The Spring 2025 Binghamton Libraries Research Scholars Program, in support of SP-2, provides undergraduate students with experience working on a guided research project. Participating students will work closely with a library faculty or professional staff mentor on a library-related research project that strengthens research skills and provides the opportunity to build upon personal research interests. Research results will be published in the ORB, Binghamton’s institutional repository. Scholars will be awarded $2,000 at the completion of their projects.
For questions contact Matthew Harrick, Coordinator.
Benefits:
- Gain hands on original research experience under the mentorship of faculty and staff
- Develop skills to effectively synthesize research and communicate the results in a recognizable scholarly format (e.g. paper, digital project, etc.)
- Learn about the academic libraries role in the research cycle
Eligibility: Open to BU undergraduates actively enrolled in classes.
- Must be able to commit 120 hours over the course of the Spring 2025 semester
- Must be able to commit to one common day/time per week - Wednesdays, 12-1pm - for cohort meetings and group program events
- Applications are encouraged from students from historically underrepresented backgrounds
- Preference will be given to students who meet the requirements as determined by the project, but who do not have previous research experience
- You cannot apply if you have previously participated in a Library Research Scholars Project
Expectations:
- 8 hours of dedicated time per week for orientation sessions, cohort meetings, mentor meetings, research time, and reflection and evaluation at the conclusion of the program
- Productive research under the mentorship of a faculty librarian or staff member resulting in an academic, public-facing intellectual product
- Preparation and presentation of your work to the campus community. This may be at Research Days or another venue. (costs directly related to presenting will be covered by the Libraries)
Spring 2025 Research Projects
Cultural Awareness Resources for the Health Sciences: A Collection Development Project
Faculty Mentor: Laura Lipke
This project aims to build a library collection which will provide the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences with the resources to expand the students’ knowledge and awareness of diversity issues in healthcare and allow diverse students to see themselves as successful healthcare professionals.
Research scholars will conduct a literature review to support the need for this collection, curate a list of books centered around DEI topics in healthcare with a particular focus on those authored by professionals from diverse populations, create a library guide showcasing these resources, develop an outline for a future DEI book club, and present a poster of their work. Scholars will gain an understanding of how to conduct a literature review and the importance of diverse voices in healthcare.
Eligible students for this project will consist of undergraduate nursing students, biomedical engineering students and pre-health students.
Click here for more information, and to apply.
The Role of Text Analysis in Research for Exploratory Analysis
Faculty Mentors: Ruth Carpenter and Halie Kerns
The Digital Scholarship team seeks a student researcher to collaboratively explore and create a project using text analysis methods on a humanities based research question. The student researcher will work with the Digital Scholarship team to review humanistic research utilizing text analysis and devise their own question and analysis project. Under the guidance of the Digital Scholarship team the student will create both their analysis project and a project workflow to add to the Digital Scholarship team's toolkit.
This research project will culminate in a public-facing intellectual product that will be shared with the Libraries and campus. This may be a scholarly paper, creative work, digital product or other product appropriate to the project. After the results of the project are presented, they will be published in the ORB, Binghamton’s institutional repository.
Click here for more information, and to apply.
Expanding the Bibliographic Palette: Diversifying the BU Libraries Fine Arts Collection
Faculty Mentor: Emily Creo
This project will focus on understanding arts collection development in a university library, exploring historically underrepresented content areas in the arts, and the challenges in selecting diverse materials, with the ultimate goal of identifying underrepresented areas in our own collection (such as works created by diverse voices, works focusing on the arts of non-western areas, or those relating to marginalized communities). The project will give the researcher a voice in shaping and diversifying the collection, and provide behind-the-scenes experience in the structure and operation of the university library.
The researcher will work closely with the Visual & Performing Arts Librarian to become acquainted with the basic concepts of library collections, acquisitions, and cataloging. They will identify a specific gap in the BU arts collection based on their own area of interest, research available material or scholarship in that area (whether books, plays, or musical scores), and make recommendations for selections to ameliorate the collection gap.
This project is open to a student with a background in music, theater, dance, art, or art history, and an interest in books or libraries. It will be appropriate for those undertaking coursework in the School of the Arts (does not have to be a declared major).
Click here for more information, and to apply.
Zine Scenes: Crafting Community Connection through Zine-making in Academic Libraries
Faculty Mentor: Jennifer Embree and Jillian Sandy
Zines are self-published creative works with a rich history as a medium that allows for radical self-expression and meaning-making. They are becoming increasingly popular in academic settings, both within libraries and within course assignments. Because zines can be such a powerful engagement tool for self-expression, this project will explore ways in which zine-based programming can bolster library outreach and engagement efforts, support diversity amongst the campus community, and enhance courses through the creation of educational zines that incorporate applied research methods.
The student for this project will conduct a literature review on zines in academic institutions. The student will then take this knowledge to plan, design, and host two zine workshops or programs through the libraries in the Spring 2025 semester. They will use these events as opportunities to apply techniques for teaching zine workshops, including demonstrating how to use academic and popular sources, and gather and analyze data through surveys from the attendees. As part of the workshops, the student research scholar will promote the ORB as a repository for original student zines in order to reflect some of the creative works in that space.
Click here for more information, and to apply.
Research Analysis for the Libraries’ Instagram Platform
Staff Mentor: Bryan Field
Over the last couple of years, the Libraries social media presence has increased significantly, but has had varying degrees of success. Last year, the Libraries were able to identify methods of research through a literature review, and develop a method to analyze posts shared in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
The goals of this year’s research project will be to continue the longitudinal data collection using the previous quantitative methodology for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, as well as expand qualitative research through focus groups. Tasks may include expanding the literature review on library social media effectiveness, using the analytics available on the Instagram platform to gather data on posts, as well as creating and implementing focus groups.
The student researcher will be mentored in quantitative and qualitative methodologies as well as how to develop a literature review. Deliverables will include a report and presentation that will contribute to a longitudinal study to inform the Libraries’ social media marketing strategy on what content resonates the most with its online audience.
The project may be of interest for students in the marketing, communications or creative arts fields
