Dear Sabah Zaib,

Depending on your field of research, you could start by selecting a decent text book (there's enough available, such as Robson's 'Real world research' (qualitative methods), Leong's and Austin's Psychology research handbook, and so on). Make sure you spend enough time on formulating the research question, searching for literature, methodology, data analysis, academic writing (there are some free courses available on Coursera). A colleague made a short video on how to write a undergraduate thesis. It's in Dutch, but it might give you an overall idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JytdlfyCYng

Good luck!

Best,

Chiel

Dear Sabah Zaib,

Depending on your field of research, you could start by selecting a decent text book (there's enough available, such as Robson's 'Real world research' (qualitative methods), Leong's and Austin's Psychology research handbook, and so on). Make sure you spend enough time on formulating the research question, searching for literature, methodology, data analysis, academic writing (there are some free courses available on Coursera). A colleague made a short video on how to write a undergraduate thesis. It's in Dutch, but it might give you an overall idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JytdlfyCYng

Good luck!

Best,

Chiel

Dear @Sabah, I have no experience with your field of study. In engineering fields of study there are many approaches. This one is about simulation.

Creating a smooth transition between the classroom and laboratory via computer simulation!

Computer simulation can play an important role in engineering and technology education by creating a bridge between the theoretical material taught in the classroom and the practical applications demonstrated in laboratory exercises. By performing a computer simulation of the laboratory assignment after the theoretical material is taught but before the students enter the lab, the students become more capable of recognizing incorrect lab results, resolving problems involving cabling, equipment adjustments, and nonideal equipment without assistance from the instructor, and validating correct results. This capability allows the students to concentrate on correlating the classroom and laboratory material, makes them more attentive to details in the lab, and provides them with more confidence in their technical capabilities. In this paper, the authors discuss how Hypersignal, a systems-oriented computer simulation package, has been integrated into a senior-level communications class and laboratory course. The results of formal and informal student surveys are given, showing the effectiveness of the simulation package as a bridge and learning tool. The concept of using simulation as a bridge between classroom and laboratory, used with appropriate software packages, can also enhance other academic disciplines such as electronics, AC and DC circuits, and control systems...

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/580476/

Dear Sabah,

A librarian at your university library could help you with this project. The librarian might be able to give your class a guided tour of the library's research facilities.

with best wishes,

Kay  9Charles Kay Smith0

What kind of research interest your students are in? Will it involve labs or chemicals (ex. biological research)?

How should I guide to undergarduate students for conducting research?

You might want to explore the following:

Two important steps are essential:

1. Deliver motivational lecture for importance of research

2. Suggest some important and understandable research papers to students to read and comment

All students can't come forward, few students may take interest in research. Develop them!

Here is something simple, given that you understand basic research yourself & can evaluate materials to adapt for your own use:

Google: 'research skills, ppt'

You will see lots of ways other people (of a similar academic/professional background) have dealt with the issue, and you can also use any of these as a template for your own presentations.  Basic research for undergraduates is a fairly generic theme, and you just need to adapt it for your own discipline and cultural setting. You also need to verify that any information is current and correct, but this a lot faster than re-inventing a pretty familiar wheel  :-)

Building on all of the useful contributions given thus far, you can start them by having them do a library research paper on a topic that is of concern for them and interested in addressing. The latter would make them more familiar with the library and its resources, then you can move on to a full research assignment that requires data collection and analyses. I have had to design research e-clinics to help my master's students reduce the lags in completing their theses on time. The following gives an idea of some of the challenges that students encounter without a firm foundation in basic research that may be of some help for you:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304149305_Academic_Supporting_Strategies_for_Students%27_Graduate_Research?ev=prf_pub

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303988462_Research_e-Clinics_Reducing_Lags_in_the_Completion_of_Graduate_Students%27_Master%27s_Theses?ev=prf_pub

Many thanks,

Debra

Conference Paper Academic Supporting Strategies for Students' Graduate Research

Chapter Research e-Clinics: Reducing Lags in the Completion of Gradu...

How should I guide to undergraduate students for conducting research?

Dear Sabah Zaib,

Agree with the previous suggestions. It is my experience which it may be an addition for the prior responses. In my university, it is a requirement for bachelor degree to produce a undergraduate thesis. Despite the fact that the curriculum is developed to adapt with regard to the thesis requirement, e.g., by adding the research methodology course; but the requirement is like a nightmare for most of the students. It may because they often misunderstand or overestimate around the undergraduate thesis project. Like your experience, the students rarely know about research.

Together with several colleagues in my department, we have been trying  to implement the motivations, procedures, techniques, methods, and strategies of a research in class for the last two years. Of course, the purposes and objectives of the research based learning should be different in respect of the student level. For example, an introductory approaches by introducing and motivating lectures may suitable for the junior students following their learning level which focused on the subject itself. On the other level, the project assignments about may compatible for the senior ones. The implementation are useful and helpful for my students, especially for the senior ones who have been conducting their undergraduate research work.

In short, besides focusing on the contents and its methodological aspects, I believe that the students are also need to be considered here following their study level. May help.

Regards

It may be a good idea for you to conduct workshops in order to equip the postgraduate students with research knowledge and culture.

Regards

We should adapt our methods of teaching and change/adapt curriculum in order to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Such approach will help undergraduate students to enter the field of applied research.

I think one of the best ways to promote research in undergraduate classes is to do a research project. It can be small in design, but should encompass all the requisite parts of a study, from the setting of a null hypothesis, to subject selection, to controls, to data gathering, compiling, and analyzing.   The best way to learn, I think, is to do rather than reading about what to do.

Dear Sabah,

For me one important issue is to know the different methods/methodologies for research. It is important that students are aware of different possibilities for researchnig and which methods best suits his needs.

Best,

Project Based Learning (PBL)  can play important role in such cases