Student Community Research
What does it mean?
Cupp supports students who wish to undertake a practical piece of research with a local community group as their final dissertation project at undergraduate or master level.
Undertaking research in the community means you can apply the research theory you've learned into practice and develop transferable skills such as negotiation, communication, and self-motivation. You will get the chance to work on projects with local impact and develop contacts, and potentially referees, for future work.
How does it work?
We have a database where we post available research opportunities in the community. Have a look at what is out there at the moment and if you are interested in a particular opportunity, you should liaise with your academic supervisor to ensure that it would be a suitable subject for your studies and level. Once this is established, contact Juliet Millican who will facilitate a meeting between you and the community organisation.
If an agreement is reached between the community organisation, you and your supervisor on the subject of the research, methods, time-scales, research outputs etc. a written agreement is drawn up and you are ready to start.
IMPORTANT: Please, contact us, if you have taken on any projects listed under the research opportunities so we can keep information up to date!!
Things to consider
Timings
You neeed to be explicit about your availability and deadlines when negotiating the project with the organisation. At times organisations also stipulate a particular point in time by which the research needs to be compled which might not fit with your academic timetables. It is absolutely crucial to negotiate realistic time scales before starting the research.
Ethics
It is also essential that potential ethical issues are identified at the earliest possible stage of negotaiation with the organisation. Schools have various mechanisms for reviewing research proposals, and students and supervisors should therefore check with their Head of School or Head of Research to see what processes are in place in their School.
Your supervisor, together with the orgaisation's contact are in the best position to advise you regarding possible ethical issues and hurdles it may imply. Creativity in the cholice of appropriate research mehtods, in anticipation of possible ethical issues, can sometimes help avoid delays. This of course is a lot more likely to be an issue when collaborating with an organisaion working with vulnerable people.
Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks
By law a CRB check is required for anyone working with children or adults who may be vulnerable to fraud and attack, such as the severely disabled. CRB checks can generally be carried out by the organisation you work with but can take quite some time to get processed. If you decide to undertake research for an organisation that requires a CRB check it is important that you keep this in mind as it might otherwise delay the start of your research.More information
Student Community Research - Practical Guide
Database of live research opportunities
Where you can get support
After you've reached an agreement with the community organisation, it will be your responsibility to arrange how and when you will work together. It needs to be ensured that the organisation you are working with has a clear process for prviding suitable support. However, next to your academic supervisor, Cupp is also available for support and advice to help address any problems that might arise. There may in some cases be a possiblitiy for additional student mentoring from a member of Cupp's staff.
What other students say
'The research project allowed me to build on my previous experience of questionnaires and interviews, and added new experiences such as dealing with disabled and elderly people in a formal manner, which is something I had never done before, as well as generally improving my social skills and interview technique.'
Contact
If you have any further question or would like to discuss any of the research opportunities, contact
Dr Juliet Millican - Student Community Engagement Development Manager
Telephone: (01273) 544155
Email:
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