Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates from Research Higher Degrees note that the research experience they gained as undergraduate students was key in igniting their passion for research. Early research experience allows you to build your skills in critical thinking, develop innovative ideas, analyse data and clearly explain results. Becoming involved as a researcher as an undergraduate student is an ideal way for you as an undergraduate (including honours) or coursework Masters student to test drive research before enrolling in a Research Higher Degree. By engaging in undergraduate research, you will learn to apply what you already know to new issues that interest you. You will meet others with similar interests, gain confidence, define your own style, deepen your connections to community, and use your experiences to help you choose a future career path. You may also create new works that are appreciated by the university community and beyond, experience the joys of scholarship and the thrill of discovery. Some universities offer undergraduate students the opportunity to gain research experiences. For example:
Undergraduate Conferences
Participating in an undergraduate research conference provides a great opportunity for you to meet students from other universities and to share your research. You will have the opportunity to network with other undergraduate researchers from your own discipline, and also to learn about how other disciplines approach research problems. The Australasian Conference of Undergraduate Research is held each year in different universities on an ongoing basis. This two-day conference includes poster presentations and spoken papers by Undergraduate students, Master of Research students (1st year only) and graduated Honours students from all disciplines and from across Australasia.
Undergraduate Journals
The Journal of Undergraduate Research is supported by the Office for Undergraduate Research and Artistry in the Institute for Learning and Teaching at Colorado State University. The journal combines undergraduate and faculty involvement to create a cooperative approach to the peer review process and is registered with the Library of Congress. Submissions may include original research, abstracts, editorials, reviews, or other creative works. Undergraduate associate editors, peer reviewers, and faculty reviewers will rigorously review each submission. Any research submission must include the Permission to Publish completed and signed by the student’s faculty advisor(s) and other coauthors.
