Undergraduate Research

Some interesting discussion has been taking place within Ames over the use of the word, "Research." Many think it is what our students do when they come to the library. However, when surveying our student workers in preparation for the upcoming AskAmes chat reference advertising campaign, the term "research assistance" didn't resonate with them. Instead, "Need help?" really struck a cord. The usability testing done by Suzanne and Stephanie reflects interesting contrasts between the links in the student created categories of "Research" and "Help." In my recent undergraduate career, I never considered the work I was doing, "research" until I began to work in earnest on my senior project. All of these thoughts were rolling through my head as I began to consider the recent article, "WebGURU: The Web-Based Guide to Research for Undergraduates." in the July/August issue of the Journal of College Science Teaching. The authors are recommending that faculty direct their students to learn more about doing research http://www.webguru.neu.edu/index.php. Resources that can be found in libraries ARE included in the website. It just seems, from this site's scientific perspective, that research encompasses so much more than using the library. Maybe this is why our students are confused by the term...