Hello all,
Just curious about what the folks on this site think. I am currently finishing an undergrad degree for comp sci. I am interested in going to grad school and some of the programs I've looked into ask, and encourage, research as an undergrad. I'm doing school online so really connecting with a professor is a bit hard. Since most of the communication with my professor's is by email to, on the rare occasion, tell them I might be late getting in an assignment.
Anyway, I have been contacting every one of my CS professors asking if they are conducting research I can assist with. So far none of them seem to be. They're all adjunct professors so maybe my school is a side hustle.
Here is my question: Has anyone here had any experience doing computer science research? If I wanted to try and publish my own research, could I even do that? If so, how would I start? I'm just curious what the amazing community here thinks about it.
Top comments (1)
Hey man! I'm currently an undergrad CS researcher for mobile computing and wearable tech (with two more years to go!). Research is a really long process (regardless of what you do i.e. cybersec, ML, etc.) However I've really come to enjoy it because you get to learn about all the crazy stuff people do for research. There is a lot of terminology which could either attract you or push you away. I've commonly seen labs that are geared towards software engineering skills and data skills give independent work (this is me). My colleagues are in a math and data lab that works heavily on statistical analysis and processing. This lab has students work as a team, however whether you work in a group or independently will depend on the lab.
Self-publishing isn't unheard of but it is relatively rare, mainly because that implies you'll be presenting at academic conferences (which could be REALLY expensive). This is why most labs operate under grants. It's also quite hard to self-publish namely because research is a field that requires experience. 99% of the time, I'm shocked by how the researchers I've met even come up with ideas they work on! And that's just thinking of what to do, not even the approach.
[the following advice isnt just coming from me, its coming from what i've heard time and time again]
If youre an undergrad but want to go into a PhD route, and do not have research experience, you have a few options to help. You could either A.) be a lab assistant at some school whose labs are looking for help. If it is for a PhD, try to find a lab that has work related to what you want! Theres a lot of work out there, and CS majors are absolutely LOVED for their programming skills. Biotech, neurotech, etc. are constantly looking for coders who are interested in research. Your other option is B.) a masters in CS. You get to stay in academia but could also work in a lab that caters to you. The reason the two are separate is because one requires that you stay as a student and the other turns you into a worker. I love research and the doors it opens!