Finding a supervisor

Having a suitable supervisor is an important part in the undergraduate research journey, especially in the initial phases of the project. Having a supervisor who is encouraging to guide students through the process of designing the project and refining ideas could be immensely helpful to help get students started with the project on the right foot! Go on to Building supervision skills to find out more about a supervisor's role in undergraduate research.

It can be very daunting for a student to approach a member of staff.

Things staff can do

• Staff who are willing to supervise student research projects can advertise this in some way - perhaps a sign on their door, a message in their email signature or by reminders to students in class.
• Supervisors can signal clearly their areas of research and what they will and won't supervise.

Things students can do

• To get started in finding a supervisor, it would be useful to first identify a broad area that students wish to research, and then check out the Academic staff or Staff research interest section of the department website (example from Mathematics institute) to identify some potential supervisors who work in that area of study. It might be useful to read some of their publications to get a better idea of a possible subject for a student research project.
• The next step would be to reach out and connect with potential supervisors which can be a scary step! During this stage, it might be useful to discuss the research idea with a personal tutor or module leader. They can give encouragement and general advice and may be able to connect with a potential supervisor.

Once a student has a supervisor to guide them, they are ready to design a good project and get started!

Designing a Research Project

Prior to beginning a research project or bid for funding, students will need to have designed their research, outlining key aspects of the project such as their proposed research questions, methodologies, and form of dissemination.

Information on Research Design can be found at Research Design - Research & Impact Services

The following links and resources on designing research projects may be useful to students:

Sage PublishingLink opens in a new window

This Sage Publishing database offers examples of different research designs organised by discipline, academic level and by methods used. This resource may be useful to both students and supervisors.

Types of Research Design - USC LibrariesLink opens in a new window

This webpage offers guidance on different types of research design, outlining their uses, structures, and potential pitfalls to help students make informed decisions about which method may best fit their research trajectory.

How to Design a Good Research Study: A Guide for Medical Students - Cardiff UniversityLink opens in a new window

This PDF guide from Cardiff University outlines the best methods for designing a research project. Although aimed at medical students it has good advice for all.

Developing a Research Question

The following links provide information for supporting students in the research question development phase, helping to outline important points for consideration:

Developing Research Questions - Monash UniversityLink opens in a new window

This webpage includes information on how to choose a research topic, narrowing down a chosen topic, and how to word a research question.

Narrowing a Topic and Developing a Research Question - Indiana University LibraryLink opens in a new window

This PDF worksheet offers prompts to help students narrow down their research topic area and develop a suitable research question.

What Makes a Good Research Question - Duke UniversityLink opens in a new window

This PDF worksheet offers examples of how research questions have/can be constructed.

Writing a funding application

There are many opportunities for students to apply for funding to carry out their project, find out more opportunities here. These would require writing an application, where the main content would usually be:

• the context and aim of the project
• proposed research methodology and steps in the research
• how the project contributes to the wider field/ society

To secure a funding, these should be written to a certain level of detail, hence some familiarity with the literature surrounding the research area would be helpful for the application. However, the student need not follow the proposed plan entirely, as it is common to have slight changes in research direction as the project goes on.

To write a funding application, it is highly recommended to seek help from supervisors, as they would be most familiar with the area and will be able to give the best advice to help secure funding.

Some applications for funding require input from students and supervisors and so it is important not to leave drafting the application too late.