CounCil on undergraduate researCh

Undergraduate research has been shown to provide an exceptionally positive experience for students (Seymour et al. 2004). In a study of student learning outcomes following participation in summer research programs, 1,135 under-graduate researchers reported the highest learning gains on closed-ended survey items related to understanding the “research process ” and how to approach scientific problems, followed by gains in knowledge of laboratory techniques and areas of personal development (Lopatto 2004). Other studies investigating the merits of undergraduate research have shown development of research skills (Kardash 2000), enhancement of intellectual curiosity and logical thinking (Bauer and Bennet 2003), and increased college retention rates (Nagda et al. 1998). Positive effects are seen across the spectrum of disciplines from engineering (Zydney et al