Ten simple rules to make the most out of your undergraduate research career

• Published in: PLoS computational biology Vol. 13; no. 5; p. e1005484
• Main Authors: Yu, Megan, Kuo, Yu-Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.05.2017; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Algorithms; Biology; Biology and Life Sciences; Career Choice; Career development; Careers; College students; Curriculum; Education; Education, Professional - organization & administration; Electronic medical records; Employment; Extracurricular activities; Funding; Graduate schools; Medical research; Methods; People and Places; Research - organization & administration; Research and Analysis Methods; Researchers; Science Policy; Social Sciences; Studies; University research
• ISSN: 1553-7358; 1553-734X; 1553-7358
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005484

About the Authors: Megan Yu * E-mail: ymeganyu@gmail.com Affiliation: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7239-4980 Yu-Min Kuo Affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, TaiwanCitation: Yu M, Kuo Y-M (2017) Ten simple rules to make the most out of your undergraduate research career. In a study involving about 4,500 undergraduates that participated in undergraduate research opportunities sponsored by the National Science Foundation, respondents reported an increased level of understanding, resilience, and confidence in performing research and motivation to apply for graduate school programs [2]. [...]knowing how to manage large datasets effectively, such as large patient genetic datasets and electronic health records, and designing proper algorithms and computational models to analyze data are essential skills for undergraduates interested in computational biology. Start early As an undergraduate, you may not know what type of research project you would like to pursue or whether it fits into your future research career. [...]it is essential to start early to explore and develop your research interests and goals. [...]the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) hosts numerous conferences and forums for computational biologists and students to network and promote their scientific research. Having the background knowledge in the research area of your chosen lab your research project might involve the role of a certain gene in the development of a disease and you might come across a scientific paper that cited a publicly available genetic database that could be helpful for your...