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.
Autumn 2025 Undergraduate Research Project List
Project Title: Meta-Analysis Coder
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: 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 review with a PhD student I am working with from Warsaw Poland, Katarzyna (“Kasia”) Iwon <iwon.1@osu.edu>, who will be taking my meta-analysis course (COMM 7715) this semester. Preference will be given to those who can work AU25 and SP26 semesters. 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: Memory and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Bingjie Liu
Contact Information: liu.11321@osu.edu
Total number of Research Assistants sought: 2
Project location: Remote/online
Minimum commitment per week: 6 hours (2 credits)
Preferred qualifications: Experience with Excel, close attention to detail, strong reading comprehension, effective communication and collaboration skills, and organized.
Project description: People’s memory of content may be influenced by their usage of AI. We have already collected data of on this topic, and we will need your help with examining the research participants’ report to determine how well they remembered. Most work will be done in Excel.
Remote or in-person: Remote
Format of remote interaction: Emails and/or weekly Zoom meetings with the faculty supervisor and/or the research team.
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 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. 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
Format of remote interaction: Email will be used as needed for organization.
To apply for this position, please fill out the following link: https://forms.gle/aPdyc6wgLyZ69knr9
Project Title: Tech Use
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: 2-3
Project location: Journalism Building & Derby Hall
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; organized and able to oversee multiple things at once; reliable and timely. 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 and Derby Hall. You will be interacting with participants, determining eligibility, and overseeing data collection.
Remote or in-person: In person
Format of remote interaction: Email will be used as needed for organization.
To apply for this position, please fill out the following link: https://forms.gle/aPdyc6wgLyZ69knr9
Project Title: Video Coding
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 347 / remote
Minimum commitment per week: 6 hours (2 credits); up to 3 credits available
Preferred qualifications: Attentive to detail; ability to self-regulate and work independently, including making steady progress on long-term projects without constant supervision; reliable and timely; availability for up to 3 training meetings between 10 AM & 5 PM Eastern time (times to be determined). Students with an interest in human-computer interaction, user experience (UX), or user testing are encouraged to apply.
Project description: We are seeking research assistants to help code and analyze videos. 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: Both
Format of remote interaction: Meetings will be in person or over Zoom. Coding may take place in the lab or remotely. You will need to have stable synchronous access for training and meetings over Zoom. Regular tasks can be done offline and uploaded weekly.
To apply for this position, please fill out the following link: https://forms.gle/aPdyc6wgLyZ69knr9
Project Title: Coding Experiences
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: 4-5
Project location: Remote
Minimum commitment per week: 6 hours (2 credits); up to 3 credits available
Preferred qualifications: Attentive to detail; ability to self-regulate and work independently, including making steady progress on long-term projects without constant supervision; reliable and timely; availability for up to 3 training meetings between 10 AM & 5 PM Eastern time (times to be determined).
Project description: This position will entail coding sensitive data tied to experiences in health or educational settings. Some data will include negative emotional experiences tied to one’s identity. Please note these descriptions can be upsetting, and some include offensive and hurtful language.
Remote or in-person: Meetings will be in person or over Zoom. Coding may take place in the lab or remotely.
Format of remote interaction: You will need to have stable synchronous access for training and meetings over Zoom. Regular tasks can be done offline and uploaded weekly.
To apply for this position, please fill out the following link: https://forms.gle/aPdyc6wgLyZ69knr9
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
Sona (School of Communication Research Participation Portal)
Some links on this page are to Adobe .pdf files requiring the use of Adobe Reader. If you need these files in a more accessible format, please contact schofcomm@osu.edu.