Undergraduate Research Groups: Two Models

Abstract

Research suggests that participation in out-of-class research projects is a valuable experience for undergraduate psychology students. At many academic institutions, however, limited resources and large numbers of majors preclude requiring all students to participate in one-on-one research opportunities with faculty. In an effort to offer research experience to as many students as possible, some departments have instituted research teams. We describe two research team models that have worked well at a mid-size university. Model 1 is a single-faculty, single-project team, and Model 2 is a large multifaculty, multiproject team. Faculty and students find that this team approach is a valuable way to meet their research needs.