research and/or ideas formed into the support for an argument)
      3. Fieldwork (interact at a site)
      4. Clinical research (working in a specific setting, e.g. hospital or clinic)
      5. A combination

Ways to participate in research

To begin your search for a research opportunity, it is important to identify what type of research you are most interested in pursuing. Below, we will outline some of the more common types of opportunities.

  1. Volunteer: Typically only recommended for very low-commitment opportunities (e.g. training for future involvement, exploration, starting late in a semester, etc)
  2. Academic Credit:
    • Directed/independent study credits (e.g. 299, 499, etc.): The course numbers vary by department, but these credits can be arranged with the department in which your mentor/Principal Investigator (PI) is affiliated.
    • Specific courses: Often, students are able to identify singular courses that may have a research emphasis or component. These experiences will sometimes require that participants find their own mentor, but typically provide some guidance. Other times, more structured programs like the Undergraduate Research Scholars or Biocore can provide research with academic credit and a great deal of guidance.
  3. Research as a Part-Time Student Employee: Students often find that they are able to not only pursue research for its own sake but are also able to get paid for the experience! The student job board, professor announcements, and general word of mouth can be great sources for these opportunities. Learn more about paid opportunities.

This resource is adapted in part from “Types of Undergraduate Research” materials prepared by WISCIENCE and is used under license CC BY-NC 4.0.

How to find your own research experience

We recommend you begin your journey by completing the Introduction to Research Self-Assessment. If at any point you have questions about the process, please consider reaching out to Associate Director for Admissions and Engagement Pete Keys (pkeys@wisc.edu) to schedule a chat.

This resource is adapted in part from “Finding a Research Mentor” by  WISCIENCE and is used under license CC BY-NC 4.0.

In order to find a research opportunity, you should first consider what research area interests you. You may want to discuss this with your academic advisor, a professor, or a TA in one of your courses. Often they can give you ideas about faculty who are working within your area of interest.

Areas of interest may be broad, like “Neuroscience,” or specific, like “how the interaction of genes and environment influence long-term health.”

You can often explore potential broad areas of research on department pages like these: Political Science, Psychology, Computer Sciences, and Chemistry. Many other departments have research pages on their websites, too–explore!

Once you have identified an area of interest, it is time to do some background research!

First, review our “How to Identify Potential Research Mentors” guide.

Review faculty research descriptions and interests, noting those individuals who stand out. When doing so, create a ranked list of potential mentors, making sure to write down particulars about each faculty member. To help keep track of your work, we recommend you use our “Tracking Potential Faculty” handout.

Process Example:

  1. Visit the Department of Psychology.
  2. Within the top banner, you will select the term “Research.”
  3. Once selected, we would recommend first visiting the “Research Overview” page.
  4. After you have read through the general descriptions of each research area, you could then select one of interest, i.e. “Social and Personality Research Area.”
  5. Once there, you will be able to read more information about the research area, in general, but will also be introduced to each faculty member and their Social and Personality-specific research interests (along the right side).
  6. Selecting any of those individuals will take you to the personal biography of that faculty member, filled with detailed information about research interests, publications, educational histories, and more.

Additional ways to identify researchers of interest:

Most students elect to send the potential mentor a detailed email. Others who may have more familiarity with their potential mentor opt to visit them in-person during their office hours.

Some helpful resources for crafting your email:

Some general guidelines:

  • Arrive at your meeting at or before the designated time
    • If virtual, make sure you have a solid internet connection and that you have all the necessary links. It would also be important to verify that both your camera and microphone are operational.
    • If in-person, make sure that you have outlined the route to the meeting in advance and that you leave with ample time to arrive when necessary.
  • Dress appropriately
    • This type of meeting should be treated as an interview and your dress should reflect that.
  • Be prepared
    • It is very likely the mentor will ask you questions about your interest and knowledge related to their work. Review the mentor’s background and your interest in advance. Be fully aware of your capacity to contribute (how often, in what ways, etc.).
  • Ask questions
    • What research projects are currently happening and in what role would you be placed?
    • What is the typical role of undergraduates in their lab(s)? How many undergraduates will they be working with?
    • Who would directly supervise your work and in what capacity will you communicate and connect with the mentor?
    • Anything else in which you might be interested!

Additional Resources

Questions?

You can connect with an Honors staff member with any questions about getting involved in research. Feel free to schedule an advising appointment with Pete Keys, Associate Director of Admissions and Engagement, through Starfish or email Pete at pkeys@wisc.edu.