how to create a personal research plan

Consider what you have learned to this point:

· You learned how getting involved in research will help you meet your post-college goals, whether you plan to get a job or go to graduate school.

· You learned how you might contribute to each step in the scientific method when you participate in research activities.

· You learned what campus opportunities and resources are related to research.

· You learned about the research interests of faculty in your department and identified faculty who share your interests.

· You learned about how to find non-campus research opportunities.

· Going forward, you have a strategy for finding ways to get involved in research.  

Terms and Definitions 

Cover letter: A letter of application for a job, internship, fellowship, or volunteer opportunity that accompanies the résumé or CV. The cover letter includes information that describes the applicant’s interest in the position as well as knowledge and skills that are important for the position. 

Curriculum vitae (CV): A summary of academic and scholarly accomplishments, including education, research experiences, presentations, publications, grants, and awards, that is often submitted for research-related positions instead of a résumé. 

Personal statement: The part of a graduate school application in which applicants describe why they are applying to the program, what they have done to prepare for the program, and how the program will help prepare them to meet their professional goals. Instructions for what to include in a personal statement vary from program to program.

Research statement. A research statement describes a researcher’s research accomplishments as well as lays out a multi-year research plan for the future. 

Résumé: A summary of personal accomplishments—including education, work and volunteer experiences, and skills—that is often submitted when applying for a job, internship, fellowship, or volunteer opportunity. 

Self-efficacy: The belief in one’s ability to successfully engage in a behavior. 

Want to test yourself on these terms? Click below for flashcards.

A link to a downloadable transcript for this activity in an accessible Microsoft Word format follows the activity.

Module Summary

Learning about research and developing research skills in the classroom is great. Continuing to dev

elop your skills by working on a real research project is even better. When you finish this course, you should consider furthering your research knowledge and skills by getting involved with a research project. Once you start looking for opportunities, you will discover there are many interesting questions researchers are trying to answer and many ways in which you can help answer those questions.

This module will introduce you to the benefits of getting involved in research, ways you can contribute to a research project, and how to find research opportunities.

By the time you complete this module, you will be able to: 

Get Involved in Research

· List and describe ways that research experience will help you get a job.

· List and describe ways that research experience will benefit you if you plan to go to graduate school.

· List and describe ways that research experience will help you make a contribution to your community. 

Contribute to a Research Project

· Describe the ways you might contribute to someone else’s research project at each step in the scientific method.

Find Research Opportunities 

· Locate independent and directed study opportunities on your campus.

· Locate community-based research opportunities off campus.

· Find contact information for opportunities and resources related to research.

· Find the names and contact information for faculty members in the department who are doing research that may be interesting to you, and discuss the similarities between their interests and your interests.

· Create a strategy for finding ways to get involved in research on and off campus.