Tips for getting started with a research or creative project:
Finding a faculty mentor:
- Talk to your professors! Chances are that you already got interested in a particular topic or issue through class discussions or readings. Your professors should be your #1 contacts in your journey to engaging in research or creative work. They might be interested in working with you themselves or will be able to refer you to a colleague whose interests align with yours. Either way, your professors know you and are able to advise you.
- DIY tools: If you would like to take matters into your hands, use the tools available to you. JJC offers a searchable faculty database. You can enter names and keywords to search for the right faculty or topic and faculty profiles will pop up. Read through each profile carefully; all profiles should feature a bio, research interests, and a CV with listed publications, all of which will give you a sense of past and current areas of interest for each faculty member. Once you selected a faculty of interest to you, you can contact them at the listed emails.
- Do some preliminary online research. You are familiar with the John Jay Library, of course. Use it! In addition to general perusing of the New York Times and similar newspapers, once you identify an area of interest, you should research the history of research done and the current state of findings on the topic of your choice. This will help place your specific ideas and interest in the context of the larger research already conducted and frame your research question and hypotheses. (See below for select workshops offered through the JJC Library.)
- Of course, you can always make an appointment with me! Oftentimes, students visit my office because, while they are passionate about a particular topic, they don't quite know how to direct the many thoughts swirling around their brains, concretize a larger topic, and structure their ideas into tangible projects. I am here to guide you through that process and inspire you if needed. Students leave my office with a clearer understanding of what lies ahead and are excited to get started.
Institutional Review Board: All research involving human subjects conducted by John Jay researchers must be reviewed by the CUNY Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) or IRB and issued approval or exempt determination prior to implementation. For IRB approval assistance contact Lynda Mules or visit IRB.
CITI Training in the Protection of Human Subjects: All CUNY faculty members, postdoctoral scholars, graduate and undergraduate students involved in human subjects research as key personnel must complete the Basic Course in the protection of human subjects prior to Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval of their protocol. The certificate of completion of the basic course is valid for three years. For more information about the CITY Training click here.
JJC Research Centers & Institutes: John Jay College of Criminal Justice at CUNY houses a variety of research entities that encompass those research centers officially designated at CUNY as well as other research organizations that work in collaboration with various other institutions and often in the public realm. Many of these entities also offer different work opportunities to students at various levels in their academic career.
JJC Library Resources & Workshops:
Get Started With Your Research: Learn how to begin researching a topic. The workshop will introduce you to Subject Guides and the Gale Virtual Reference Library, two online resources perfectly suited for the initial stages of college-level research.
How to Tell If a Source Is Credible: Learn how to assess whether or not your information comes from sources you can trust. This workshop will alert you to questions you should ask and things you should be looking for when you are gathering information online or in print.
APA and MLA Citation Tools: Discover resources that make citing and documenting sources easy: online APA/MLA guides, database-generated citation, and other easy-to-use citation tools.
Find Sources For Your Paper: We will show you how to find books, ebooks, articles, videos, audio, and more using OneSearch and other databases. Learn how to narrow down your search and access materials from home.
Research Tips & Tricks: Doing research does not have to be daunting. It's a skill you can master! Practical tips from a librarian will help you organize and conduct your search for sources.
Math/Science Tutoring: Come for tutoring early and often! Students who begin tutoring at the beginning of the semester typically do better than those who wait. Similarly, students who come for tutoring regularly throughout the semester benefit more than those who attend only sporadically.
One Credit Classes for Experiential and Research Learning:
UGR 271- Experiential Learning for Student Leaders and Peer Mentors
This course is limited to students who have served at least one semester as a student government leader or peer mentor and have met pre-established criteria in the program. These criteria will be based on training, development, and the number of hours performing these functions.
UGR 272- Experiential Learning: Service Learning
This course is limited to students who have participated in a significant service-learning experience for at least one semester and have met pre-established criteria. These criteria will be based on training, development, and the number of hours performing these functions.
UGR 277- Introduction to Experiential Learning
This course will help students make connections between academic concepts and the professional experiences gained from experiential learning opportunities in the broad areas of advocacy and justice. The emphasis of the course is a synthesis of the students’ classwork, mentoring by professionals in residence, and guided experiences at a placement site(s), reflecting a dual focus on exposing students to academic and professional development in these areas. Students engage in experiential learning opportunities, attend class regularly, and must complete regular writing assignments as well as a final presentation and project.
UGR 385-386- Experiential Learning: Undergraduate Research
This course is for students who are doing an individual research project under the mentorship of a faculty member or under the auspices of another office at the College such as PRISM, McNair, or the Office for Student Research and Creativity.