What can Research do for you?

‘GROUPS provided me with invaluable experience in working collaboratively on a rapidly evolving piece of work.  This is something that I directly draw from in my new work environment.  Feeling as though I’m prepared to handle multi-person drafting projects, has really helped me settle into my position.’
Tess, LSE GROUPS 2018

 ‘… multiple sessions on research skills, such as effective literature searching, statistical data analysis in SPSS, and conducting interviews were organised every day.  I was able to brush up on my existing research skills and learn some new ones too.  Furthermore, I also presented my research findings to several LSE academics and all GROUPS participants and received detailed feedback on my report at the end of the programme.  This was a great way to hone my skills in presenting and report-writing and served as preparation for my summative projects in LSE’
Jeria, LSE GROUPS 2018

‘I really enjoyed participating in LSE GROUPS!  I have benefited from learning different types of research methods from both quantitative and qualitative disciplines, as I can deploy different methods more confidently in my future research projects.’
Anonymous, GROUPS 2019

‘We were torn between two topics, before eventually agreeing on terrorism.  With the help of our supervisor, we shared our ideas on what areas of terrorism we could research, before formulating our research question.  The process of discussing an idea and formulating a research question helped me a huge amount two years later when I needed to formulate my own research question for my final year research project… During our year, there was, unfortunately, a terror attack in London.  This posed a serious challenge for our research.  Not only was this a hugely emotional incident, but this posed a challenge for research ethics.  It would be difficult to conduct in-person interviews about this topic.  We then discussed a new research methodology between ourselves to ensure we could still conduct our research whilst respecting the ethics of research.  This process taught us a lot about research ethics, something which is always relevant when conducting research at any stage in one’s research career.  It is something I remembered to be conscious of when I conducted my own research later on.’
Preeti, GROUPS 2017

‘LSE GROUPS was such a valuable experience for me on so many levels.  I was extremely nervous at first and couldn’t imagine writing an academic paper in the space of two weeks.  Having successfully mastered the project I now have a lot more confidence in my writing skills, especially those for last minute essays. The final presentation made me feel like my opinion is one that can actually shape change and resonate.’
Giulia, GROUPS 2019

‘…these two weeks at GROUPS gave me confidence that I too could contribute towards writing an original research paper.’
Karthik, GROUPS 2018

‘During the time I undertook LSE GROUPS, I became more confident in analysing numbers and in relaying this information concisely to others.  By contributing in writing the research paper, I was able to build upon this and it helped me further to improve my essay writing skills for my second- and third-year modules. (I took LSE GROUPS in my first year).’
Areesh, GROUPS 2017

‘LSE GROUPS is an excellent activity to put on your CV and show your employers you are a genuine team-player with the ability to deliver results, stay organised, and persist through pressure and rapid deadlines in a two-week exhilarating environment.  But there is a charm about the programme that radiates well beyond finding a job...  I met many like-minded and friendly fellow students, and together we worked on our research in both a diligent and light-hearted manner that allowed plenty of scope for creativity and humour.'
Brooklyn, LSE GROUPS 2019

 ‘...LSE GROUPS was a great way to make new friends. As I spent almost 7 hours a day for two weeks working with my group, the programme ended up having a strong social element to it as well...  Most of the groups were extremely diverse, consisting of students across all years of undergraduate study and degree programme—people I would have been unlikely to meet if not for the programme.  Coming from the Department of Statistics, it was interesting to hear the perspectives of group members from departments such as Anthropology and Management, and we were able to draw upon the skills gained in our respective subject areas to produce a successful report.  If you would like to meet other students with an interest in research, then LSE GROUPS is one of the best ways to do so!..  My experience at LSE GROUPS 2018 was an unforgettable one, and I truly enjoyed dedicating two weeks to studying something that interests me alongside a bunch of fantastic students and supportive faculty'
Jeria, GROUPS 2018

