Introduction
Conducting research at different levels varies significantly in their methods and topics. The graduate level and the undergraduate level have some significant dissimilarities that can have a significant impact on the work process. The level of depth and complexity required for the qualifying performance of work differs depending on the student’s stage of education. Conducting academic research at the undergraduate and graduate levels has significant differences that should be considered when writing papers.
Differences in Academic Research Between Undergraduate and Graduate Levels
Requirements for In-Depth Study of the Subject
The first example of differences can be called the requirements for a better and more in-depth study of the subject. This, in turn, means that the qualification paper should cover the topic in more detail and fully answer all questions. At the undergraduate level, the focus may be on shared knowledge and theories.
At the same time, graduate-level work requires students to understand the topic in order to carry out their scientific developments fully. For example, at the undergraduate level, I researched the impact of polluted air on the respiratory system in a project. However, the final work needed to focus on specific particles in the air that can cause certain diseases by entering a person’s lungs. This means the work should become more specific and have a particular scientific potential.
The Necessity for Originality and Innovation in Graduate-Level Research
Another critical difference is that graduate-level research needs to contain originality and innovation. Undergraduate work may contain information based on other scientific publications and be carried out as a summary, while the final work should bring something new to the developed topic (Curry & DeBoer, 2020). For example, in my undergraduate research project, I wrote a paper using existing statistics to test a hypothesis. A graduate-level research project required me to collect original data and base my work on personal experiments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be said that two different levels of the educational process require entirely different approaches to writing projects. An undergraduate program may not give students a rigid framework regarding the necessary knowledge and literature. However, graduation papers must have high scientific originality and provide innovative solutions.
Reference
Curry, F. N., & DeBoer, J. (2020). A Systematized Literature Review of The Factors that Predict the Retention of Racially Minoritized Students in STEM Graduate Degree Programs. In 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access Proceedings (p. 34069). Web.