OSP Research Lab
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What projects do OSP Lab RA's work on?
- Instead of assisting on an existing project, students are encouraged to pursue their own research projects (or group research projects) under the guidance of Dr. Nelson.
How does the OSP Lab work?
- The lab is asynchronous, meaning that there are currently no set meeting times.
- The lab uses Canvas and Microsoft Teams for all lab correspondence. If a live meeting is desired with Dr. Nelson, this can be scheduled.
- Students are expected to participate in weekly discussions where one member of the lab will provide a research article to be read and discussed.
- Each member of the lab will be expected to complete the weekly reading at least once each semester.
- To get the most out of the OSP Lab experience, students should be prepared to participate across multiple semesters.
What are the lab duties for RA's in the OSP Lab?
- In the first semester, students will be expected to conduct a comprehensive literature review on a topic of their choice to develop an understanding of the existing literature in the field.
- Students are expected to learn a new statistical program (JASP, SPSS, or R) during time in the lab.
- After the first semester, students are encouraged to develop their own studies once they have demonstrated that they have enough background knowledge in their topic of choice to develop a novel hypothesis.
Who should apply for the RA position at the OSP Lab?
- World Campus students who are interested in pursuing graduate education in psychology, especially Ph.D. programs, where research will be a major component of the program.
- Generally, students should have already taken (or are currently taking) PSYCH 301W, however, this is not a strict requirement. Students with PSYCH 301 experience will be given priority if there are more applicants than there are available positions.
Are any other skills or experiences needed to apply?
- Students who apply to the lab must be self-motivated.
- This is NOT a typical course where students will be graded on frequent assignment submissions.
- Students must take the initiative to do the work, and to reach out to Dr. Nelson when they need guidance.
- Dr. Nelson will be checking in occasionally and offering feedback, but the students are ultimately responsible for their own progress.
- Students who have the most success in this lab are not afraid to reach out to Dr. Nelson frequently.
Can I use this experience for course credit or as a reference?
- Students are expected to sign up for 3 credits of PSYCH 494, which consists of 9 hours of work per week. Exceptions will be made for lower amounts of credits on a case-by-case basis. Students may also volunteer for this experience.
- In addition to earning credits and learning valuable research skills, students can request a letter of recommendation from Dr. Nelson. Getting letters of recommendation from faculty members you have worked on research with outside of a classroom is essential for getting into research-oriented graduate programs.
Questions?
- Please feel free to email Dr. Nelson with any questions at ajn157@psu.edu.
Get In Touch!
Please feel free to contact us via email to learn more about the OSP Lab. Tell us about yourself – why the OSP Lab interests you and what your research interests are.Â
Penn State World Campus Department of Psychology
140 Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802
SMS Text
(720) 608-7216