School Assignment as Research?

[CaptainPoopyPants]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I realize that the following doesn't qualify as "true research" since it didn't get published anywhere, but my question is whether it's better than nothing to list as research on my application. How will admins see it? Is it better to have no research at all on my application, or to include research that isn't true research?

As a chemistry major, I had to do a Capstone project to graduate. I did an article review on the cardio protective nature of a plant based diet. The article review is 20 pages long, includes 50+ references, and was condensed into a poster which I presented to the Chemistry Department's faculty.

Can I include this as research on my application since I have no other research to speak of, or will it actually be a net negative to include? Thank you.

 

[Catalystik]

I realize that the following doesn't qualify as "true research" since it didn't get published anywhere, but my question is whether it's better than nothing to list as research on my application. How will admins see it? Is it better to have no research at all on my application, or too include research that isn't true research?

As a chemistry major, I had to do a Capstone project to graduate. I did an article review on the cardio protective nature of a plant based diet. The article review is 20 pages long, includes 50+ references, and was condensed into a poster which I presented to the Chemistry Department's faculty.

Can I include this as research on my application since I have no other research to speak of, or will it actually be a net negative to include? Thank you.

Adcomms will see this as equivalent of a term paper. If you want to mention it in your application, use the "Other" tab, name it Capstone Project, and describe the experience of completing the paper, as well as a poster.

 

[CaptainPoopyPants]

What if it were to be published. Then would it qualify as "research?"

 

[Catalystik]

What if it were to be published. Then would it qualify as "research?"

If it's published in an off-campus venue after peer review, it would be a publication. If it were stored in a campus archive in paper or e-format, it would not.

 

[LizzyM]

It is not really a systematic investigation designed to create new knowledge which is the definition of research. You basically wrote a report about other people's research findings. I agree that you can call it "other" but you can't call it research.

 

[Cynaic]

It is not really a systematic investigation designed to create new knowledge which is the definition of research. You basically wrote a report about other people's research findings. I agree that you can call it "other" but you can't call it research.

I have seen a lot of threads like this where people are asking about how to classify something and many times what they intend to classify it as is wrong. Say if he'd put this as research, would it keep him from getting in somewhere with an otherwise good application? I figure misclassifying an activity has to happen to a bunch of people (either an actual mistake or purposefully reaching too far) and am wondering how much it hurts their applications.

 

[LizzyM]

I have seen a lot of threads like this where people are asking about how to classify something and many times what they intend to classify it as is wrong. Say if he'd put this as research, would it keep him from getting in somewhere with an otherwise good application? I figure misclassifying an activity has to happen to a bunch of people (either an actual mistake or purposefully reaching too far) and am wondering how much it hurts their applications.

If someone misclassifies something as research, or as non-clinical volunteering, and have nothing else with that classification and the one thing that is classified in that way is bogus, it can hurt if the school is looking for that thing and what the student presents looks like they are full of bull.

 

[CaptainPoopyPants]

If someone misclassifies something as research, or as non-clinical volunteering, and have nothing else with that classification and the one thing that is classified in that way is bogus, it can hurt if the school is looking for that thing and what the student presents looks like they are full of bull.

Ok this makes sense, but what if I include the article review as "other" but talk about how the process has made me interested in during actual research in the future? Would this help offset the fact that I don't have any research without being "full of bull?"

 

[LizzyM]

Ok this makes sense, but what if I include the article review as "other" but talk about how the process has made me interested in during actual research in the future? Would this help offset the fact that I don't have any research without being "full of bull?"

If the reader is looking for something with the "research" tag, they might miss your "other" item. If it is important to that school that their incoming students have been engaged in research in the past, you may be a poor fit for that school.