Quantity or Quality of research experience?

[ClinicalPsych2013]

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I transitioned into the field during my last semester as an undergraduate, and have just a year of research experience, but I believe it has been high quality experience. I see many people post 3 years in xyz lab or 8 semesters working with professor x... which leads me to believe that QUANTITY is very important, while QUALITY matters but comes second. I have volunteered in a neuropsychology department for the past 7 months and am involved with 4 studies there. One I just score questionnaires and enter data, but the other three I have been much more intimately involved. Because I am a volunteer they allow me to get involved with whatever I want since they just appreciate having someone to help with research, I have been involved in the design of three studies (one I designed completely myself), I have created and helped create the instruments used, I identified and recruited participants, drafted and submitted the IRB, have one paper that was just resubmitted to a top journal, and two other papers in production. Even though all of this experience has been in a short amount of time is the quality of experience at a high enough level to make up for the short amount of time I have been there?

I have other research experience (lab in my grad school doing the typical RA duties of recruiting participants, consenting/assenting, scoring questionnaires, entering data, writing up poster abstracts etc), which I began last December so my research experiences all span 12 months. What's more important quantity or quality?

Any feedback is appreciated!

 

[CheetahGirl]

IMO coming out of undergrad, your emotional maturity will be the most significant factor if your GPA & GRES are high, your LOR are strong and you have significant collaborative research experience (which sounds like you have a good working understanding of research that leads to peer-reviewed publications).

For someone coming straight from undergrad, you are up against many with Masters degrees and the 'quantity' research that you speak of, and there just simply is no way for someone straight out of undergrad to amass a high number of publications b/c there are only 365 per year and your time is limited. However, if you are part of high-producing research team, then you will have the publications, presentations, book chapters, etc. that make you stand out...and you will be exceptional. However, if that is the case, clinical psychology (and I'm sure counseling psych & educational psych) doctoral programs will then, evaluate you for your personal statements, cover letters, professionalism, and emotional maturity.

I had quantity research experience (over 20 presentations/pubs) coming into a doctoral program, but I also had a masters degree under my belt and 8-years of experience working with patients in clinical research. This is not necessary for admission, but it illustrates that you may be up against these types of applicants, so whatever you do needs to be unique, exceptional, and you own it.

Sounds like you own some quality research experience...so don't fret (not that you are) and make sure you do some mock interviews so you come across as smooth and mature, and ready to vest your heart and soul in this training and work. Good luck!

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

IMO coming out of undergrad, your emotional maturity will be the most significant factor if your GPA & GRES are high, your LOR are strong and you have significant collaborative research experience (which sounds like you have a good working understanding of research that leads to peer-reviewed publications).

For someone coming straight from undergrad, you are up against many with Masters degrees and the 'quantity' research that you speak of, and there just simply is no way for someone straight out of undergrad to amass a high number of publications b/c there are only 365 per year and your time is limited. However, if you are part of high-producing research team, then you will have the publications, presentations, book chapters, etc. that make you stand out...and you will be exceptional. However, if that is the case, clinical psychology (and I'm sure counseling psych & educational psych) doctoral programs will then, evaluate you for your personal statements, cover letters, professionalism, and emotional maturity.

I had quantity research experience (over 20 presentations/pubs) coming into a doctoral program, but I also had a masters degree under my belt and 8-years of experience working with patients in clinical research. This is not necessary for admission, but it illustrates that you may be up against these types of applicants, so whatever you do needs to be unique, exceptional, and you own it.

Sounds like you own some quality research experience...so don't fret (not that you are) and make sure you do some mock interviews so you come across as smooth and mature, and ready to vest your heart and soul in this training and work. Good luck!

This, but 2 or 3 high quality projects would beat out 20 rushed ones, if you know what I mean OP?

 

[CheetahGirl]

This, but 2 or 3 high quality projects would beat out 20 rushed ones, if you know what I mean OP?

I agree 2 or 3 high quality projects are best for under-/recent-grad, but 20 rushed projects would never result in peer-reviewed publications or presentations. You can't rush good solid science...to do so would be oxymoronic. 😉

xXIDaShizIXx makes a valid point though...KNOW YOUR RESEARCH WELL (or at least the extent of your involvement in the bigger scheme of things) which results in the overall quality of work because once you add it to your CV it becomes 'gris for the mill,' and you could be asked about it at any point during your interviews or subsequent interactions.

 

[futureapppsy2]

(over 20 presentations/pubs)

Just a general comment (not specific to you, CheetahGirl), I don't think it's helpful to count publications and presentations together like this, as the former are easier to get than the latter. Most competitive applicants have at least a couple of presentations when they apply, but very few have any publications, let alone multiple ones.

 

[CheetahGirl]

Just a general comment (not specific to you, CheetahGirl), I don't think it's helpful to count publications and presentations together like this, as the former are easier to get than the latter. Most competitive applicants have at least a couple of presentations when they apply, but very few have any publications, let alone multiple ones.

Yes, futureapppsy2, I tend to lump them together because in my research experience I look at what is produced by project. Based on my past experience, I usually yield (from one project) about 3 or 4 presentations (where I am first or second author...or 3rd or 4th) and 1 or 2 published manuscripts (where I am rarely first or second author). Again, I have always worked with a high-producing research team whose primary goal is to translate the research into end-products that can benefit patient care (whether it is via presentations at academic/professional conferences or peer-reviewed journal articles). I agree that multiple manuscripts trump multiple presentations, first-authorship trumps 3rd or 4th-author (unless you are published with some well-known researchers) and manuscripts take much longer for acceptance. In fact, I've got a signature page to sign this week for a manuscript that has been in various forms of revision for the past 10-years (!), and it's not even a longitudinal study.

Initially, it's confusing to figure out what means what, but once you figure it out then you can strategically build your CV to stand apart.

 

[WisNeuro]

After you have certain amount, presentations are diminishing returns. And, we also really look at a ratio of presentations to publications. If you have 20 presentations, but just one pub, that's not a good thing. On a selection committee, we're interested in seeing the initiative into turning research into quality product. Granted, this is at the internship/fellowship level. I had very little at the undergrad level. Just something to keep in mind going forward.

 

[cara susanna]

WisNeuro: Is there a suggested ratio? Also, do you take into account manuscripts that are under review as well?

I'm just wondering. Thanks!

 

[WisNeuro]

I don't think there is a hard and fast ratio. But, for example we had one applicant who had done 20+ poster presentations over a 5-year span, but no manuscripts. That speaks generally to the quality of research that one is doing. Anyone can get a poster accepted to a conference, it takes a little more work, both on the front end of doing quality research, and on the back end of writing something good enough to get a decent pub out of it. You don't need to have a lot of pubs, but if you've been doing research for years, you should have been able to write something up.