What is an abstract?
An abstract is a short preview of your report intended to inform potential readers about your topic, research, and findings. It usually comes at the beginning of a paper and allows people to get a brief glimpse into the content of your research before reading your report in its entirety.

Abstracts are also commonly used as presentation proposals for academic conferences. The abstract gives conference organizers an idea of what you’d like to present. At times, the abstract is publicized in the conference program, so that attendees can decide whether to attend your session or someone else’s. For all these reasons, it’s important than an abstract be clearly written and give a focused overview of your report or presentation.

An abstract should include the following:

• A title that clearly indicates the focus of you report, presentation, or essay
• The research or data that you have incorporated into the report
• The methodology you used to collect data (if you are writing a scientific report) or the logical structure or theoretical framework from which you are writing your argument (if you are writing an essay in the humanities)
• Your findings, if you are writing a scientific report; your argument, if you are writing an essay in the humanities
• If you have space, a hint as to the implications of your findings or the general importance of your argument

A good exercise for writing an abstract is to continually answer the question “What is my report/paper/presentation about?” or, more accurately, “What does my report/paper/presentation do?”

The Writing Center
The Writing Center has Writing Consultants who may be able to help craft an effective abstract.  Contact the center for more details.

Statistical Consulting Center
The Statistical Consulting Center (SCC) is operated by the Department of Statistics at GVSU. The SCC provides statistical advice and assistance with projects that are for research or instructional purposes.

University Libraries
The GVSU libraries offer a variety of services including one-on-one research consultations with a librarian or with a student peer in the Knowledge Market, access to scholarly databases, specific subject guides for your major, and drop-in workshops.

Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors
Visit the writing center for help at any stage of your writing process. The center's well-trained peer consultants can help you to brainstorm ideas, organize content, integrate research, polish a draft, and correctly document sources. Any graduate or undergraduate GVSU student can take advantage of the drop-in hours simply by coming into the center with a draft of a paper. Sessions typically last 20-30 minutes.

Speech Lab
Undergraduate consultants are available to assist with the following: choosing a speech topic, developing a speech purpose statement, selecting source material for speech content, crafting an organized presentation, producing visual aids, effectively introducing and concluding speeches, and speech delivery.

Oral Presentations
An oral presentation is more than just reading a paper or set of slides to an audience. How you deliver your presentation is at least as important in effectively communicating your message as what you say. Use these guidelines to learn simple tools that help you prepare and present an effective presentation, and design PowerPoint slides that support and enhance your talk.

Human Research Review Committee
The Human Research Review Committee (HRRC) is comprised of GVSU faculty, staff and community members who review proposed research studies involving living persons.

The HRRC ensures that the basic rights and welfare of research participants are fostered and protected. The HRRC supports researchers through its coordinated activities in education, regulatory compliance oversight, and post approval monitoring. All research involving human subjects performed at GVSU and/or by GVSU students, staff, and/or faculty must be reviewed and approved by the Human Research Review Committee prior to beginning the research.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
The Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) provides oversight in animal research activities at GVSU.

The Committee's role is to ensure that investigators, research technicians, animal care personnel, and students are properly trained to conduct animal research in a humane manner. The Committee ensures that all animal research at GVSU is conducted in accordance with IACUC standards and complies with the Public Health Service policies and USDA animal welfare regulations.

Lab Safety Program
The Lab Safety Program is committed to providing a safe laboratory environment to Grand Valley's employees, students and visitors. In order to accomplish this, GVSU has established guidelines to ensure safe lab practices and training programs. In addition, Lab Safety staff provides additional resources to evaluate hazards and minimize the risk of injury or illness to students, faculty and research staff.

Responsible Conduct of Research
Active scholarship is an essential component of Grand Valley State University's mission as an institution of higher learning. All staff, faculty and students who participate in research are expected to perform their work to the highest degree of professional and ethical standards.

The responsible conduct of research (RCR) is critical for excellence; we encourage the entire Grand Valley State University community to engage in RCR training and education.

RESEARCH COMPLIANCE AND INTEGRITY
If you are conducting any type of research abroad, you should be in contact with the Office of Research Compliance and Integrity (RCI). Although the research is being conducted abroad rather than on campus, you are still held to GVSU standards and must follow guidelines for ethical research.

• If your research involves humans or animals, you need to have proper authorization and approval.
  • The Human Research Review Committee (HRRC) oversees all research involving human subjects. All research involving human subjects performed by GVSU students and faculty must be reviewed and authorized by the HRRC before beginning the research. For more information on rules and regulations as well as on the application submission process, visit the HRRC website.
  • The Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) oversees animal research activities conducted by GVSU students and faculty. For project submission guidelines and information on rules and regulations, visit the IACUC website.

When handling research data in another country, faculty and students must comply with federal laws and guidelines. Information about Export Controls can be found here, including export control policies and developing a technology control plan.

APPROVAL PROCESS
ALL students who are earning credit for research conducted abroad for are required to apply for approval through the Padnos International Center. This applies to any student earning credit through GVSU or an outside institution. If you are not earning credit either through GVSU or another institution, you must register your trip with the Padnos International Center, but there is no approval process necessary.

Earning credit: Padnos International Center Application and Approval Required

Not earning credit: Padnos International Center Application (no approval needed)

Applications can be submitted through the Padnos International Center at: www.gvsu.edu/oasis

TRAVEL CONSIDERATIONS
Before traveling, here are some resources to help you prepare for your experience abroad. For more information regarding travel considerations, contact the Padnos International Center.

• Passport, Visa & Flight
  • All students will need a passport to conduct research abroad.
  • Some students may be required to obtain a visa (entry clearance) prior to traveling. Visa requirements vary by country.
  • Visit here for more information on how to obtain a passport, information on visa requirements, and how to book a flight.
• Health & Safety
  • For information on student health, safety, and security during international travel, visit here.
  • When considering studying abroad in a country on the U.S. Travel Warning list, please refer to GVSU’s travel warning policy.
• Knowing your destination
  • Use these resources to learn more about the country where you are planning on traveling. In addition, you should conduct your own research about the country you are visiting.
• Travel tips
  • For tips on topics such as packing, bringing money, relationships with host families, and being a good representative, visit this link.
• Policies
  • Before traveling, become familiar with important policies such as academic and financial policies by contacting Elena Selezneva at [email protected].

FAQs
Here are some of our most common questions regarding undergraduate research and scholarship at GVSU.

GVSU Office of Fellowships
The purpose of the office is to provide nationally competitive scholarship and fellowship advising services to GVSU students and alumni who show extraordinary potential in disciplines all across campus. The website has an extensive list of non-GVSU scholarship and fellowship opportunities.

Padnos International Center
If you wish to conduct research abroad, consider contacting the Padnos International Center (PIC). PIC promotes, advises, and administers study abroad and internship opportunities for students in over 4,000 locations globally.

CUR Student Resource Center
The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Student Resource Center's main goal is to provide valuable content and guidance on varying subject matters within the undergraduate resource student needs.

Scholar Works
The repository is a service of the Grand Valley State University libraries. Research and scholarly output included here has been selected and deposited by the individual university departments and centers on campus.

WebGURU
The Web Guide to Research for Undergraduates (WebGURU) is an interactive web-based tool intended to assist undergraduates navigate the hurdles of an undergraduate research experience.