Novice meets expert: what happens when students talk to faculty about their research?

Engaging students in the process of research has become a key emphasis in science education. Undergraduate research experiences (UREs), including course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), are one way to actively engage students in the scientific process. However, not all institutions have the resources to provide these experiences, and, even when they do, the demand far exceeds supply. We describe a novel method for student engagement in research. Undergraduates as Annotators\u27 (UAA) aims to emulate the more traditional URE and CURE models by engaging students with research taking place within their own department. First, students deconstruct a research paper connected to the biological concepts taught in their course and published by a faculty member in the department of their major (biological sciences). Next, with a deeper understanding of the research, students meet with the faculty member to have a conversation about the research within the traditional scientific discourse, a practice that further develops students\u27 understanding of the scientific community. We have completed thematic analysis on 17 student-faculty interviews and have uncovered common themes that take place across interview, including authors giving advice to young scientists, both author-led and student-led critical thinking, and scientific discourse around experimental design included in the research paper. Our data set begins to provide insight into how expert and novice scientists can better engage to discuss research findings, to increase students sense of belonging within their home department, and to provide a new type of research experience for undergraduate students