Twenty Tips for High-School Students Engaging in Research with Scientists

Berta Andújar (1) , Gerard Campderrós (1) , María García (1) , Macarena Marino (1) , Marta Mas (1) , Lara Narbona (1) , Laia Pérez (1) , Pau Rodrigo (1) , Anna Júlia Velásquez (1) , Joana Vilà (1) , Daniel Laguna (1) , Timothée Flutre (2) , Mathilde Bonnefond (3) , Guillaume Sescousse (3) , Livio Riboli-Sasco (4)

1 Institut Lluis de Requesens
2 UMR AGAP - Amélioration génétique et adaptation des plantes méditerranéennes et tropicales
3 Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour
4 Atelier des Jours à Venir

Ten high-school students from Catalunya and two neuroscientists from the Netherlands started a research collaboration in 2012 investigating how colors may influence learning abilities. This research question was defined and developed solely by the students, with researchers joining the project later through the guidance of a facilitator and a teacher. This rather radical approach to “citizen-science” involved research collaborations on citizen-generated questions and was extremely rewarding for both parties involved. It provided skills, empowered participants, and enhanced the social relevance of science while allowing interactions that might have never happened otherwise. But the process was also challenging, which motivated the team of 10 students to propose “Twenty Tips” for other students interested in embarking on a similar journey. In the spirit of all research within this project, this article was a collaborative effort between the participants and thus departs structurally from other scientific articles.

Domaines: Sciences du Vivant [q-bio]

Berta Andújar, Gerard Campderrós, María García, Macarena Marino, Marta Mas, et al.. Twenty Tips for High-School Students Engaging in Research with Scientists. Frontiers for Young Minds, 2015, 3, 7 p. ⟨10.3389/frym.2015.00007⟩. ⟨hal-01235876⟩