Guidance for Student Researchers

Consider these questions to get started to determine what kind of work you’re interested in: 

• Do you want to focus on a specific field? 
• Are you open to looking outside your major? 
• Which classes have you enjoyed or connected with the most? 
• What do you want to do after graduation? 
• How can research prepare you for the future? 
• Do you want to earn academic credit for research? 

Visit the Undergraduate Research page to explore open research positions. 

You can also explore people-powered research, in which volunteers help professional researchers analyze data and other forms of information. It’s a good opportunity to get some hands-on experience with minimal commitment. Here are some places to start: 

• CitizenScience
• The Public Science Lab
• SciStarter
• Zooniverse

If you find a research project you’re interested in, you can reach out to a faculty member involved in the work to learn more and inquire about any open positions. 
 

Read at least two recent publications by the researcher or their research lab, center, institute. This will help you better understand and ask questions about their work. It’s OK (and common) if you don’t understand all the information in the publications. 

You can also contact the Minerva Center at [email protected] for guidance. We’re happy to review an email before you send it. 

Additionally, if you know there is an open position: 

• Ensure you’ve read and understand all eligibility requirements and prerequisites. Some positions require a specific GPA, certain completed courses and/or particular majors. Speak with your academic advisor if you have questions about your academic record. 
• Schedule an appointment with Career & Professional Development to get help with your resume/CV and your cover letter. 
   

Your email should be professional. Use these tips to get started: 

• Use a subject line, such as “Interested in Research Opportunities.” 
• Use an appropriate salutation, such as “Hello Dr. [Last Name]” or “Dear Professor [Last Name].” 
• Start with an explanatory sentence, such as “I am writing to inquire about a research position in your lab” or “I am interested in learning more about how I can get involved in your research.” 
• Explain how you learned about their research. For example, you were in their class or you received an email about an open position. 
• Include your major/minor, class year and, if applicable, GPA. 
• Explain why you’re interested in their research particularly. Be sure to research their work so you can be specific. 
• Provide any relevant information about your skills, prior experiences, coursework, interests and goals that make you a good fit for their team. 

Once you’ve sent your email, be patient. It may take a few weeks to hear back. 

An abstract is a 150- to 250-word paragraph that provides a concise summary of your project or presentation. 

The two most common abstract types are descriptive abstracts and informative abstracts: 

• A descriptive abstract is used for humanities and social sciences. It describes the major points of the project, including the background and focus. It does not include methods, results or conclusions. 

• An informative abstract is used for science and engineering. It includes the essential points of the project, summarizing the background, purpose, focus, methods, results and findings/conclusions. 

Learn more about writing an abstract by watching our Abstract Workshop video. 

If you need help with your abstract, make an appointment with the Writing Center. 

Minerva Center Videos:

• Poster Workshop

• Presenting Your Research Workshop

PowerPoint Resources:

• Install and use Microsoft 365

• Accessibility Support for Microsoft 365

1. Go to the “Design” tab. At the top on the left, you will see different slide themes to choose from. On the top to the right, you will see a few different color themes.  
    

2. Click the drop-down arrow right underneath the color theme options to see more options. From there, click on “Colors” to see a list of all possible color themes. You can also create your own theme if you don’t like any of the available themes. 
    

1. Right click and select “Copy.”  
    

2. Go to where you want to paste the contents. At the top toolbar, click the “Home” tab. At the far left, click on the arrow at the bottom of the “Paste” button, and click “Paste Special.”  
    

3. Select “PDF” and click “OK.” Now the picture will stay in focus regardless of the size of the poster. 
    

1. Go to the “Design” tab at the top. 
    

2. At the top right, there should be a button for “Slide Size”. Click the button and then press “Page Setup.”
    

3. Enter the size you want your poster to be (no more than 48 inches by 36 inches). Click “OK.” 
    

1. Go to “File” and select “Save As.” Select where you want to save your document. A window should then pop-up where you can type “File Name” and choose “Save as type.” 
    

