Where to get research experience

It was clear that he was happy to mark my dissertation but didn't want to be bothered by actually helping me to learn much about research. In the end, I did the research on my own and got distinction on the paper, which I was happy about. However, now I'm thinking more and more about pursuing a PhD, perhaps in intercultural management, and I feel like a highly respectable school would not consider me because I do not have much research experience.

So, my question is: What can I do to gain research experience, now that I've finished my MBA, with an eye towards getting into a good school for a PhD? As I have read, publications will help a lot but I feel like I don't have the experience to do the kind of research to get into a good publications.

I really think I need to build my research skills I have read this , this , and this question but I think my question is different from each of them. I am only familiar with the UK system, but here are some points about getting research experience in the UK. A lot of UK departments prefer to admit PhD students who has found a faculty member who is willing to supervise and has a research proposal written together with that member.

Some patience is required as they might not be looking to supervise a student at the moment. But I have found that most are willing to give prospective students a research project to work on before admissions or while working on the proposal.

In fact, all those who were willing to supervise me ended up offering me a research project. You might find that some professors, lecturers, postdocs or research fellows etc are very happy to have students with the experience to work on their projects.

You can try emailing people with a very short version of your academic CV, asking for research opportunities. I have successfully gotten projects this way too. Some UK universities have official internships or studentships for someone to work on a research project for months.

These may not be advertised so you need to do point 1 and 2 or simply ask. I have successfully gotten these before and they were willing to at least help pay the rent pounds I think or given you a token sum.

I cannot be more precise about the pay because I turned down the payment in order to keep my part time job. Academics are incredibly busy people, especially famous tenured professors. Also, they might have a steady stream of students to work with. Most of them are because I am asking as a prospective student.

So please do not be too disappointed that people don't get back to you. And don't spend all your time trying to get just famous faculty to give you research opportunities.

You should be prepared to travel and meet them, paying for all the travel fees yourself. In my humble opinion, you need to be prepared to work on a project for free, making it clear that you want the experience on your CV and a possible paper. Then, they might arrange for payment for you. It is your responsibility to show that you are serious and trustworthy and not a waste of their precious time.

I think it helps a lot with regards to funding if you are from the EU as funding in the UK is usually restricted to EU citizens. Try to get in touch with a professor who does what you like to do for your Phd. Like here clearly explain your situation.

Try to see if you can do some work for them part-time. If you get lucky they might offer you paid work if they get money later.

From the beginning discuss publications and research experience and hopefully over time you can get a paper or two under your belt and get recommendation letter as well. Who knows they might offer you a Phd position after some time as well if you work well together.

We have done this before and in fact this happens a lot. Usually, the principal investigator will assign you a mentor and a project. Ask for literature to read: learning about the state of the field and why the work is important will help you to push the project forward. Read about your field as well as other, totally unrelated fields. As an undergraduate, you have the freedom to change your major and your future plans. Make sure to strike a balance between reading and conducting experiments.

Set specific goals for yourself and let your mentors know. Think about what you want from your research and how much time you are willing to put in. Besides learning the techniques, do you want to learn how to analyse results and design experiments? Do you want to learn how to write proposals by applying for undergraduate research grants? Do you want to improve your presentation skills by going to conferences? Do you want to potentially finish a project for publication?

Working out what you want to achieve will help you to direct your time effectively. Research takes time. Science is about failing and trying again. Getting used to and coping with frustration is part of the learning curve of research. Find a healthy balance. University is already a lot of work, and research will only take up more time. When planning your schedule, try to allocate large blocks of time whole afternoons or individual days to research.

Rushing through a procedure could be unsafe and will often produce useless results. Always plan extra time for experiments. Talk to your mentor about your schedule and feelings regularly, so that you can arrange experiments at times that suit you, and you can keep on top of your mental health.

Find financial support. If you wish to do research at your own institution over the summer, your institution might offer funding to cover your expenses. Universities, foundations and academic societies might also offer grants to cover your travel expense to various conferences. Talk to senior students or professors, or search online to find all the opportunities!

Always think about the big picture. Keep reading and taking classes outside your comfort zone. Explore and learn as much as possible. Your first step should be to contact the professors whose research projects you find especially interesting.

To help start this search at Yale, check out the lists of professors , departments , and laboratories. The easiest way to do this is to scour webpages for work that sounds interesting, and then to email the professors, asking if they have any RA opportunities available.

Here at Yale, there always seems to be at least one or two labs looking for RAs. For this reason, it can help to ask early. Some lab even have a waiting list of interested students. Some professors pay RAs with work-study funds; others expect a volunteer commitment at first, with pay for more advanced RAs.

Paid RA positions over the summer are typically harder — but not impossible — to find. At Yale many labs prefer to hire summer RAs from the pool of those students already working in the lab during the academic semester, since they require less training, etc.

The same is true, alas, of other schools: most professors prefer to hire RAs from their own school, who are more likely to continue to work in the lab after the summer. On the other hand, volunteer positions are often easier to come by. Again, your best bet is just to contact people by email, and to do so early.