Definition of Research

[circumspect]

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Hello, I'm a complete research novice, and I'm a little fuzzy on what would qualify as research that I would be able to do.

What kinds of things can you do that would qualify as research? Is there anything that an undergraduate can do independently? What does it mean to be published, exactly? What kinds of people read your work when it is published?

 

[RxnMan]

There's quite a bit in this forum - you can use the search function because this question's been answered before. You could probably search my screen name + research or publication and find some good results.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

What kinds of things can you do that would qualify as research?

Basically anything....I've done research into the public health aspects of lightning strikes, injury patterns, cardiac arrest along with several lit review articles.

Is there anything that an undergraduate can do independently?

Yes, but you will likely have problems getting it past the institutional review board at your school if it involves animals or people. I am doing a project now that is looking at autopsy results and I had to have a professor (the head of the IRB) put himself down as the supervisor even though he has nothing to do with it other than serving as a means to my project getting approved.

What does it mean to be published, exactly?

Normally it is taken to mean that your paper went through the peer review process and was published in something other than a journal designed simply to print papers for your school.

What kinds of people read your work when it is published?

Depends on the subject matter.....

 

[circumspect]

Thanks guys for the much appreciated information. I guess the definition really is as broad as I thought. It's time to come up with some ideas, then!