A First-year Research Experience in the Humanities and Social Sciences
The exploration of ideas and perspectives are fundamental to finding new ways to understand — and support — the human experience. Undertaking research in the humanities and social sciences as a first-year student can provide a skillset students can utilize throughout their college career and carry into professional endeavors.
The Source Project is a sequence of two, four-credit courses called research streams that take place in the fall and spring semesters of a student's first year at Binghamton University. Students have the opportunity to discover sources and interpret their significance. They ask questions and seek answers, guided by experienced faculty who engage in these practices as their profession. Students produce original projects, express their findings, and learn how to communicate and disseminate the relevance of their work.
The Source Project is an excellent opportunity to connect with other first-year peers who share similar interests. This experience provides a dynamic and engaging small class environment that encourages the building of meaningful connections with both fellow students and professors. We aim to match the rigor and engagement of a small liberal arts college experience with the resources of a large research university.
Throughout their year in the Source Project, students not only gain impactful knowledge, they become the sources of knowledge themselves.
Be Inspired and Rewarded for Curiosity
The Source Project provides students the unique opportunity to learn about new topics by delving into the research process alongside experienced faculty researchers. Students will be encouraged to develop and follow true interests. They hone their abilities to ask questions, weigh and evaluate sources of information, and derive independent conclusions about the human experience.
Develop Crucial Academic Skills
The Source Project enables students to gain academic skills that will be the foundation of their undergraduate education. By moving through the research process, students are guided towards higher-order cognitive skills, from remembering and understanding facts and concepts to analyzing and evaluating ideas so they know how to form a well-supported position or argument. They read critically, improving their writing through revision, and practice speaking about their ideas both formally and informally. They engage in civil discourse by asking questions of their peers, and by giving and receiving feedback.
Earn Credit toward Degree Requirements
Each research stream carries general education attributes. Some of these courses are cross-listed across several departments, with the potential for credit to be applicable to majors and/or minors. By participating in the Source Project, students stay on track for degree completion. The research topics are broadly conceived to support our students’ academic success and professional opportunities beyond the Source Project.
Interested in applying to the Source Project?
Fill out our interest form.
Have more questions? Contact:
Source Project Coordinator
cantalek@binghamton.edu
External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center
Binghamton University
PO Box 6000
Binghamton, NY 13902
607-777-4325
