What to Expect in a Research Lab
The activities of a research assistant vary according to the type of research being conducted and the current needs of the lab. Your responsibilities should be discussed with the lab staff. Examples of tasks undergraduate research assistants have completed in the past include:
- Recruiting and/or debriefing study participants
- Collecting, coding, entering, and/or analyzing data
- Securing literature sources
- Participating in lab meetings
How to Find Opportunities
Finding a research position is easier than you think. Participation in a research lab can be done on a volunteer or for-credit basis. Some paid opportunities exist as well, but are not as common. To find a research lab, follow these steps:
- Identify a Psychology faculty mentor or topic of interest. You will need to spend some time reading about the different research interests of the faculty. There are many faculty options to review, so it can be helpful to think about your interests first. You can work with the following sets of faculty:
- We have over 40 faculty in our department (PSY 5993 or 4993). Review their Psychology Look Book entry or review the list of research labs.
- You also can work with adjunct faculty (PSY 4993), who are faculty that work in other departments but are approved to work with our students.
- Any faculty from the Developmental Psychology department (CPSY 4994).
- Any faculty from the Educational Psychology department (PSY 4993).
- Finally, many faculty will post in our weekly newsletter, the Psych Scoop (view past issues or check your email weekly).
- Apply for the research lab or reach out to the faculty you are interested in working with. There are two main ways to apply for a research lab:
- Fill out the listed application or follow the application instructions on a research lab website or listed in the Psychology Look Book.
- If no specific direction is provided, or if a faculty requests an email, send a personalized email to the faculty or adjunct faculty. In the email, express interest in becoming a research assistant in their lab. Talk about how your interests connect with the faculty's work and list any relevant academic or work experiences.
- Follow any next steps the faculty may require in determining your eligibility for lab participation. This varies depending on the lab and may include sending a résumé and transcript, meeting for an interview, or providing your availability.
- If you are volunteering, you will be good to go after confirming your eligibility.
- If you are taking the course for credit, review the PSY 4/5993 page.
- If you are being paid for your position, work with your faculty member in that process. You cannot receive credit if you are being paid for your research position.
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