How to get involved in research
If you are interested in getting experience conducting research, there are several things to consider.
You can sign up for a research assistantship as you would a class, at the beginning of a semester. Often at the pre-registration session, faculty members will announce their research interests, and if they are looking for research assistants during the upcoming semester.
When deciding which faculty member to approach, look at their research interests to see if they mesh with yours. You will enjoy an assistantship more if you are researching a topic you find interesting. After looking at faculty interests, talk to the faculty member and see if they are conducting any research you can assist with. Find out what ongoing projects they have, and what their plans are for that semester. If you have your own idea for a research project, approach the faculty member who has related research interests and ask if they would be willing to supervise your project.
Before you commit to working on research with a professor, consider your own schedule for the semester. How many hours a week are you able to commit to the project? Knowing this will help you determine how many credit hours you would like to sign up for, and will give the professor an idea of how much work they should plan on giving you to do each week. Once you are working with a professor on a project, treat the project like a class. Attend research meetings, communicate your progress, complete the tasks that you are assigned, etc. You will be assigned a grade for your work.