Talking points and impact of training
If offered as a course in the curriculum of an academic major or as part of a formal research training program (e.g., a summer undergraduate research program or graduate training program), then recruiting for Entering Research training should be incorporated into the recruitment efforts of these broader initiatives.
If offered as a stand-alone course or workshop series, the following points may be useful in recruiting trainee participants.
- The Entering Research curriculum helps trainees identify a research mentor with aligned research interests and develop a strong positive professional relationship with this mentor.
- The Entering Research curriculum provides structure and guidance from the beginning to the end of a research project, including:
- identifying and evaluating the primary literature,
- designing and carrying out experiments,
- analyzing, interpreting, and communicating research results, and
- planning and securing funding for future research.
- The Entering Research curriculum forms a community of peer scholars that supports trainees as they learn to establish positive relationships and navigate challenges in their research teams.
- The workshop series provides professional development and networking opportunities for trainees who are interested in pursuing a research career.
Trainees have said the following about Entering Research:
“From the workshops, it showed me that other people have similar thoughts about their research experience (good or bad) and it is ok to talk about these situations without being embarrassed. This provided the feeling of a support network in research and encouraged me to keep going.”
— 1st year graduate student
“I found the ethics case the most useful because it opened discussion with my mentor further and aided in me understanding why thorough documentation is necessary and sometimes you get results you don’t want but that is part of the research process.”
— 5th year undergraduate student
“I liked how the class acted as a backbone for our research experience, particularly as it was starting out. Some class assignments served as good ways to get certain questions and feedback from my lab and my mentor.”
— 3rd year undergraduate student
“My time as a researcher couple with the workshop has empowered me to explore the unknown (what research essentially is) and to feel confident and motivated to contribute to making a change.”
— 2nd year undergraduate student