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Getting Started in Undergraduate Research
What is Research?
research. n. Scholarly or scientific investigation or inquiry. Close, careful study.
Defining research is as difficult as explaining how gravity works. As members of an academic community, we are well aware of its tremendous effects yet are simultaneously at a loss to fully explain or comprehend this complex entity. There are people with the term loosely Scotch-taped into their titles, and then there are societies and buildings with the term plastered left and right. One might become so flustered in defining the term as to give up and consider the matter a fruitless endeavor.
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The "Truth" about research is that it means something
different
for each individual. Research is a tool that solves
problems. But more so, research often is a journey that
encompasses many experiences. Sometimes there is active
pursuit like a cheetah chasing a gazelle across the open
savannah. But often, it is an engaging process by which
there are accidental discoveries. Research has changed
people's lives for better and for worse. There really
isn't one way to think about it or its effects, only to
acknowledge that in this journey you are about to embark
upon—in becoming one of these so-called
researchers—you will see, learn, and do things that
you never imagined. Through research you develop
objectives and work hard toward goals. But along the way
you will pick up so much more. Tacit information, keen
insight, and acumen for solving some of life's greatest
mysteries will lead toward your becoming a student for
life.Before you get started in "research," it is
important to identify your goals and objectives in
joining this pursuit. What are your expectations for
becoming involved in college-level research projects? How
committed are you to a project in terms of time, energy,
and enthusiasm? How will you evaluate your experience?
Knowing what you can contribute and what you hope to
develop through research will not only help you to find a
great position, it will help you make the most of it.
Research comes from the old French word cherchier, which means to search. The opportunities before you at Washington State University, a world-class institution, grants you opportunity to search out your interests and new self-identity. As much as we hope our research will have a positive long-term impact on society, it is also important to acknowledge that it will forever change our lives.
Used with permission, © Cornell University
Research Opportunities
General Information
WSU Future Student Web site
Office of Undergraduate Research
Graduate
School
Resources
Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program
At WSU, the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in research areas funded by the National Science Foundation. Current REU sites at WSU are: