Authors and Advisors

Author

Dr. Julio Rivera

Dr. Julio Rivera researches "Big Data" problems and applies methodologies emphasizing "Business Geographics," which integrates Geographic Information Science (GIS), visualization techniques, and statistics. He brings this approach to problems in Marketing, Real Estate, Retail Site Selection, Economic Geography, and Data Analytics and challenges students to use these methods to solve problems and conduct research. He has directed numerous undergraduate student senior thesis projects, many of which were presented at regional and national conferences. He was the recipient of the 2002 Carthage College Distinguished Teaching Award, and is an Emeritus President of the Council on Undergraduate Research. Rivera regularly serves as a consultant to other colleges and universities as they develop undergraduate research programs. He serves as a consultant to government, business, and higher education and served as the Provost of Carthage College overseeing all aspects of the College's academic administration (2010–14).

Lead advisors

Dr. Julio Rivera

Dr. Julio Rivera researches "Big Data" problems and applies methodologies emphasizing "Business Geographics," which integrates Geographic Information Science (GIS), visualization techniques, and statistics. He brings this approach to problems in Marketing, Real Estate, Retail Site Selection, Economic Geography, and Data Analytics and challenges students to use these methods to solve problems and conduct research. He has directed numerous undergraduate student senior thesis projects, many of which were presented at regional and national conferences. He was the recipient of the 2002 Carthage College Distinguished Teaching Award, and is an Emeritus President of the Council on Undergraduate Research. Rivera regularly serves as a consultant to other colleges and universities as they develop undergraduate research programs. He serves as a consultant to government, business, and higher education and served as the Provost of Carthage College overseeing all aspects of the College's academic administration (2010–14).


Professor Stuart Hampton-Reeves

Stuart Hampton-Reeves is Professor of Shakespeare Studies and Research-Informed Teaching, and Director of Research for the Faculty of Culture and the Creative Industries at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. He is Chair of the British Conference of Undergraduate Research.

Accessibility advisor

Wilma Alexander

Wilma Alexander is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy with Masters in Human-Computer Interaction, Linguistics, and Information Science. She has over 15 years of experience as a manager with the online learning team at the University of Edinburgh, where she specialized in usable and accessible digital practice, tutored on the groundbreaking Masters in Digital Education, and developed online staff training on accessible e-learning and online tutoring skills. Since retiring from the University at the end of 2015, Wilma has provided consultancy services on all aspects of online learning, with a special focus on accessibility and usability issues.

Course structure

Welcome

Orientation

  • Introduction
  • Learning outcomes

Course files

    Module 1: What is research?

    • Research skills and attributes
    • The many faces of research
    • Research types and skills gained
    • Research in different contexts
    • Academic and professional journeys—where do you think you are going?
    • Module summary

    Module 2: Who needs research?

    • Assigning value to research skills
    • Building essential but intangible skills
    • Evaluating strengths and areas for growth to prepare for post-graduate opportunities
    • Module summary

    Module 3: Where does research support my goals?

    • What am I learning?
    • What will I do?
    • Skills matching
    • What you gain from the research experience
    • Module summary

Closing

  • Course summary
  • References

Course features

Course features include:

  • Animation introducing the concept of research, scholarship, and creativity
  • Comic strips exploring research with relatable examples.

Supporting institutions
  • Clark Atlanta University
  • Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
  • Johnson C. Smith University
  • Oakland University
  • Tulane University
  • University of Nebraska – Omaha
  • University of Southern Maine
  • University of Texas at El Paso
  • University of Westminster
  • University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
  • University of Wisconsin – Platteville
  • University of Wisconsin – River Falls
  • University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point