2. There should be a drop-down bar labeled “File Format.” It will be on PowerPoint Presentation (.pptx). Click on the drop-down bar and select “PDF.”  
    

3. Click “Save.” This is the PDF file that you will send to the printer. 

Go to the “Design” tab at the top. You should see boxes at the top for “Themes” and “Variants”. Select a color scheme from the “Variants” box.  

You can also create your own theme if you don’t like any of the available themes. 
 

You may want to group certain items together so you can move them together or change the colors together. You can use the “Grouping” feature to do this: 

1. Select all the items you want to group.  

2. Right click, making sure all the items are still selected. c. Select “Group” and click “Group”.  

You can ungroup items later if you wish using the same methods. To ungroup, select the grouped items, right-click, select “Group” and click “Ungroup.” 
 

1. Right click on the image file and select “Copy.”  
    

2. Go to where you want to paste the contents. At the top toolbar, click the “Home” tab. At the far left, click on the arrow at the bottom of the “Paste” button, and click “Paste Special.”  
    

3. Select “Picture (Enhanced Metafile)” and click “OK.” Now the picture will stay in focus regardless of the size of the poster. 
    

1. Go to the “Design” tab at the top.  
    

2. In the upper right corner, click on “Slide Size” and choose “Custom Slide Size” from the drop-down menu.  
    

3. Enter the size you want your poster to be (no more than 48 inches by 36 inches). Click “OK.” 
    

1. Go to “File” and select “Save As”. Click where you want to save your document. A window should then pop-up where you can type “File Name” and choose “Save as type.” 
    

2. The “Save as type” will be on PowerPoint Presentation (.pptx). Click on the drop-down bar and select “PDF.” 
    

3. Save. This is the PDF file that you will send to the printer. 

Guidance provided by Christopher L. Pastore, Experiential Education Faculty Fellow  

Posters are a common way of presenting new research. Although conference poster presentations are more common in the sciences, they are also used in the humanities. 

Regardless of discipline, all posters have common elements: They introduce the subject of research, ask questions or advance arguments about it, and support those interpretations with evidence.  

Each discipline may organize these elements differently, but all posters endeavor to showcase new research. 

When you approach a poster for the first time, survey its main elements: 

• Title: All posters have a title. Although the title is often long, it is meant to convey the subject and outcomes of the research project. 

• Author(s): A poster might have a single author or many. The first author is usually the person who made the poster, while subsequent authors on the list typically play supporting roles. Typically, the final name belongs to the faculty member who supervised and/or acquired the project’s funding. 

• Introduction: This section describes the topic of research, its significance and often what other scholars in that field have said about it. Usually, the introduction will also advance the central argument, goal or hypothesis of the research; sometimes this appears in its own section. 

• Methods: This section describes how the research was organized and conducted. It may describe equipment or techniques used. Since reading, writing and interpretation is often implied, research in the humanities might not include a separate methods section. 

• Results: This section conveys the research findings, which are often conveyed using graphs, tables, figures and/or text.  

• Conclusions: This section interprets the results and conveys the payoffs and implications of the research. Often it will also suggest avenues for further research. 

• Funding: Sometimes along the bottom of the poster you will see logos from the various agencies and organizations that funded the research. It is customary to acknowledge their role in the project. 

Posters are usually shown during a scheduled time, called a “poster session,” which is listed along with the poster title and author(s) in the conference schedule. During a poster session, the authors stand next to their posters ready to answer questions. 

When you approach a poster, scan the elements listed above and then ask the author(s) to tell you about their research. Maybe you want to hear more about their methods, how they interpreted their results or how they became interested in the topic.  

This is also a good time to compliment them on elements of the poster you find particularly praiseworthy.  

Visiting a poster session is an opportunity to learn new things and meet new people; it might even spark some burning research questions of your own.