What do you get when you mix curiosity, drive and motive? Research!
Done right, knowing how to research is arguably the most useful skill to acquire in your formative/schooling years. It teaches you about:
- the theory and application of critical thinking
- how to sift through falsehoods and
-how to come to logical and informed conclusions
The week’s webinar was all about research and was hosted by Zane, a high school senior and Chemical Engineering major hopeful. She is the Social Media/Writing Team head of EarthBurned, a youth-led non-profit organization dedicated to intersectional environmentalism ( a form of activism that connects social and environmental issues). To learn more about EarthBurned initiatives like their Activism Alliance Fundraiser and their independent research periods, scroll down to the resource section!
The main topics covered throughout the webinar were:
1. What is research?
2. How to search for research opportunities?
3. Steps and parts of a research paper.
How to search for research opportunities
Research IS possible in high school, and is mainly sought out in three different ways: through (sometimes cold) emails, program registrations or in joining nonprofits.
Emailing:
You can email professors at local community colleges or universities. Community colleges, however, don’t do as much research, (a main factor that differentiates the academic institutions) so it’s best to email university professors. The CC’s may offer dual credit or honors programs which allow students to do independent study and research, so look into programs of a similar strand that interest you.
If you have no idea what dual credits are, or aren’t looking to make any official school enrollments for the sake of some research, have no fear! Emailing professors is still a fantastic option for you.
Zane recommends that you simply go to a resource site that gives you their contact information, schedule your emails for a time when you can comfortably make commitments (summer for example) and send them an email along with your resume and (optionally) transcript. Two weeks after her research webinar, Zane joined us again to go over the topic of Internships and Emailing so stay tuned for the recap to come!
Register:
Register for University Summer Research Programs. This is an option often provided by top universities like MIT or Rockefeller and can cost a substantial amount of money. If this option isn’t within your means, stick to the emailing.
Join:
Many youth non-profits allow for members to do their own research reports (EarthBurned does so throughout the months July to December).
Steps and parts of a research report
Pick a topic + form your research question:
Pick a topic you’re interested in that can comfortably be assessed in 10 to 20 pages (the general report length)
Define your topic as a specific question, something that hasn’t been broached before. This can certainly be difficult but your best bet in being original or fitting into a niche is choosing something that will make research specific to you.
Eg. Zane's most recent research report was on the environmental effects of pH and dissolved oxygen in her locality. This topic combined her interest in chemistry, her outlooks on life concerning climate change and her place of residence. All of those characteristics were specific to her and when put together, resulted in a unique paper.
Come up with a methodology:
Depending on the strand of research you're doing, STEM or arts-based, you'll choose from the quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods. Your methodology will be thoroughly described in your paper.
Start Writing!
Once you've thought of a topic, a research question, a methodology and have done the necessary research/experiments, you're ready to start writing! Here are the general bare bones of your paper (some of which are optional depending on the situation):
1. Abstract 5. Conclusion
2. Introduction 6. Acknowledgements
3. Literature Review 7. Sources
4. Methodology
- Abstract -
The first thing your reader reads, the last thing you write. A simplified conclusion that summarizes your study. Here is Zane's pH and dissolved oxygen abstract.
- Introduction -
- Explain the terminology you'll be using throughout
- Talk about your specific topic
- Explain any research gaps that exist in your topic's field and how your paper fills this gap. Essentially, explain the validity and "newness" of your paper.
- Divulge your research aims and questions
- And finally explain the scope of your paper
- Literature Review -
The longest, most time-consuming, easiest part of your paper.
This aspect most resembles an English report in which you just find a bunch of completed research that's linked to your topic and you summarize and regurgitate that information onto the page.
It shows self awareness, it shows that you know what others have said about the topic you're studying. The lit review also further accentuates the gaps in existing research and how your contribution is a remedy to this lack.
- Methodology -
Because you've already decided upon your methodology before beginning your research paper, this part shouldn't take too long to document. In a well-known field it's common to have mirror-image methodologies of other studies. In studies concerning chemistry for example, it's completely fine! The scientific method is universal.
- Conclusion -
Long, but not as long as your literature review.
It is a summarization of your paper, a more detailed abstract. You'll include what your research went over, it's purpose and you'll thoroughly explain the results of your paper. You'll explain the contribution your research makes to the field.
- Acknowledgments and Sources -
Acknowledgments are optional unless someone other than yourself or your co-authors was very supportive and helpful in the actualization of your study. This could be a professor who'd oversee your process and would provide you with literature, or a lab partner that helped you get experimental results.
Sources are to be kept track of throughout the creation of your paper and properly cited in APA format at the end.
- Presentation -
You'll often be asked to present your findings. This presentation will normally be 10-20 min. It will include many graphics to make for an engaging, easily visualized display of information with a minimum amount of text so as to not be dense.
Ta Da!
Many students don't have the opportunity to practice writing up research papers till they get to university or college. And at that point it can come as a bit of a culture shock. So internalize Zane's points, develop that research idea you've been toying around with for a while (or come up with an idea on the spot) and have a go at constructing a report! It will most definitely be a learning experience and prepare you for the future.
Also, if you're motivated and interested in hammering out some cold emails for internships and research opportunities you can read through our previous webinar recap on outreach and cold emails hosted by Ashley. The recap of Zane's take on the same subject is coming soon and will be put in the resource section once published! Stay tuned.
Resources
Zane's links on where to find research opportunities:
CollegeVine:
Nasa Internships:
EarthBurned sources and contact information:
Website:
Activism Awareness Fundraiser:
IG handles:
@earthburned
@earthburnedcommunity
Weekly Webinar Recap: Cold Emailing and Outreach