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Guidelines for Starting Research: Tools, Strategies & Benefits

Explore essential steps to start research, tools for success, keys to engaging undergraduates, and potential benefits for your career and field.

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Guidelines for Starting Research: Tools, Strategies & Benefits

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  1. Linda Mason, Ed.D.Coordinator for Grantwriting and External Funding Technical AssistanceOklahoma State Regents for Higher Education lmason@osrhe.edu www.okhighered.org/grant-opps/ IP: 164.58.250.178

  2. HOW TO GET STARTED IN RESEARCHhttp://www.cur.org/publications.htmlCOUNCIL ON RESEARCH (CUR) – 1999 RESEARCH POLICY AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE – WORKSHOP REPORT http://transcoder.usablenet.com/tt/http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsf05209/start.htm NSF - 2003

  3. How to Get Started in Research - CUR • Why do research with undergraduates? • Science is a method, not a body of knowledge • Learning a new research language, i.e. symbols, names, formulas, concepts • Environment for developing problem-solving skills • Make original contributions and test them

  4. How to Get Started in Research - CUR • Support from the Administration, Department Chair, and Colleagues • One committed person – contagious enthusiasm • Important pedagogy • Recruitment of top notch students • “Checklist of Institutional Support for Research” by Professor Jack Pladziewicz, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

  5. How to Get Started in Research - CUR • Get started in research early in your career. • Sustain graduate training as a scientist • Enable you to be active in research 20 years from now • Important to submit proposals within 2-3 years of starting teaching career: funding agency won’t readily grant to experienced teacher who is a non-researcher. • Network of other researchers • Exposure to similar works • Refine own thinking • Exposure to new research efforts • Engage in grant writing prior to going to first job

  6. How to Get Started in Research - CUR • Benefits of Undergraduate Research • Attracts bright young people to the field • Can be a major force in career decisions • Interrelates science with composition and speech • Keeps mentor faculty current – enrich their teaching • Increase in morale, self-esteem & satisfaction in working with intelligent & stimulating students • Positive professional contacts in scientific meetings

  7. Planning • Significant amount of time in preliminary planning • Select a Research Area • Research-quality Instrumentation • Funding to Support the Research • Academic Year Versus Summer

  8. Selection of Research Students • Curiosity • Dedication • Common Sense • Proper Motivation • Group Dynamics • Students should begin early • Variety of levels of research experience,i.e., senior students, beginners, high school teachers, industrial retirees

  9. Research Presentations • Oral presentations • Poster presentations • State, regional or national meeting • Campus Research Day • Capitol Research Day • UCO Research Day • NCUR – Asheville, N.C.

  10. Get by with a little help from your friends….. • Time and money important • Collegial interaction • Institutional support • Interaction via OneNet, email, website, videoconference • Interact with experts and superstars • Contact other Primarily Undergraduate Institutions

  11. Research Policy as an Agent of Change - NSF • Economics • Politics • Individuals • Ethics • Democracy • Social mores – social acceptance • Risks

  12. Research Policy as an Agent of Change - NSF • What advantages and disadvantages accrue to universities that engage heavily in research? • How does research funding interact with internal institutional resource allocation? • Does involvement of public universities in research diminish institutional resource allocations to undergraduate instruction?

  13. Research Policy as an Agent of Change - NSF • Job creation versus wealth creation • How do individuals and various groups benefit from research? • Are they best served by economic growth? Public health? New technologies? • What are the roles of people and organizations that are not conventional research? “Paraknowledge” about science and research – is this good?

  14. Research Policy as an Agent of Change - NSF • Consequences of research policy • Staffing by postdocs at minimum salary • Economic growth • Job creation • Wealth creation • Prediction of future • Solution of problems

  15. Research Policy as an Agent of Change - NSF • Unintended consequences of research policy • Increase of foreign nationals • Increase of political secrecy • Leaks of partially trained people into other fields • Lifestyle changes of individuals • Financial conflicts of interest • Research institutions becoming more political • Unexpected ethical and legal issues • Unexpected future – uncertainty about forward movement • Unexpected problems created • Strange bedfellows

  16. Research policy – or the absence of it – will change. It is important for the policy makers to think about the change and direct policy in a wise way.

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