JoinResearch and Teaching: Understanding How Undergraduate Research Experiences Influence Student Aspirations for Research Careers and Graduate Education
Extant and emerging literature on undergraduate research experiences (UREs) focuses on the identification of their benefits to student participants. This study offers descriptions, drawn from an analysis of students' reflective journals, of three processes through which UREs affected students' educational and career aspirations. Through UREs students increased their awareness of career options, clarified their career choices, and enhanced their professional credentials.