Are you thinking “Research sounds like a great idea,  but how do I get get started?”  Look no further.  Below are just some of the ways you can become part of the exciting world of research at McMaster University.

1. Volunteering
2. Academic Credit
3. Research Awards

Ever heard that of that saying, “Climb the ladder one rung at a time?”  You may think that coming out of high school or first year, you do not have the necessary experience to work with a researcher.  Here, at McMaster University, though, we pride ourselves in ensuring students are given every opportunity to acquire the skills required for their profession.

At first, approaching a professor may cause you to have a nervous breakdown.  Take a deep breath, relax and plan out how exactly you want to approach him or her.  Try the following steps.

Do your research

Have a general idea of what you want to do and potential professors for selection; check out their web pages – generally professors have a page about their research and lab

Narrow your search

Pick a few researchers/topics that you are really interested in and take a more in depth look; you must know their research and topics inside out – reading published papers and recent events involving the professor would help during the interview

Make contact

Via an email or over the phone, state your interest to professor and ask for a time to meet in person; attach a resume and cover letter if possible

The meeting

Dress nicely, but casually.  Know your professor inside out.  Surf his or her website, studying and reading about all the research that is going on or has been published.  Some students have approached previous students who have worked in that lab for tips and advice.  When you go into the interview, the researcher should be amazed with all the knowledge you have about his or her lab and studies.