A good research base exists on the benefits of structured writing retreats and similar provision for academic staff and postgraduate researchers, but to date little has been published about the worth of such events for undergraduate students. This is despite the fact that undergraduate student researchers also experience external pressures,…

This paper describes the design and subsequent impact of a scientific research skills course. Student understanding of the university research environment, their confidence in finding and using scientific literature and in scientific writing and presentation pre- and post-course was investigated. The findings suggested that understanding of the…

For five years, a University of Brighton (England) social policy and administration program has incorporated a student research project into a required research methods course. The sponsored research project places considerable emphasis on student contributions to the research. These features are discussed in the context of one project, a patient…