CIEE Directed Independent Research

Philosophy

CIEE believes that independent research can add great value to the study abroad experience, and that such research must be academically rigorous, ethically sound and culturally appropriate. This document outlines the CIEE approach to ensuring that academic learning occurs through a student’s participation in directed independent research. We ask study abroad advisors, academic advisors, and students to closely read through the CIEE standards and procedures, as well as information related to learning goals and academic evaluation.

Overview and Offerings

CIEE provides support, at designated Study Centers, for students interested in carrying out directed independent research project.

Several designated Study Centers offer directed independent research as a required component in either a required or optional course. When research projects are part of a CIEE course, we take appropriate steps to assure that academic and ethical standards are addressed through research topics embedded in the course.

At other designated Study Centers, directed independent research is an optional and individual undertaking facilitated by on-site resident CIEE staff and under supervision of a local faculty member with expertise in the particular research topic. For a list of program destinations where independent research is offered in the latter category, please click here. The following information pertains to those students completing independent research in the latter category only. Recommended credit for CIEE Directed Independent Research projects is three U.S. semester credit hours.

Academic Requirements

Students planning to conduct and carry out directed independent research will be asked to comply with the following requirements:

• Students must submit a Directed Independent Research proposal form, signed by his/her academic advisor and study abroad advisor, and a résumé with academic, professional, volunteer or relevant experience for conducting research in desired specific academic discipline.
• Students will complete a Directed Independent Research Learning Contract on-site that clearly identifies the student’s academic responsibilities, including the specific learning goals and the specific means by which the independent research will be assessed.
• Students will complete on-line training modules on research and ethics through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI); see https://www.citiprogram.org. The specific modules will be sent to students by CIEE Resident Staff.

Research Ethics

The CIEE Resident Director approves the content and methodologies of all independent research to ensure that the topic and methodologies to be applied are appropriate within the local cultural context. Students completing directed independent research are required to complete an on-line training program, The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). CIEE has identified several modules concerning research and ethics that students conducting independent research are required to complete.

The U.S. and many other governments strictly regulate research involving human subjects because of the legal and ethical issues that such research can raise. Students need to apply for permission at their home institutions to carry out research involving human subjects – CIEE is unable to provide this permission. The student should apply for permission at their home institutions’ Institutional Review Board, or IRB. (Some institutions refer to these as Human Subjects Review Boards or Human Participant Review Boards). If students fail to obtain permission from their home institution IRB (or equivalent body) prior to beginning their human subject research abroad, they will not be able to use the results of that research when they return home following study abroad – they will not, in other words, be able to use it as part of a Senior Thesis or other project.

Procedures and Evaluation

A student enrolled in a Directed Independent Research project will interact with two key players while he or she is abroad: a) The Independent Research Supervisor (in some cases, this may be the CIEE Resident Director); b) The Academic Advisor abroad.

Following meetings at the Study Center with the Independent Research Supervisor and the Academic Advisor, the student must submit the following information:

• Academic subject area(s)
• Working title of independent research project
• Specific learning goals
• Methodology to be used
• Literature review (initial list of resources)

Following receipt of this document, the on-site Academic Advisor will meet again with the student to identify a timeline with which the student will comply in completing all learning activities associated with the independent research. The schedule will take into account these activities, at a minimum:

• Completion of reading
• Narrowing of research topic
• Completion of literature review
• Completion of student-written research plan (to be approved by academic advisor)
• Individual meetings between academic advisor and student for questions and guidance
• Submission of outline drafts, final outline, draft papers, final paper

The on-site Academic Advisor will assess students by issuing a final grade based on the student’s success in completing a series of specific assignments throughout the semester, including drafts of the outline and final paper (20-25 pages), a journal in which the student is required to make substantive entries about his or her weekly progress and ten to twelve one-hour meetings with the Academic Advisor. Below is a typical break-down of grading for a three-credit project. Assignment descriptions and percentages may differ slightly at each site.