Independent Research

[TerikE]

Has anyone done any completely independent research? By independent I mean without the assistance of a professor. I'm looking to do something this summer but I am not sure what to do. Since I am still undergrad I was thinking about something biology / ecology specific, would this be beneficial for med school?

Any input is appreciated,


thanks.

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[NickNaylor]

That would be very impressive and helpful, but you'd have a problem actually conducting the research. Doing anything of substance without an institution behind you will be all but impossible.

 

[TerikE]

That would be very impressive and helpful, but you'd have a problem actually conducting the research. Doing anything of substance without an institution behind you will be all but impossible.

Yes I've thought of that, I would most likely be doing something simple enough that I could do without any backing. I may talk to one of my former professors and see if he would like to help / sponsor me.

 

[Avoidthetiger]

Yes I've thought of that, I would most likely be doing something simple enough that I could do without any backing. I may talk to one of my former professors and see if he would like to help / sponsor me.

get a professor to back you. You will need someone to mentor you when you hit a tough spot about what to do next -- or suggest papers to read to prepare for your experiment -- or at the minimum you need someone to review your results/discussion/intro to make sure everything is good. Maybe even help you for preparation. Research kinda of is a collaborative effort in some respects.

ALSO -- Look also to see if you school offers credits for independent research. At my school they have like 20 classes for undergrads that just say "independent research" and has a professor that will be willing to mentor/advise you during this reasearch. You would just need to contact a professor already doing research in your area of interest and present him with your research idea.

 

[crixx]

A couple things come to mind in this independent research:
1. Where will you get the funding? Even if it's observational there are going to be some costs attached.
2. What will you do with any data you collect? Will you show them to someone/an organization?
3. The credibility of your experiments and data have nothing to back them. Plus, no letter of recommendation will be available afterward.

Basically, I think it's in your best interest to team up with a professor. Contact one who works in an area that interests you and explain that you are looking for an opportunity to conduct research. They may be more receptive if you say you want to do it for credit or a possible senior thesis.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

A couple things come to mind in this independent research:
1. Where will you get the funding? Even if it's observational there are going to be some costs attached.
2. What will you do with any data you collect? Will you show them to someone/an organization?
3. The credibility of your experiments and data have nothing to back them. Plus, no letter of recommendation will be available afterward.

Basically, I think it's in your best interest to team up with a professor. Contact one who works in an area that interests you and explain that you are looking for an opportunity to conduct research. They may be more receptive if you say you want to do it for credit or a possible senior thesis.

I completely agree with this. My first though after I read your post was: where would you get the funding? And the credibility concern is a valid one too.

It's practically impossible, IMO, to produce credible results without that backing of any professor, company (ie. pharma), etc. Not only that, it would be much, much harder to do your research without the guidance of people who have been doing it for decades. Why would you want to avoid that? It doesn't make sense.

 

[TerikE]

I completely agree with this. My first though after I read your post was: where would you get the funding? And the credibility concern is a valid one too.

It's practically impossible, IMO, to produce credible results without that backing of any professor, company (ie. pharma), etc. Not only that, it would be much, much harder to do your research without the guidance of people who have been doing it for decades. Why would you want to avoid that? It doesn't make sense.

Funding wouldn't be an issue as I would be doing something low cost that I would pay for myself. Credibility is my only real issue. I would rather do research independently because I prefer working alone and not having to depend on other people. Through labs and other group projects I've always ended up doing most of the work myself, mostly because I wasn't satisfied with a C grade, like it seems most students are. I'm not looking to do any groundbreaking research, just something extremely basic to get my feet wet.

 

[sixpence]

do you own your own pipettes or something

 

[Ponger]

Funding wouldn't be an issue as I would be doing something low cost that I would pay for myself. Credibility is my only real issue. I would rather do research independently because I prefer working alone and not having to depend on other people. Through labs and other group projects I've always ended up doing most of the work myself, mostly because I wasn't satisfied with a C grade, like it seems most students are. I'm not looking to do any groundbreaking research, just something extremely basic to get my feet wet.

Your reasons don't really necessitate you starting a completely independent project. If you spend enough time in someone's lab, they'll let you work relatively autonomously. The benefit of this is you get guidance and troubleshooting if/when your experiment goes wrong (and it probably will at some point).

The only semi-relevant thing I picked out of your post was that you seem eager and willing to work. That is a great attribute. Apply that to a scenario where you could receive help and potentially do work leading to a publication with your name on it.

The other choice is formulating a hypothesis, method to test it, funding it yourself, troubleshooting it yourself, and in all likelihood not getting published from it.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Funding wouldn't be an issue as I would be doing something low cost that I would pay for myself. Credibility is my only real issue. I would rather do research independently because I prefer working alone and not having to depend on other people. Through labs and other group projects I've always ended up doing most of the work myself, mostly because I wasn't satisfied with a C grade, like it seems most students are. I'm not looking to do any groundbreaking research, just something extremely basic to get my feet wet.

Working in a research lab is completely different than working on a group project. Why don't you try working in a lab first before deciding it's not for you?

You also have to realize that medicine is a very teamwork oriented field. You will have to work with others whether you like it or not.

 

[linkorn12]

Funding wouldn't be an issue as I would be doing something low cost that I would pay for myself.

I'm not sure what kind of research you have in mind. Equipment and materials for biological research are very very expensive. If you are thinking of something a person would do for a high school science competition, then this is not credible research for an undergraduate.

I would rather do research independently because I prefer working alone and not having to depend on other people. Through labs and other group projects I've always ended up doing most of the work myself, mostly because I wasn't satisfied with a C grade, like it seems most students are.

In labs the people you will be working with are probably going to be highly motivated professors, post-docs, grad students, or lab techs. Not lazy undergraduates who aren't interested in the work they are doing. Plus, in many cases you may be assigned or conceive your own project and work completely independently, in the laboratory.

I'm not looking to do any groundbreaking research, just something extremely basic to get my feet wet.

If you don't have any experience, start in a lab.

 

[ohgodidonteven]

I have a feeling you don't really know how research is like. Do a few months in an actual lab, then report back.

 

[Avoidthetiger]

I'm not looking to do any groundbreaking research, just something extremely basic to get my feet wet.

If you are doing something so basic, are you sure it has never been done before? I would be surprised if something basic enough to cost so little wouldn't have been researched before somehow... if it hasn't though, go tell this idea to a PI, make the experiment happen, and get published.

Research is no longer that simple and basic that it will cost as little as a science fair project

 

[JJMrK]

Funding wouldn't be an issue as I would be doing something low cost that I would pay for myself. Credibility is my only real issue. I would rather do research independently because I prefer working alone and not having to depend on other people. Through labs and other group projects I've always ended up doing most of the work myself, mostly because I wasn't satisfied with a C grade, like it seems most students are. I'm not looking to do any groundbreaking research, just something extremely basic to get my feet wet.

Realistically, anything that low-budget is not going to have much value other than maybe at a science fair type event.

You should definitely visit some labs and find one you are interested in. It will be a much better use of your time.