Undergrad researching but not publishing

In summary, the speaker has had two research experiences in the past year, one in plasma physics and one in operations research/statistics. Both resulted in presentations at conferences, but only the second one has a chance of being published. The speaker is wondering if this will reflect negatively on their graduate school applications, but it is more important to show what they learned from the experience rather than if a paper was published.
  • #1
Hercuflea
596
49
Hi all

I have had two "official" research experiences/projects in the last year. The first one was in plasma physics and now I am doing one in the math department in operations research/statistics. Both projects were interesting and resulted in presentations at symposia/conferences. The first one was not published, but the data may someday be used by a graduate student for his graduate research. the second one I presented at two math conferences, but there is only a remote possibility of publishing that one and I would have to work really hard to find something uniquely original and that has never been done before in it. My question is, does it look bad to graduate school applications that I have only done conference presentations, but none of these resulted in published papers? Does that make them think I will be a bad researcher?
 
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  • #2
No, it doesn't look bad. The real question they will want to know is what you got out of the experience, not how well your supervisor could navigate the publication minefield.
 

Related to Undergrad researching but not publishing

1. Why is publishing important in undergraduate research?

Publishing is important in undergraduate research because it allows for the dissemination of new knowledge and contributes to the advancement of the scientific community. It also showcases the research skills and accomplishments of the student, which can be beneficial for future academic or career opportunities.

2. Is it necessary to publish as an undergraduate researcher?

No, it is not necessary to publish as an undergraduate researcher. While publishing can be beneficial, it is not the only measure of success in research. The process of conducting research and gaining valuable experience is also important.

3. What are some reasons an undergraduate researcher may not publish?

There can be several reasons an undergraduate researcher may not publish. Some common reasons include a lack of significant results, limited resources or time, and difficulties with the publication process or finding a suitable journal.

4. How can an undergraduate researcher still benefit from research without publishing?

Even without publishing, an undergraduate researcher can still benefit from research by gaining valuable skills and experience, building relationships with mentors and collaborators, and presenting their findings at conferences or in other forms of communication.

5. How can an undergraduate researcher increase their chances of publishing?

An undergraduate researcher can increase their chances of publishing by choosing a topic that is relevant and interesting, working closely with a mentor or supervisor, conducting thorough research and experiments, and submitting their work to appropriate journals with strong support from their mentor.

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