Getting Started with Undergraduate Research and Creative Discovery

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Learn how to define your academic and research interests, to establish connections with potential research mentors, and create achievable research goals.  Information about Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training, Research Learning Agreements (RLA), and previous undergraduate student researcher experiences. 

Clarify Interests

  • Investigate areas of interest by reading books, academic journal articles, and magazines. Notice how various fields are organized and what methods are used in research. Becoming informed allows you to engage in meaningful discussions with a potential mentor. 
  • Visit MSU department websites to learn about the current research activity of faculty members. This can help narrow your interests and identify potential avenues of research collaboration. 
  • Peruse past Undergraduate Research Symposium booklets to learn about the types of research that other undergraduate students have collaborated on and to identify potential faculty mentors.
  • Do not worry if you are unsure about the type of research you want to complete-- being open to a variety of opportunities is a good thing! Develop a list of multiple projects and mentors that interest you. A research experience may help clarify what you do and do not enjoy.

Clarify Goals & Expectations

  • Be realistic and honest with your faculty mentor about when you can get started and how much time you can devote to a research project on a regular basis. Establishing this up-front is best practice.
  • Students typically devote 5-15 hours a week on research during regular semesters, but may work full time during the summer. 
  • Working with faculty and other researchers is a rewarding experience. It takes time, attention, and diligence to learn new skills, thoroughly understand a field, and contribute to research activities.
  • Those who gain the most from research experience, start early, remain patient, and maintain long term participation. Remember, mentoring a student researcher is also a significant commitment on the part of a faculty mentor in terms of time, effort, and potential expenses.
  • Research experiences may be either voluntary or compensated. If you are engaging in unpaid research, be sure to ask your mentor about the possibility of earning course credit for your work. Coursework involving research may fulfill some major requirements.

Contact Faculty Mentors

Many research projects at MSU that are actively recruiting student researchers can be found in the Search MSU Opportunities portal. Is there an MSU faculty member whose research interests align with yours but who has not posted a call for student researchers? Inquire about the possibility of engaging in research with them through a professional email that includes the following:

  1. Biographical Information: Name, MSU NetID, academic year, major, & minor
  2. Research Interests: Include a 3-5 sentence paragraph highlighting your interests and goals, based on reading and informed investigation.
  3. Past Research Experiences & Relevant Coursework
  4. Request to Meet: Conclude your email with a polite request to schedule a meeting to discuss the possibility of research mentorship further and/or joining an existing research team.
  5. Resume or Curriculum Vitae: This should be attached to your email as a pdf, doc, or docx file.

Responsible Conduct of Research Training

This course presents an overview of various topics traditionally covered under the terms research ethics, research integrity, or responsible conduct of research. This course is specifically designed for undergraduate students interested and involved in research.

This online training course will have a total of ten modules or chapters with a brief quiz at the end of each chapter. On successful completion of all ten modules, with a quiz average score of 80% passing grade, you will receive the responsible conduct of research training completion certificate. Note - This DOES NOT count as Responsible Conduct of Research training for federal funding purposes.

To Self-Enroll for this RCR training for undergraduate students in Canvas:

  • Go to my.msstate.edu.
  • Scroll down the bottom of the page.
  • Under the "Classroom" section, the "Canvas Course Self Enrollment" box is located on the right-hand side.
  • Click on "Find a Course" and choose Responsible Conduct of Research Training for Undergraduate Students
  • Click the sliding tab that says "Self-enroll, Yes/No" and mark "Yes" and then "Confirm”.
  • Go to canvas.msstate.edu to confirm the course is available to you on the Dashboard. 

Research Learning Agreement

Collaboratively composing a research learning agreement helps to ensure that project expectations and goals are understood by you and your mentor. See the forms below to get started.

Research Learning Agreement Research Learning Agreement Link Example Research Learning Agreement Example Research Learning Agreement Link

Current Student Researchers

Xavier Person, a Biomedical Engineering major, recounts how he got involved with research at MSU.