Undergraduate Research and the Academic Librarian: Case Studies and Best Practices, Volume 2

Research-based learning (RBL) has been discussed in German higher education teaching and learning since the end of 1960s, having found a revival in the 2000s with considerable federal funding which enabled a creation of a variety of RBL-formats at many universities across disciplines. Within this dynamic development, both the Standing Group on RBL (Arbeitsgruppe Forschendes Lernen; AG FL) and the annual student research conferences (Konferenz für Studentische Forschung; StuFos) play crucial roles. The AG FL supports actors of the teaching community in connecting various within the area with regard to exchanging knowledge and experiences, creating materials on RBL-teaching, fostering critical discussions on the members’ research, publishing, and providing a professional network. The StuFos allow students to visualize their research, exchanging ideas with others and thus familiarizing themselves with scientific practice within the academic community. These two entities provide that the given impetus turned into and remains a common endeavor within a community of practice with the students’ work becoming visible and applicable as well as sustainably published.

This article describes the initiative to establish a European network for undergraduate research (UR). This began with national initiatives in Germany and the United Kingdom, dating back 10 to 20 years. A strong impetus was given by the European project on digital UR (2021–2023), which also was a response to COVID-19 and extended the possibilities of digital UR for cross-cultural collaboration. The next step should be to seize the post-pandemic opportunity to advance UR in Europe through new hybrid pathways, with stronger links to national and European policies.

During April 3-6, 2023 the University of Warwick hosted the 3rd World Congress on Undergraduate Research (WorldCUR) alongside the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR), combining this international event with a national conference for the first time. The events brought together undergraduate researchers from around the world to present their ideas in international and interdisciplinary spoken and poster sessions. The planning of the events was disrupted and shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant a postponement of a year and, ultimately, led to two large in-person events, the first that most delegates had attended in many years. Feedback on the events was strong. This article discusses the organization and planning of the events, the evaluation feedback and the impact of the pandemic on WorldCUR-BCUR 2023.

The 2nd World Congress on Undergraduate Research, held at the University of Oldenburg, Germany, May 23-25, 2019, aimed to foster global dialogue across diverse research disciplines. It brought together exceptional undergraduate researchers to collaborate on pressing international challenges of the 21st century. The event featured six interdisciplinary themes that allowed students to present and discuss their research in lectures and poster sessions, and was framed by a two-day social program. In total, 467 participants from 35 countries and 98 universities presented their work. More than 60 students from low-income countries benefited from travel grants and the “beds for brains” program which organized private accommodations. This article outlines the concepts, organizational challenges, and evaluation results of the congress.

Spreading the value of undergraduate research globally is the main aim of the nascent Alliance for Global Undergraduate Research (AGUR) and its hallmark conference, the World Congress on Undergraduate Research (WorldCUR). This commentary highlights the historical development of AGUR, WorldCUR, their mission, main objectives, impact, and the “Doha Declaration,” a partnership framework for the “Internationalization” of undergraduate research. Recognizing the benefits of student research engagement, AGUR and WorldCUR strive to extend these formative experiences to the largest number of students around the globe. WorldCUR has so far positioned AGUR to connect the world through undergraduate research, bringing together student researchers from around the world to tackle the most significant challenges the world faces and to engage in scientific dialogues for knowledge production and sharing.

Determining the appropriate approach to addressing one’s research question(s) can be challenging for scholars at all levels. Notably, one may find themselves in a situation in which a single research paradigm or strategy is insufficient to robustly study the phenomenon in question. What, then, is the best course of action to take to execute the study with high fidelity? In this commentary, the authors introduce mixed methods research (MMR) as a potential solution to this concern and describe how MMR can be applied across diverse disciplinary contexts. They conclude the commentary by outlining several considerations for conducting studies that adopt a mixed methods design to aid readers in structuring their own MMR projects.

The themed Spring 2024 issue of Scholarship & Practice of Undergrad Research (SPUR): Global Perspectives and Practices of Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Inquiry features content addressing the expansion of student research in an international context. The collection of essays includes three open-access articles that substantively address the history, planning, and outcomes of the World Congresses on Undergraduate Research (WorldCUR) held successively in Qatar, Germany, and the United Kingdom; an article on the development of a European-wide student research network; an article on student research-based learning in Germany; and, an editorial, commentary, and book review addressing journal publication, research methods and library collaborations in undergraduate research.

Knowledge of the organizational structure of a journal is invaluable to prospective authors before, during, and even following publication. Hopefully, this knowledge empowers prospective Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research authors to contact the appropriate editorial staff with questions or concerns at any point in the publication process.