Research Confidentiality

[indyaman]

Hello, I am going to be a first year biomedical engineering student beginning in fall '06 and I have a research topic I would like to look into when I begin my university career.

I was wondering, what is the common etiquette associated with original research topics? Am I to keep my research idea tightly guarded so no one "steals" it, or am I supposed to tell a professor?

I am also currently applying for scholarships, and I'm sure my intentions of doing research will be brought up during interviews. Should I disclose the details of my research to the interviewer, or simply allude to it without revealing any kind of pertinent facts?

Thank you very much for your time.

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[fantasty]

I doubt you'll get scooped, but I wouldn't go into too many specific details during the interview (for fear of getting too sidetracked, unless the interviewer is really interested in the topic). But, yes - you'll want to find a research advisor (faculty) who is also interested in your topic and would can provide the resources and guidance to allow you to work on the project.

If you're lucky, you might get paid (or your scholarship and/or fellowships can provide your stipend). But, you may also be able to get course credit for it (many departments will allow you to sign up for a certain # of credit hours, assigned to your faculty advisor, and you would receive a grade for the work).