and is replicated here as part of the SERC Pedagogic Service.
Module established by Linda Reinen, Pomona College What is
Undergraduate Research? In an undergraduate research experience,
students collaborate with faculty on actual research projects,
learning about both a particular topic in a field and the
research process in general. The Council for Undergraduate
Research (CUR) defines undergraduate research to be any "inquiry
or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that
makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the
discipline." Kinkead (2003) writes that "another hallmark of
undergraduate research is the role of the mentor faculty member
who guides the novice researcher and initiates the student into
the discipline" (p. 6). The National Conferences on
Undergraduate Research (NCUR) and CUR argue that undergraduate
research is a four-step learning process. Why Use Undergraduate
Research Experiences? Studies of undergraduate research
experiences show that students, faculty, posts