Navigating support

Students find offers by their universities to support
their research progress difficult to navigate or lacking.

In a place with many dozens or even hundreds of students concurrently writing their academic thesis, it makes sense to look beyond the individual student-supervisor relationship when looking for support. Universities regularly offer writing labs, libraries provide assistance in working with literature, and individual supervisors might provide open-to-attend sessions and services to strengthen one’s own research project. But: how do students become aware of these often decentralized offers? 

The most pragmatic approach to finding out about support services of a university for their soon-to-be-graduates is to inquire at the central administrative position related to examinations, library, or writing labs, if available. Any service related to student research may be able to provide some guidance. However, that is precisely the problem: student research far too often turns into an experience of hunting down those services that appear useful in completing one’s own research project. The only meaningful way of changing this is for universities to take more proactive charge in shaping and implementing a useful and productive student research experience. 

Instead of cementing a mediocre student research experience of countless procedural nuisances, let’s rather optimize the experience and shift ambitions toward the research outcome.  

First, let’s consolidate information on the services our campuses offer for student research. Second, let’s map out what can be useful when and to whom. Third, let’s publish this map as part of the general onboarding process for our students. Finally, let’s consider what this map of offers is missing and how it might be completed to become a student research experience that would be worthy of the individual university’s brand and reputation.

Does your university provide a thought-through student research experience? Did you ever attempt to generate an overview of all the useful services of your university for student researchers? Did you ever initiate one of these services?