Date created: | Last Updated:

Category: Project

Description: Undergraduate research in sociology departments provides opportunities for student engagement and faculty development. Undergraduate research in the natural and physical sciences and graduate mentoring have been extensively studied. However, there are few systematic studies of the process of extracurricular undergraduate research in sociology from the perspective of both faculty and students. We carried out semi-structured qualitative interviews with 23 faculty and undergraduate research assistants (RAs). Our results detail the tasks and processes used in faculty-directed research collaborations in sociology departments, including selection and hiring, training, accountability, communication, and relationship building and ending. In another manuscript, we outline the benefits and challenges of faculty-directed collaborative research experiences with undergraduates.