In recognition of National Undergraduate Research week, APSA is pleased to highlight contributions from political science students, faculty, and departments who have conducted or showcased undergraduate research projects in the discipline below:
Watch Webinar: Researching with Undergraduates: Strategies and Best Practices
In 2023, as part of National Undergraduate Research week, APSA and Pi Sigma Alpha hosted a webinar featuring political science experts to discuss best practices, unexpected challenges, and benefits to supporting undergraduate research. Hear from faculty with decades of combined experience designing and executing undergraduate-faculty research projects, mentoring undergraduate scholars, publishing work with undergraduates, and helping them succeed after graduation.
Essay: From the Student: The Value of an Undergraduate Research Assistantship, by Xander E. Laughlin, Indiana University, Bloomington IN – APSA Educate
When I began my undergraduate career, a political science faculty member at my university selected me to serve as her research assistant. While research assistantships benefit the professor by giving her a “helping hand” in her research, it also benefits the student. My experience in this position has been valuable in two key respects, each discussed in turn. First, it has presented a challenging learning opportunity through which I have grown not only academically but professionally; and second, it has opened doors to internships and other competitive opportunities. Indeed, because of my positive experience, I often recommend that my friends and peers seek out similar opportunities. [Read more …]
Article: Collaborating on Research with Undergraduate Students: A Comparative Institutional-Racial Analysis, by Maruice Mangum, Jackson State University – PS: Political Science & Politics
This article describes my experiences in collaborating with undergraduate students on research projects, including published works in peer-reviewed outlets. The article discusses the courses and assignments that engendered the collaborations and compares the institutions and students. By describing several significant similarities and differences, I compare and contrast white students in The Midwest at Predominantly White Institutions with African American students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in The South. [Read more …]
Article: Undergraduates and Political Science Research: Insights from Research Assistants in a Minority-Serving Institution Lab, See list of Authors – PS: Political Science & Politics
This study examines undergraduate research experiences at a minority-serving institution (MSI) in a political science laboratory. Students contributed to projects in a collaborative research lab at the University of California Riverside that involves undergraduate and graduate students in projects related to health and politics. Adopting a participatory approach to research, the study’s research participants also are coauthors who co-created the research protocols; collected the data; transcribed, coded, and analyzed the data; and wrote up the findings. Our analysis of 12 in-depth interviews with current and former undergraduate research assistants (RAs) found that their work in the lab challenged their perceptions of what research is and what it means to do research; shaped their path to pursue graduate studies; developed their social and professional skills; and offered an inclusive and humanizing experience with graduate students and faculty members. Challenges that the RAs mentioned included time management, bureaucratic accounting and payroll procedures, and feelings of self-doubt; the lab’s culture of inclusion and independence mitigated some of these challenges. Our findings align with the scholarly literature that suggests collaborative research opportunities can have beneficial outcomes, particularly for students from groups that are underrepresented in doctoral programs. [Read more …]
Article: Creating and Implementing an Undergraduate Research Lab in Political Science, by Aaron C. Weinschenk, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay – Journal of Political Science Education
Faculty members are increasingly recognizing the value of integrating high impact practices, such as undergraduate research, into the college experience. In this paper, I argue that one way of getting undergraduate students involved in political science research is to develop undergraduate research labs, wherein a small group of undergraduate students works collaboratively with a faculty member to carry out the research process from start to finish. I focus on how to develop and operate research labs at small to mid-sized institutions. I provide an overview of how I organized and conducted an undergraduate research lab and illustrate how the lab worked by describing a project that my lab recently carried out. I also describe how political science research labs can benefit students and political science programs. I end by reflecting on what I learned along the way, which I hope will be helpful to others who are considering developing similar experiences. Overall, I encourage other political scientists to develop undergraduate research labs but argue that, given the high teaching loads at many institutions, faculty should operate research labs as classes so that they count as part of one’s teaching load. [Read more …]
Article: What Kinds of Departments Promote Undergraduate Research in Political Science?, by John Ishiyama, University of North Texas, former APSA President – Journal of Political Science Education
In this paper, I examine the factors that are associated with the adoption of a formalized undergraduate research program in political science. What kinds of institutions and departments are more or less likely to adopt a formalized undergraduate research program? One the one hand, one might assume that such a program appears in departments that are well endowed with research resources, i.e. Ph.D. granting departments. On the other hand, the personal interaction between faculty members and undergraduate students required of mentored undergraduate research might suggest such programs are more likely to exist at primarily undergraduate degree-granting programs. Using data from the 2017 to 18 American Political Science Departmental Survey of 383 political science departments, I find that contrary to expectations, institutional characteristics are unrelated to the likelihood of offering an undergraduate research program. Rather the one factor that is significantly related to whether a department offers an undergraduate research program is whether the department also offers a capstone course as an indicator of a structured curriculum. This suggests a commitment to curricular structure is most associated with the promotion of undergraduate research, independent of institutional characteristics. [Read more … ]
- See full list of undergraduate research highlights and resources on APSA Educate.
Be the first to comment