What do I call what I'm doing? Is it considered research?

[Hansgullit]

I work in the plant biology lab at my university. Its a paid position but I am doing very basic tasks like potting seeds for plants that will be studied by several post docs and then helping them with what they're doing afterwards. They'll be using morphological and genetic information from these different populations to try to determine taxonomy. Nothing that requires any expertise on my end. What should I take away from such an experience?
Thanks a ton.

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[luv2sd]

ask pocs docs if they will ever consider listing you as a co-author in their publication.

if yes, stay

if no, get the hell out of there

 

[Blade28]

Any opportunities for papers, abstracts, posters or presentations?

 

[Nataliemay24]

those are all good considerations, but in the end, the answer to your question is that yes, it is considered research. just maybe not very "meaningful" research.

 

[Hansgullit]

My name will be on the paper but not as a co-author, unless the nature of what I am doing changes but I don't see it happening. I am going to go ahead and list it as research then.
Thanks a lot for the answers.

 

[amph119]

On the same note, I see a lot of people saying they have done research, and at the same time a lot of these people mention that they do not (most I guess do not from what I have seen) or do have publications.

If everyone essentially does research, how much does having your name as a co-author of a paper help? Is it common among applicants?

 

[MassTransport]

I think attitude plays a bigger role than publications. Everybody does research, but is the research meaningful to them? What have they taken away from it? At the undergraduate level, what the person does isn't as important as what the person learns.

If you perform good research and come away with publications, then that's ideal. But if you were to compare an applicant without publications who can explain his research with enthusiasm versus an applicant with publications who can't, I'd say the former comes out ahead.

Hansgullit, what do you mean by "helping them with what they're doing afterwards?" Will you be learning their techniques and the science behind it? Will you be generating your own data? If not, ask to. Show interest. Get involved. Potting plants isn't research any more than filling up the tank is car maintenance.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

On the same note, I see a lot of people saying they have done research, and at the same time a lot of these people mention that they do not (most I guess do not from what I have seen) or do have publications.

If everyone essentially does research, how much does having your name as a co-author of a paper help? Is it common among applicants?

I am sure it helps alot, but I think it is more of an exception. I highly doubt that most Pre meds have publications.

 

[etf]

i would call the activity you are doing "gardening." put it on amcas as a hobby, not research.

 

[Nataliemay24]

i would call the activity you are doing "gardening."

 

[LizzyM]

You can list it as paid employment- non-military.

You are doing something that is equivalent in skill and knowledge to mixing solutions and washing glassware.

I'd call it research if you are actively designing & conducting experiments, and responsible for assisting in the analysis. Generally this means you've had a say in developing and testing a hypothesis but there are some qualitative research activities that are more exploratory in nature.

 

[luv2sd]

I think attitude plays a bigger role than publications. Everybody does research, but is the research meaningful to them? What have they taken away from it? At the undergraduate level, what the person does isn't as important as what the person learns.

If you perform good research and come away with publications, then that's ideal. But if you were to compare an applicant without publications who can explain his research with enthusiasm versus an applicant with publications who can't, I'd say the former comes out ahead.

Hansgullit, what do you mean by "helping them with what they're doing afterwards?" Will you be learning their techniques and the science behind it? Will you be generating your own data? If not, ask to. Show interest. Get involved. Potting plants isn't research any more than filling up the tank is car maintenance.

publication >>>> non-publication

period

it is highly unlikely that an applicant with publication is not prepared to talk about his/her research experience intelligently at interviews. nobody is stupid enough to have a publication and not be able to talk about it.

 

[MassTransport]

publication >>>> non-publication

All others being equal, sure.

it is highly unlikely that an applicant with publication is not prepared to talk about his/her research experience intelligently at interviews. nobody is stupid enough to have a publication and not be able to talk about it.

You sure about that? I'm not only talking about first authorships. The politics of getting a name in a paper is astounding.

 

[luv2sd]

i would call the activity you are doing "gardening." put it on amcas as a hobby, not research.

crack me up lol

 

[Hansgullit]

Thanks guys and gals. I'll find a way to slip it in as meaningful employment then, as it is definetely not research that I am doing.
Cheers.

 

[pakbabydoll]

thats what I do... My check says lab assistant so thats what I am going to put.