‘...intense discussion and the odd argument showed me the relevance of fundamental, underlying academic debates (such as between quantitative and qualitative research) and the acute importance of inter-disciplinary conversation’
Giulia, GROUPS 2019

‘…also please don’t be scared by the group work and presentation, as everyone around you is just so friendly and supportive.’
Yaqing, GROUPS 2018

‘I enjoyed meeting and collaborating with fellow LSE students from a range of departments.  I really valued the advice given by experienced academics.  They answered our queries but also gave us space to explore and construct our project as a team.’
Georgina, GROUPS 2017-18

‘...our group chose to examine the perceived success of microfinance initiatives in Bangladesh at improving the situation of women in poverty.’
Rory, GROUPS 2017-18

‘My group worked on the impact of the new Crossrail connectivity on regional identity in Brentwood, Essex, which lies outside traditional London boundaries and now was in the process of getting connected to London via the Underground network.’
Karthik, GROUPS 2018

‘The theme of LSE GROUPS 2018 was “Belonging”, and my group chose to investigate how students’ sense of belonging to LSE varies across departments.  I’ve always wondered, for example, whether smaller or bigger departments are better at fostering a sense of belonging to the school, so I really enjoyed being able to study this myself.  If you’re looking for a way to apply the knowledge you’ve gained at university to investigate something you’re interested in, then GROUPS is the perfect opportunity!’
Jeria, GROUPS 2018

‘…my group researched the use of social and professional networking sites (SPNS), particularly LinkedIn, in the job-finding process of students and graduates, most of whom are currently working in areas of banking and finance, consultancy, accounting and assurance, and legal services.  Our ultimate aim was to see how differently, if at all, graduates use SPNS compared to students, and provide insights as to how students could use SPNS more effectively in order to increase their prospects of obtaining a job.'
Brooklyn, GROUPS 2019

‘Our group was especially keen on investigating how gig working would impact human capital investment.  With the rise of more flexible forms of work arrangement, would companies continue to invest in training their employees or do workers need to study more themselves?’
Angela, GROUPS 2019

‘What stands out the most about GROUPS was the feeling of accomplishment and the feeling of completeness I received after finishing the research paper.’
Jahan, LSE GROUPS 2019

‘The academic rigour of the regression genuinely helped me develop as a researcher, which made it all the more rewarding to complete.  Our data was then presented graphically as part of a display at the LSE Research Festival that year...  I would definitely recommend anybody who is interested in any form of research to join either GROUPS or Change Makers.  Both projects have given me something tangible at the end of my undergraduate studies, and I hope that they offer a good example of the important contribution undergraduates can make to the school’s research community.’
Rory, LSE GROUPS 2017-18, and Change Makers 2018-19

‘I’ve always wanted to give rigorous academic research a go because I believe in the value it can add to the world.  LSE GROUPS helped me realise this... once the research is released, it is in the public domain, and we feel a warm glow knowing that it fills a gap in a particular field of research.  Furthermore, our papers may prove invaluable to anyone - not only academics.  The research delivered by the cohort of 2019 has immense benefits for the student population: we may find a sense of belonging in the meritocratic narrative of how future work is perceived among London undergraduates; we may feel less baffled about using social and professional networking sites; or we may gain an understanding of how firms use artificial intelligence for recruitment purposes, and tailor our own applications to be noticed amidst the fierce competition in the labour market.  It gives us the knowledge and confidence to face the challenges of university and beyond.’
Brooklyn, GROUPS 2019

‘Never have I had such a great feeling of accomplishment as after producing those 20 pages.  It was the perfect way to use the last two weeks of the summer term!’
Zuzanna, GROUPS 2019

‘Our paper on automation and job uncertainty used both quantitative and qualitative methods, and we went on to win the best paper award.  What’s more, everyone at GROUPS was so supportive that we were funded to go to the annual British Conference for Undergraduate Research, and we even got to publish our paper in iSChannel, a journal at LSE.’
Krittika, GROUPS 2017