Getting started in research

Getting Started

As a part of your undergraduate studies in chemistry or biochemistry at Monmouth College you will conduct "research," CHEM 430. Engaging in research will allow you the opportunity to apply knowledge gained through your coursework to a specific area of science that is of particular interest to you. At Monmouth, we promote "faculty-mentored research," which means that you will have a faculty advisor who will assist you in formulating your research project. Each faculty member in the chemistry department has a specific area of expertise and the first step in getting started in research is to talk to all of the chemistry faculty about their research activities. All chemistry faculty are open to the conversation at any time; stop by and chat.

Excerpt from ACS Guidelines 2015

Conducting undergraduate research with a faculty advisor allows the student to draw on faculty expertise and encourages a student-faculty mentor relationship. The research project should be envisioned as a component of a publication in a peer-reviewed journal. It should be well defined, stand a reasonable chance of completion in the available time, apply and develop an understanding of in-depth concepts, use a variety of instrumentation, promote awareness of advanced safety practices, and be grounded in the primary chemical literature.

Kieft Summer Research

You are expected to read the literature in order to understand the intricacies of a research area with the goal of advancing our understanding of the given topic. In your research experience, you will be challenged by both the details of the research hypothesis and by the experimental procedures required to explore these previously uncharted waters.

Scientists engage in scholarly activities, generally referred to as “research.” The term “scholarly” is defined as, “showing knowledge and devotion to academic pursuits.”