2018-2019

Spotlight on the Kinsey Institute Condom Use Research Team

Tuesday, May 07, 2019

Since its founding in 1947, the Kinsey Institute has been a national leader and innovator in sexual health research. Dr. Alfred Kinsey established the institute with two goals: first, to research human sexual behavior, and second, to administer research resources, such as a library and a collection of case histories. Read about how the Kinsey Institute Condom Use Research Team, or KI-CURT,  continues the institute’s legacy of connecting groundbreaking research to the public in its work. 

A shift towards open science

Sunday, April 14, 2019

“Publish or perish.” This is a saying many researchers are familiar with, a concept that has led to competition and aggression in the research community, potentially at the expense of scientific inquiry and discovery. Too often, researchers are overly focused on the number of publications they have, even though this mindset may lead to a lower quality of work. A recent push towards “open science” attempts to combat the “publish or perish” mentality.

Is a hot dog a sandwich? The world may never know.

Monday, April 01, 2019

The Fourth of July: a day when millions of Americans gather outside homes, public areas, and bridges to witness spectacular fireworks, eat watermelon, and engage in familial debates involving contested topics that define our generation. Perhaps the underdog of debates that is currently dividing the country is whether or not hot dogs are considered to be sandwiches. While such a debate may seem trivial, its answer can shape the very foundation of societal structure and is capable of impacting institutional economics and public perspective.

A year “on”: the gap year experience

Monday, March 25, 2019

IUJUR sat down with Charley Jackson, MPA Candidate concentrating in Nonprofit Management at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, to discuss how structured gap year programs promote personal and professional development for years to come.

A Tour of the Bradshaw Lab: Relevant Research in Lipid Neuroscience

Saturday, March 02, 2019

While often hidden in the shadow of the Psychology building, the MSBII building on campus is home to some innovative and groundbreaking research in neuroscience. In her lipid neuroscience lab, Dr. Bradshaw investigates the function and regulation of cannabis receptors in the brain.

Volume IV of IUJUR Released

Thursday, February 14, 2019

The Indiana University Journal of Undergraduate Research (IUJUR) staff is excited to announce its release of Volume IV, featuring undergraduate research from all over the IU campus.

IU project harnesses 3D modeling to give new life to ancient relics

Thursday, January 10, 2019

A flight to Florence may no longer be necessary to see ancient sculptures by Botticelli, da Vinci, or Michelangelo at the Uffizi Gallery. By harnessing the power of 3D modeling, IU’s Virtual World Heritage Lab is working to bring 500 to 600 ancient statues housed at the Uffizi to the livings rooms — or computer screens — of researchers, scholars and art-lovers.

Stop Boring Your Subjects: Tips to Spice Up Your Experiments

Thursday, November 29, 2018

In the 1940s, the world witnessed what may well be the most boring experiment a subject has ever participated in. In this elaborate study, subjects performed a variety of mental tests before and after multiplying 4-digit numbers in their heads for 12 hours straight. As if this wasn’t bad enough, they were then expected to come back for the next three days to do exactly the same thing. In this article, Calvin Isch explores the implications of boring the subjects in an experiment, as well as provides tips for avoiding this.

Defamiliarizing science in Victorian science fiction

Sunday, November 11, 2018

Reason and logic were celebrated as the ultimate ideals of Victorian era science. A perfect understanding of reality was a tangible and achievable goal. So, what problems do scientists face in pursuing it?

The Institute for Communication Research opens its doors to interested undergraduates

Monday, October 29, 2018

Hidden away in the depths of Franklin Hall’s basement is the Institute for Communication Research (ICR). If you venture down there, you will likely find Sharon Mayell, assistant director and research associate with the ICR, ready and willing to give you a tour of the facility, but it is helpful to make an appointment first.