The Office of Undergraduate Research defines research as research, scholarly, or artistic activities that lead to the production of original work (Stocks, J. Ramey, J. & Lazarus, B. 2003), either including or independent of faculty guidance. This definition is intentionally broad because research itself is a broad practice, involving all disciplines and all types of people, even undergraduates.
Though research is often thought of something confined to our professors and their laboratories, research also happens in English 101, when a student close-reads a novel and develops their own interpretation of the motivations of a character. It happens in figure drawing, when a spotlight is adjusted and the shadows are studied. With all the lectures, readings, and papers the average undergraduate of Newcomb-Tulane College produces during a given week, it could be well argued that our students are the most prolific researches on campus!
And in addition to their classes, Newcomb-Tulane College faculty are always researching and many have several ongoing projects in all manners of intellectual inquiry. The Office of Undergraduate Research cultivates undergraduates who are interested in research, provides connections to like-minded faculty, and offers the resources and coaching necessary to succeed independently.
