Research
The School of Communication both welcomes and encourages undergraduate student involvement in the research programs of faculty and graduate students by serving as undergraduate research assistants. Research assistants play a vital role in the research of any university, by helping with data collection and analysis, computer programming, library research, and writing of research reports for presentation and conferences and for publication. Undergraduates in the social sciences with research experience (especially in the form of an undergraduate thesis) and who meet other entry requirements are often highly sought out by graduate schools, including the graduate program in the School of Communication at The Ohio State University. Furthermore, people with research skills are also sought out in industry and the corporate world. Thus, serving as a research assistant can give you a competitive advantage in your quest for furthering your education in the social sciences or obtaining employment upon graduation. If you need a letter of recommendation from a faculty member for graduate school or a job, you will get a much stronger letter if you work in a faculty member’s lab. Because there is no such thing as too much experience, we especially encourage students to get involved early in their education, at least a year before graduation. It sounds a lot better for a faculty member to say that that you worked in their lab for two, three, or even four years than only a semester.
The School of Communication recruits undergraduate research assistants for ongoing research projects. You may earn "independent study" course credit by working on these projects or get involved on a voluntary basis—details are to be discussed with the faculty/project contacts.
Spring 2026 Undergraduate Research Project List
Project Title: Coder
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Brad J. Bushman
Contact Information: bushman.20@osu.edu
Total number of Research Assistants sought: 5
Project location: Remote/online
Minimum commitment per week: 3 hours
Preferred qualifications: Experience with Excel, organized, close attention to detail, strong reading comprehension.
Project description: This project involves coding research studies for meta-analytic reviews. The term meta-analysis literally means “analysis of analyses.” It is a quantitative literature review that combines the statistical analyses (e.g., correlations, standardized mean differences) from different studies conducted on the same topic. I am conducting a meta-analytic reviews on a variety of topics (e.g., narcissism, hate speech, aggression in hockey). Preference will be given to those who can work multiple semesters (e.g., SP26, SU26, AU26). This opportunity can be taken on a voluntary basis or for credit in Communication (COMM 4998).
Remote or in-person: Remote/online, emails and weekly Zoom meetings.
Format of remote interaction: There will be held weekly Zoom meetings to go through the information collected and any questions you might have.
Project Title: The Weapons Effect on Ice: Weapons on Jerseys Are Related to More Aggression in Hockey Games
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Brad J. Bushman
Contact Information: bushman.20@osu.edu
Total number of Research Assistants sought: 2
Project location: Remote/online
Minimum commitment per week: 3 hours
Preferred qualifications: Experience with Excel, organized, close attention to detail, strong reading comprehension.
Project description: I am conducting a study with Katarzyna (“Kasia”) Iwon, a PhD student from Warsaw, Poland visiting me for 6 months. We are doing a novel study on the “weapons effect” — the mere presence of a weapon can increase aggressive behavior. In hockey games, aggression is measured using minutes in the penalty box. The weapons cue is whether the Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ) jerseys have a cannon on them or the star with the Ohio flag. We need coders to code the type of jersey the CBJ wore on each game and whether the game was a home game or an away game. We can get the other variables from a National Hockey League (NHL) data set. Preference will be given to those who can work multiple semesters (e.g., SP26, SU26, AU26). This opportunity can be taken on a voluntary basis or for credit in Communication (COMM 4998).
Remote or in-person: Remote/online, emails and weekly Zoom meetings.
Format of remote interaction: There will be held weekly Zoom meetings to go through the information collected and any questions you might have.
Project Title: Trust in News Media Database Project
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Dominik Stecuła
Contact Information: stecula.3@osu.edu
Total number of Research Assistants sought: 1
Project location: Remote/online
Minimum commitment per week: 2 hours
Preferred qualifications: Experience with database management and Excel, Google Sheets, or the equivalent; organized, meticulous attention to detail, strong reading and analytical skills.
