Sound Off Research Collective

Welcome

Welcome to the Sound Off Research Collective, an innovative research hub developed by four social work faculty members, Dr. Sasha Kondrashov, Dr. Kathie McKinnon, Dr. Jennifer Murphy and Dr. Juliana West in collaboration with Jamie Drozda (Coordinator, Education Technologies, Open Learning). The purpose of this new initiative is to collaborate with and mentor social work students to publish research papers, podcasts, videos etc., in a peer-reviewed e-journal specifically created to support student research and publication.

Support for Undergraduate Research

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) became a stand-alone, primarily undergraduate university in 2005, and over the next 20 years, the institution has gradually added graduate programs and increased its commitment to both graduate and undergraduate research. Although undergraduate research opportunities are increasing worldwide and across Canada, only 13% of social science undergrads in Canada had the opportunity to undertake research in 2017-18 (Weutherick, 2020¹). Undergraduate research has several benefits, including an increase in student engagement, confidence, academic performance and retention. Institutional support for undergraduate student research is key to working with students to offer mentoring, training, and irreplaceable hands-on research which serve to re-conceptualize research and knowledge production as relevant sites for undergraduate inquiry. In addition, this provides research faculty with revitalizing opportunities for reflexivity and inspiration. TRU is a leader in recognizing the importance of undergraduate research opportunities.

Thompson Rivers University provides a number of opportunities for undergraduate research:

Research assistant grants $5,000
UREAP student PI grants $7,000
Annual Undergraduate Research Conference
Open access publishing
Canadian Undergraduate Research Network

Our faculty members bring decades of combined experience working with social work students, mentoring undergraduate research, and fostering academic excellence. Each faculty member offers unique expertise and is committed to supporting student success through various opportunities including directed studies courses, research practicum, conference participation, and collaborative research projects.

Dr. Sasha Kondrashov
Email: okondrashov@tru.ca

Dr. Kathie McKinnon
Email: kmckinnon@tru.ca

Dr. Jennifer Murphy
Email: jemurphy@tru.ca

Dr. Juliana West
Email: jwest@tru.ca

The Sound Off Research Collective offers multiple pathways for student engagement and research dissemination:

Directed Studies Courses: Work one-on-one with faculty to develop independent research projects tailored to your interests and career goals.
Research Practicum: Gain hands-on research experience under faculty supervision, developing practical skills while contributing to meaningful social work research.
Conference Participation: Present your research at academic conferences with faculty support and mentorship.
Class Project Enhancement: Transform exemplary contributions to class projects into publishable research with faculty guidance.
Supervised Research Projects: Engage in student social work research completed under the supervision of our experienced faculty members.
Research Assistant Opportunities: Collaborate with faculty on ongoing research projects while developing your research skills.
UREAP Project Support: Receive mentorship and publication support for your UREAP (Undergraduate Research Experience Award Program) projects.

Students passionate about social work research are encouraged to:

Contact faculty directly using the email addresses provided above to discuss your research interests and explore collaboration opportunities
Participate in directed studies courses to develop independent research projects
Engage in research practicum for hands-on experience
Present at conferences with faculty support and mentorship
Transform class projects into publishable research with faculty guidance

Our faculty members, with their decades of combined experience working with social work students, are committed to providing the mentorship, training, and support necessary to help you succeed in your research endeavors and prepare for graduate-level work.

Submissions will be accepted in the following categories:

Theory and ideology
Canadian Social Welfare
Social policy and Advocacy
AOAP Social Work Practice
Clinical Social Work
Community development
International social work
Critical criminology for social work
Communication skills

Contact the Sound Off Research Collective members to begin your research journey today!

2017–2018 National Survey of Student Engagement adapted from Wuetherick, 2020, p. 269 Wuetherick, B. (2020). Transforming undergraduate research at Canadian universities. In International perspectives on undergraduate research: Policy and practice (pp. 265-280). Cham: Springer International Publishing. ↩︎

Sound Off Research Collective

Welcome

Support for Undergraduate Research

Acknowledgement