Mentoring Students in Research

Potential undergraduate projects: As I conduct my research, I keep a running list of questions that are suitable for undergraduate projects. These nearly always intersect with my personal research program. For example, I once needed to measure heart rates of lizard embryos for one of my studies. I had to use a particular heart rate monitor; however, it had not been validated for use on embryos of my model species. I put 3 undergraduates to work on a project to validate this device, and this project resulted in a published paper with an undergrad as lead author (Hulbert et al 2017). Earlier this year, a colleague and I were entertaining a new method for replicating nest temperatures in the lab. We had an undergraduate do an experiment incubating eggs using our old method and our new method. She will present that research next year at a national meeting (SICB). When students conduct research that is theoretically or methodologically connected to other research in the lab, they feel like a vital part of a larger organism and work harder to complete the project because others depend on their efforts. Moreover, the other interested parties (e.g. fellow students, the lab PI, collaborators) take ownership of the student’s research. This greatly enhances the likelihood that the experiment will develop into a professional product (e.g. conference presentation, publication).
 
Scaffolding questions for undergraduates: The answers to these questions can be adapted into a full research proposal, poster for a conference, or manuscript for submission to a journal. Tasks in bold type are ‘checks for understanding’; if students can do them, they are ready to begin research.

1. Research question
   1. What specific question(s) will you answer?
   2. What predictions do you have about the answer(s)?
   3. Can you organize your predictions along with their justifications into a table?
2. Experimental design
   1. What experimental design will answer your question?
   2. What are the independent and dependent variables?
   3. Which additional variables will be important to control?
   4. Can you draw/ diagram the experimental design (and include evidence of sufficient replication)?
3. Data collection
   1. What data will you collect?
   2. What tools/equipment will you need to collect them?
   3. Will you need special approval or permits (e.g. wildlife collection permit) to collect the data?
   4. Can you create a data collection sheet(s) that will be used to record the data?
4. Results
   1. What statistical tests will you use to analyze the data?
   2. What results would support or refute your predictions?
   3. Can you draw a picture (e.g. graph) of results that would support your prediction(s)?
   4. Can you draw a picture (e.g. graph) of results that would refute your prediction(s)?
5. Synthesis
   1. What significance will your results have for your field of study and/or study organism if the results are supported? Refuted?
   2. Can you write a paragraph that summaries the specific ways your research will have a positive impact on the world (even if results refute your predictions)?
6. Publication and grantsmanship
   1. What sources might be interesting in funding this research?
   2. Which societies/meetings might appreciate this work?
   3. Which journal will you target for publication?
   4. Can you explain in 2-3 sentences why the funding agency should fund your research?
   5. Can you explain in 2-3 sentences why your work is of interest to readers of the targeted journal?