More than twenty years of research studies across different nations and cultures show that:
- Undergraduate research is effective in developing scientific competence, i.e. “students’ conceptions and practice of scientific thinking”,
- there is a clear positive effect on academic achievement: grades improve among students with research experience.
- Undergraduate research strengthens student retention.
- Undergraduate research supports inclusion and diversity.
- There are positive effects for marginalized groups. It particularly benefits historically underrepresented students, underserved students, and/or minority students.
- Undergraduate research benefits career prospects, especially if research, or dealing with research results, is part of later professional practice. (Meig, et al., 2023)
Other studies have shown that students who actively engage in research based learning (RBL) during their undergraduate years develop a raft of transferable skills that are not readily acquired through coursework or work placements alone. These include:
- advanced skills in project management, collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, data analysis and interpretation,
- written and oral communication – core competencies that are highly attractive to most (if not all) employers.
- ability to adopt new ideas, processes and technologies, increase an employer’s “absorptive capacity” (as noted on p84 of the Final Report).
- cultivate a next-generation workforce that better meets the needs of employers and is well positioned to drive the future knowledge economy.
- Develop personal resourcefulness and resilience and knowledge of oneself.
- skills, attitudes and attributes that students need in order to work successfully in contemporary workplaces following graduation (Donald et al., 2019).