INDV 360 - McNair Research Internship I

The McNair Summer Research Internship I is designed to introduce students to the experiential knowledge of research methods across an array of academic disciplines and through methodology appropriate to their fields of specialization. Students who complete this 3-week internship improve their ability to review readings within the scholarly literature and develop a reasonable working knowledge and understanding of a specific topic of their choice within it. They are encouraged to seek out and recognize problems in current or past research, and then think creatively to generate and explore new questions arising from those problems. Students, in consultation with their McNair faculty mentor, propose a thesis or research question and construct a viable research design for its analysis. They are also able to effectively communicate their ideas and rationale for their research using PowerPoint presentation software, and present their research in a public form. Students gain practical experience in the step-by-step process of constructing a research proposal. To ensure successful completion of the internship, students attend weekly seminars on research methodology and professional writing, two mandatory one-on-one consultations with seminar instructors, and two library research workshops. The finished proposal subsequently affords students greater confidence to pursue and complete McNair Research Internship II.

Prerequisite: McNair Scholar in good standing
Credits: 2