The Cambridge Handbook of Undergraduate Research: New Global Insights

Abstract

The new Cambridge Handbook of Undergraduate Research provides key insights to the global diversity of undergraduate research (UR) philosophies and practices. This article introduces the Handbook, discusses its structure and key themes, explains how the Handbook was written and explores the lessons that emerged during the writing process. The article demonstrates how global UR is linked to the educational research literature, to academic disciplinary contexts and to educational systems in different countries. The authors draw attention to cultural and sociopolitical differences between nations and suggest fruitful avenues for UR’s future global development. The variety and complexity of worldwide UR implementation frameworks notwithstanding, UR holds significant potential to network community-based research efforts and to support democratization of knowledge creation and dissemination.