Starting First Research Volunteering - Advice Needed

[ysk1]

Hi,

I'm a rising sophomore who has absolutely no previous research experience. I decided to work as a volunteer research assistant, starting this September. I plan to volunteer in this lab 15 hours per week, for at least two years.

I approached a prof whose research I was interested in, and he allowed me to volunteer in his lab. I asked him 1) whether there will be an opportunity for me to contribute toward a publishable paper, 2) how much I will be responsible for, and 3) whether I will get my own publishable project to work on. He said that it's hard to know for sure; it depends on your aptitudes and abilities. He will be in a much better position to answer those questions after I've worked with his lab team for a few weeks. In general, they can often find a project that will lead to a publication, but there is no way of predicting how much time it might eventually take.

The lab prof is an old guy who has 15+ years of experience in his field. He is the Canadian Research Chair in Genomics. Currently the lab has exactly 6 grad students and 6 staffs (research assistants?). It's planned that I'll be paired up with a staff and assist him. A lab staff told me that the lab previously had and currently has many volunteers who volunteered 2~4 hours per week. It surprised me that 2~4 hours seemed to be the norm in this lab for those volunteering.

Judging by the lab prof's answers to my questions and the lab's atmosphere, does this lab look like a good place where there's a high chance that, as an undergrad, you'll get the credit you deserve for all the time and hard work you sacrifice, receive your project and get published?

Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[RxnMan]

Congratulations on asking those questions. They are hard to ask and you placd yourself in a postition to succeed by doing so. Your PI-to-be answered pretty honestly as well. You can't predict how long a project will take. I've been fouled up by technical problems more times than I can count. Those issues, as well as funding (if you were doing this on your own) and writing the proposals (if you were doing human/animal subjects) take time to work through.

I would also try to gauge the people you'll be working with. Do they seem hard working and fun to be with? You will eventually be spending a lot of time with them.

Even though you didn't mention it, I would argue that the type of research is pretty inconsequential at this point. You're trying to get an idea of the process, and the subject matter is less important than learning the process.

On a side note, in your position I would front-load spending time in the lab, just for the first few weeks, and then back off. You need to learn lab techniques, and it takes a bit of continuous one-on-one time with the lab team for that. Once you get a handle on the methods, you can fly solo much easier.

I cannot give you a definitive answer. I've been in your shoes several times, and you only get marginally better at telling these things. It usually takes time before you figure out the lab dynamics. you might ask some of the grad students about their last abstract/journal article. Did it take them a long time? Did they have help writing it? Who helped them? Did the have trouble setting up their experiments (getting supplies, etc)? Did the PI help them design their first few experiments?

I hope this convoluted and indirect answer helps you come to a conclusion!

 

[blinknoodle]

I would worry less about producing a publication and more on whether you enjoy doing research, learning how research works, and enjoying the rest of your life. Just because you put in 15 hours a week, does not make a paper. You are not owed anything (which seems to be the flavour of many of your recent posts).

 

[Dienekes]

you'll get the credit you deserve for all the time and hard work you sacrifice

The credit you deserve is something along the lines of not being beaten bloody for being an elitist SOB. Get over yourself, you probably have few if any usable skills.