Why Become a Research Assistant?
Aside from the thrill of generating new knowledge, assisting a professor with research provides many other valuable opportunities including:
- gaining skills and knowledge that aren't easily learned in the classroom
- working one-on-one with a faculty member
- exposure to methodological techniques that will help you complete your
- senior thesis and later graduate work
- get writing and public speaking practice by submitting papers to professional conferences and journals
- develop a mentoring relationship with a faculty member
- get outstanding letters of recommendation
What Does a Research Assistant Do?
What will be expected of you as a research assistant? Your will vary by faculty member, project, and discipline. Some assistants might administer surveys, maintain and operat lab equipment, or care for animals. Others might code and enter data, make photocopies, or write literature reviews. What general tasks can you expect?
- Collect data by administering surveys, interviews, or running research protocols
- Score, code, and enter data into a spreadsheet or statistical analysis program
- Conduct general library research including literature searches, making copies of articles, and ordering unavailable articles and books through interlibrary loan
- Develop new research ideas
- Use computer skills such as word processing, spreadsheet, scheduling and statistical analysis programs
- Assist in preparing submissions for local or regional conferences and, if accepted, work on poster or oral presentations for professional conferences
- Assist faculty in preparing a manuscript to submit the results of your collaborative research to a scientific journal
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Adapted from The Psychology Major's Handbook, a guide for highschool and college students from their first psychology course, through college, to post-graduate studies and obtaining careers with bachelors and graduate degrees.
