Exceptional work of undergraduate students, either done for class or for independent research, often goes unnoticed, but in the professional academic world, research is not finished until its results are shared with others. An important aspect of research is sharing the results with your peers and the general public. There are many ways to share research including but not limited to - poster presentations, oral presentations, and publishing articles (webpage under construction).
Image by opensourceway used under a creative commons license
But why would you want to share your research?
Your research is of great value even if you do not wish to present it at formal conferences or by publishing it in peer-reviewed journals. Think about how the outcomes of your research can benefit the general public, a particular organization, or a community. Ask yourself how your research could support a local initiative, a public policy, or a commercial enterprise.
Spend some time writing about how your research would benefit others as we as the skills and abilities you have gained through your extensive research experience. Doing so will help you in being able to speak with potential employers and/or graduate schools about your qualifications.
We recommend that you actively speak with your peers, faculty mentor, and academic counselors on various ways you would apply your research. These conversations can often result in opportunities that you would never have even thought of. Get creative and be open to exploring many options.
Whether you decide to share your research by doing a poster or oral presentation at a conference/research symposium or by publishing in a scholarly journal, you will be asked to submit an abstract. Below are some useful tips on writing an abstract.
What is an abstract?
An abstract:
Why is the function of an abstract?
The function of an abstract is to:
What goes in an abstract?
The Basics of Writing Research Abstracts (Infographic by Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference, 2018)
Useful Tips