Modes of Inquiry course (IDST195)
A one credit pass-fail course open to all students (no prerequisites). Students learn to “host” faculty speakers who will discuss their original work, how they became interested in the field, the methods they use, the satisfaction they derive (and the difficulties they have faced), and how undergraduates can get involved. Students interview faculty prior to the class, and post a background summary on the course website. Students who are engaged in research discuss the value of those experiences and offer advice about getting started and finding a mentor. This course meets one of the requirements of the Carolina Research Scholars Program (CRSP). Faculty are invited to participate by the OUR, and if you are willing to contribute to the class, we would love to hear from you (our@unc.edu).
Research Methods Courses
Many departments offer courses that include training in specific research methodologies. These courses will teach you the methods that scholars in a given discipline use to ask and pursue research questions. Please consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies in your major department if you have specific questions about courses that teach research methods.
Research-Intensive Courses
Every department offers courses in which over half of class time is devoted to students conducting original research and
presenting research conclusions. Many of these courses are numbered 195, 295 or 395 (these course numbers are reserved for
undergraduate research experiences). You should review the course catalogue to obtain course descriptions and specifics about
any prerequisites for these courses, since each department is responsible for their own course offerings. Each semester, most
departments also offer other courses which have a substantial research component, but since the amount of time devoted to the
research component can change depending on the particular instructor, those courses are not listed here. Questions
about specific courses should be addressed to the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the
relevant department (in the
College), or to the person in charge of undergraduate studies in the professional school that is offering the
course.
Following is a
partial listing of research intensive courses that you may used toward earning the Carolina Research Scholar designation on
your transcript (visit the CRSP page for more
information and to register for the program).
Please choose a department/program:
Many courses include research experiences, often with a graduate student who serves as a consultant to help you with the research project. These “Graduate Research Consultants” (GRCs) are only there to coach you—they do not grade your work. For course titles and faculty who have taught courses with GRCs, see this list of GRC courses (.pdf).
Request support for your workshop related to student research.
Peer Advisor Training
Are you a former Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) recipient
who is interested in becoming a Peer Advisor? If
so, you will need to make an important change in perspective from being an effective writer to becoming an attentive reader and
responder. Dr. Kim Abels, Director of the Writing Center, will lead an interactive training session which will
provide
you with effective tools for assisting this year's SURF applicants with proposal development and research guidance. Along the
way, you may find that your writing becomes more influential also. The training session is sponsored by the Writing Center and OUR
and will be held Thursday, November 12, 2009 from 4:30-6:00 pm in 221 Greenlaw.
Community-Based Research
Learn more about community-based research (CBR) and CBR
Fellowships on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 7:00-8:30 pm in room 3503 of the Student Union. This workshop is for students who
want to
work with a community organization and a faculty research advisor to design and implement a research project that
addresses a community need.
At this workshop, you will be introduced to the CBR methodology, hear from
students who have done CBR projects, and learn about the CBR Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) and the
resources available to help you develop your project. This workshop is sponsored by
APPLES Service-Learning and the Carolina Center for Public Service. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Jill Haac at hjillian@email.unc.edu with the stubject line “CBR Workshop.”
SURF Proposal Development
In this workshop, you will hear from past Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) recipients about how they
developed their successful proposals. There will also be a short presentation by the Writing Center on how to develop proposals, and you will
have the opportunity to talk with administrators in the OUR about proposal
design, and learn more about SURF Peer Advisors who can give you valuable feedback on your proposal prior to
your submitting it. This workshop will be held on January 26, 2010 from 5:30-7:00 pm in Room 1005, FedEx Global Education Center.
The IRB Process for Undergraduates Planning to Do Research Internationally in the Social Sciences
and Humanities
Are you an undergraduate planning to do research internationally this summer? If your research involves human
subjects, including methods such as interviews, surveys and documentaries, you likely will need to apply for and
receive approval from the UNC Institutional Research Board (IRB) before you can begin your research. This workshop,
which will focus primarily on students doing international research in the Social Sciences and Humanities, will
provide a review of the IRB process. The
workshop will also provide an overview of ethical issues and IRBs, and guidance about ways to help determine in
advance if additional review might be required by the host country prior to beginning a research study abroad. The
workshop facilitator will be Barbara Davis Goldman, PhD, IRB Consultation and Training, UNC-CH Office of Human
Research Ethics. The workshop will be held in early Spring 2010: date, time and place TBA.
GO! Global Orientation on Culture and Ethics
This workshop is designed for UNC undergraduates conducting
research, service-learning or
services in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The GO! Initiative is
designed to help students evaluate expectations, anticipate
potential challenges, prepare for culture shock, and develop intercultural competencies. In addition, GO! provides an avenue
for students to network and interact with others traveling to similar areas of the world. Upon their return, students will
have the opportunity at a follow-up workshop to discuss their travels as well as strategies to help them cope with the many
conflicting thoughts and feelings that resulted from their experience abroad. The
workshop will be held on Saturday, April 17, 2010 from 10 am to 3 pm at the FedEx Global Education Center. Pre-registration is required.
Navigating the IRB Process at UNC-Chapel Hill for SURF recipients
If you will be interacting with people for your research, then you must obtain Institutional Review Board
(IRB)
approval to
conduct your study. Last year, Dr. Sergio Chavez, a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Sociology Department, led this
workshop designed for SURF recipients, and he will do so again this year. He will
take you through the steps of the IRB
process,
explain the rationale behind the questions you need to address, suggest resources,
and answer your individual questions. This workshop will be especially useful to students who are doing research or
planning
to do research in the social sciences, arts and humanities. You'll also have an opportunity to meet other
undergraduates who
are doing research. This workshop will be held in early April, 2010: date, time and place TBA.
