How High School Students Can Get Research Experience Without a Lab

In this blog, you will find out how high school students can get meaningful research experience when they may not have a traditional laboratory; and what is the number one question that most students ask if not verbalized somewhere — Can I do meaningful research from home or at school? The answer is "yes!" Armed with curiosity, resources, and some creative out-of-the-box thinking, you can begin your research experience in many venues! This blog will provide you the links to get you started, highlight programs like RISE Global Education, and some effective practical tips to assist you in developing your research skills and portfolio.

What Counts as Research for High School Students?

Research is not just lab coats and test tubes. It is essentially asking questions, finding information, and looking for new understanding and new solutions. Over the course of an academic year research can look like this for high schoolers:

• Literature reviews in English, social sciences, or history,

• Data analysis from open source datasets,

• Surveys or interviews from psychology, sociology, or community projects,

• Theoretical projects in studies like math, economics, or computer science,

• Creative projects using the arts or humanities, and

• Independent experiments using common household materials or online simulations.

More importantly, it is about a research process: define a question, find and analyse information and present your results. Schools and mentors appreciate initiative, critical thinking, and original investigations, and you don't need a lab!

Why Pursue Research Without a Lab?

• Accessibility: Anyone, in any location, with enough curiosity and commitment can have an experience researching. It doesn't matter if it happens in a lab, across town, or even in a different country.

• Flexibility: You can pursue what interests you and at your own pace. You can also develop a project that leverages your strengths.

• Skill Development: You will develop problem-solving, writing, data analysis, and communication skills—skills that are important in any field.

• College Applications: Independent research displays initiative, intellectual curiosity, and self-motivation.

Busting some common myths

• “I need a lab to do real research.”

•  False! Independent, community-based, or virtual-based research is no less valuable than research conducted in a lab.

• “Only science counts as research.”

•  Not true! Projects in literature, history, economics and the arts, do matter just as much as everything else.

• “If I don’t publish, it’s not worth it.”

•  You are still building skills and experience which is what the process is about. If you publish, it would be a bonus, not a requirement.

Getting Started: Steps for Starting Your Own Research Project 

1. Choose a Topic and Create a Question  

Think about what you are interested in. What has you puzzled about? What are you trying to understand? Sample research questions: 

• How does social media use affect sleep patterns in teenagers? 

• What economic conditions impact local small businesses? 

• In what ways have protest art movements shaped public perceptions? 

• Can I create a computer simulation to model virus spread/neighborhood studies on organized crime? 

2. Literature Review

You will want to take advantage of available resources (textbooks, peer-reviewed articles, and reliable online sources) to learn about what is known about your topic already. Resources may include: 

• Google Scholar 

• JSTOR (free through your public or university library) 

• Public Library databases  

3. Design your Research 

In developing your project, you will approach this differently, depending on the type of research conducted for your field. Examples of research designs are: 

• Online survey distributed via a web-post of online community bulletin board or public survey in your community 

• Analyze existing data sets using government data sites or from open-source databases 

• Interviews or conversations with experts or members of a community, their ideas, and their perspectives 

• Create a theoretical model to try to understand or run simulations, to compare views or art works and to identify patterns or themes 

4. Collect and Analyze Data

• Utilize Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to conduct surveys. 

• You could learn basic statistics or use spreadsheeting software to analyze them. 

• If you conduct interviews, you can always record them (with their permission) and find common or substantive themes. 

5. Present Your Findings

Provide your findings in a style that is relevant to your project:

• Write a research paper or essay

• Design a presentation or poster

• Make a simple website or blog

• Make a podcast or video

Recording your development, process, and findings is beneficial for your college admission portfolio and it is useful for developing communication skills.

Where to Look For Virtual and Non-Lab Research Opportunities

There are many organizations and universities that have moved to virtual offerings. These virtual programs allow for a mentoring relationship, working as part of a research team, or working independently on a specific project, all online.

Of the options, RISE Research https://riseglobaleducation.com/  is a leading option because of the focus on mentorship, hands-on research, affordable pricing, and ability to potentially publish/present your work. This program connects students with experienced field mentors, provides support and guidance throughout the research process, and provides support for publishing and/or presenting your research. RISE Research does not guarantee any outcomes like acceptance into an Ivy League School, but they provide the tools, network, and support to help me grow as a researcher and changemaker.

Independent Research and Competitions

If you can't find formal programs, consider:

• Creating your project and getting feedback from a teacher, librarian or community expert.

• Joining competitions like science fairs, essay competitions, and innovation expos, many of which accept independent research projects and topics from whatever discipline you choose.

• Connecting with others through online communities (Reddit, Discord, academic forums, et cetera - whatever you choose).

What to Do to Find a Mentor (without a lab)

Be aware that not every mentor will be a lab mentor, so consider:

• Contacting professors or graduate students at your local college who do work that interests you and writing a nice email about it. Requesting their advice consists of literally one line saying, "Can you please help me?"

• Asking your teachers and guidance counsellors if they can connect you to someone. 

• Connecting with professionals in your community (doctors, business owners, artists, nonprofit leaders, etc.) who could offer insights or assist you answering questions if you were to interview them. 

• Looking on line mentorship portals designed to connect students with researchers or other experts in their fields.

Developing Online Research Skills 

If you are starting with research, develop a basic skill set: 

• Online courses: There are free or inexpensive online courses through websites like Coursera, edX, or Khan Academy on research methods, statistics methods, scientific and technical writing, evaluated data interpretation, and so forth. 

• Webinars and workshops: Most universities or organizations will host a free online event for high school-aged students. 

• YouTube guides and tutorials: You can find more than a few YouTube tutorials that walk you step-by-step through making an instrument (like surveys), evaluating data, or writing research paper recommendations. 

Tracking and Presenting Your Work 

You want to track what you are doing reflectively and presentively (so that you can use them if and when you apply to colleges/internships so you have physical evidence). You can keep a research journal, make a digital portfolio, or even a simple Honesty and Trust website and display your projects, processes, and findings. Doing this not only allows you to observe your own progress, but also serves as physical evidence of what you have learned. 

Examples from the World

• Survey-Based Research: A student engages local high school teens to complete a survey about the impact of social media on their mental health and analyses the data which she then presents the findings at a local youth conference.

• Data Analysis: An aspiring economist uses public datasets to examine trends using small businesses as his case studies, and writes a report for his local business association.

• Literature Review: A passionate history buff uses primary documents to examine civil rights movements and writes an essay that he submits to a national essay competition.

• Creative humanities project: An interested student studies protest art, particularly visual art over the decades, makes a virtual exhibit, and shares it with the school community.

Key Takeaways

• You don’t have a laboratory in order to be a researcher—you have to have a sense of curiosity and commitment.

• Having mentors, having hands-on research, and the opportunity to publish or present work all happen at RISE Research.

• Starting a research process early gives you a head start for college and beyond.

• Start small, ask for help/feedback, and follow your interests!

Call to Action

Are you ready to start your research journey? Go to RISE Research to learn about our programs, connect with mentors, and join a global community of student researchers. Your next big discovery is one click away - no lab coat needed!