Project description: This project involves the collection and organization of survey data on public trust in news media in the United States. Research assistant will gather data from various survey depositories, code, and classify the survey questions into specific categories relevant to trust and media consumption. The data is part of an ongoing empirical project understanding trust and distrust of the news media and its measurement.
Remote or in-person: Remote/online, but happy to meet occasionally in person if this is the preference of the student.
Format of remote interaction: Zoom check-ins about status updates.
Project Title: Vaccine study analysis
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Dominik Stecuła
Contact Information: stecula.3@osu.edu
Total number of Research Assistants sought: 1
Project location: Remote/online
Minimum commitment per week: 2 hours
Preferred qualifications: Experience with database management and Excel, Google Sheets, or the equivalent; organized, meticulous attention to detail, strong reading and analytical skills.
Project description: This project focuses on analyzing the published scholarship on vaccines. It includes classifying studies of vaccine behaviors into categories, and extracting relevant findings from each study into a database of findings from this academic literature.
Remote or in-person: Remote/online, but happy to meet occasionally in person if this is the preference of the student.
Format of remote interaction: Zoom check-ins about status updates.
Project Title: User Experiences with Technology
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Jesse Fox
Contact Information: Link for application is below; do not email to apply. Questions about the position can be directed to Dr. Fox at fox.775@osu.edu.
Total number of Research Assistants sought: 4-6
Project location: Journalism Building 347
Minimum commitment per week: 6 hours (2 credits); up to 3 credits available.
Preferred qualifications: Good interpersonal and professional communication skills; attention to detail; ability to adhere to strict research protocols; independent, responsible, reliable, and timely. Students with an interest in human-computer interaction, user experience (UX), or user testing are strongly encouraged to apply. You must have some blocks of time available (2 hours or more) to run experiments in person in the laboratory Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM.
Project description: We are seeking research assistants to help conduct studies in the Journalism Building. You will be conducting live experimental sessions on a regular schedule, observing participants interact with social media, dating apps, and/or chatbots. You will develop several research skills that are useful for careers in UX/UR/HCI, user experience, and market research more broadly.
Remote or in-person: In-person
To apply for this position, please fill out the following link: https://forms.gle/aTPgz9xUJmMUnHJR7
Project Title: Crime & Media
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Jesse Fox
Contact Information: Link for application is below; do not email to apply. Questions about the position can be directed to Dr. Fox at fox.775@osu.edu.
Total number of Research Assistants sought: 4-6
Project location: Derby Hall or Journalism Building; some work can be done remotely.
Minimum commitment per week: 6 hours (2 credits); up to 3 credits available.
Preferred qualifications: Attentive to detail; strong organizational skills; ability to self-regulate and work independently, including making steady progress on long-term projects without constant supervision; reliable and timely. Must be available to attend regular in person project meetings/discussions (date/time TBD).
Project description: This position will involve gathering and synthesizing information related to missing persons and criminal cases from online sources, including newspapers, websites, and social media. As we will be information gathering about crimes and possible crime victims, you may be exposed to disturbing, offensive, or upsetting content and misinformation reported in the media or shared by others online. We will gather, collate, and organize this information, and meet regularly to discuss our progress and findings. Meetings will be in person whenever possible with Zoom as a backup. Some tasks can be performed remotely, although some tasks may require visiting the library or working in the lab.
Remote or in-person: Both. You will need to have stable internet to access and upload materials, work collaboratively in spreadsheets, and possibly attend meetings via Zoom.
To apply for this position, please fill out the following link: https://forms.gle/aTPgz9xUJmMUnHJR7
Communication Research Experience Program (C-REP)
Research experience is an important part of undergraduate education in the School of Communication. Some classes require student participation in research, while others allow students to earn extra credit in this way. The Communication Research Experience Program (C-REP) helps to connect students and researchers, and provides a way to track which studies a student has completed. The resources listed below provide more information about C-REP.
Video: A Student Guide to CREP