Undergraduate Research Experience (SONA)

Option 1: Volunteer as a Research Participant

If you are 18 years of age or older, you are eligible to participate in studies (the age restriction is due to federal policy). Your participation in studies will give you a chance to have direct contact with research. 

Participation in studies at Texas State University that require 29 minutes or less are worth 1 credit; studies that take between 30-59 minutes are worth 2 credits; studies that take between 60-89 minutes are worth 3 credits; studies that take between 90-119 minutes are worth 4 credits. 

The number of credits will be noted in the study description that you see when you sign up. Only studies approved by the criminal justice department qualify for credit (they will be listed in SONA). In addition, paid studies cannot be used to satisfy the Research Requirement.

1. Visit the SONA website and log in with your Texas State credentials.
2. Choose the course for which you want your credits to apply.
3. Look up studies that fit your schedule.
4. Keep your own record of the studies you participate in. 
5. You may need to periodically check in to Sona to see what studies are available. Study availability will change throughout the semester at each researcher’s discretion. Do not wait until the last minute to complete studies as this will limit what options you have available.

Option 2: Annotated Research Articles and Reflection

As an alternative to participating in research studies, you may submit an annotated research article and reflection based on an article published in the most recent volume of the Journal of Experimental Criminology. Each annotation and reflection is worth two credits. Therefore, you would need to annotate and reflect on two different articles to earn four credits. This alternative assignment requires students to demonstrate active engagement with criminological research by annotating a peer-reviewed journal article and reflecting on their learning process. To earn credits in this way, follow the steps below:

1. Obtain the article(s) in Volume 22 of the Journal of Experimental Criminology. Download the article(s) from the online library database. Follow these instructions below to learn how to locate research articles via the library website:
2. Part 1: Submit a PDF of the article with visible annotations in the margins. Note, all Texas State students have access to Adobe. Annotations must be made in Adobe (word/google docs, etc. will not be accepted).
   Annotations must highlight:
        • The research question
        • The theory or theoretical framework (or note if missing)
        • The methodology section
        •  At least one key finding
   At least five substantive annotations should be provided, such as:
        •  Explaining why a particular method was used
        •  Interpreting a statistical result or table
        •  Noting a limitation acknowledged by the authors
        •  Connecting a finding to theory or policy
   Annotations must reflect engagement with the specific content of the article.
3. Part 2: In a short reflection (between 200-250 words), respond to the following prompt:
   1. What aspect of this study was most challenging to understand?
   2. How did you work through that challenge?
   3. What did this process teach you about reading criminological research
      This reflection should focus on your learning process, not a summary of the article. Part 2 should be added to your annotated PDF and emailed together as one document.
4. Each two-credit submission must include both the annotated article (Part 1) and a reflection of the learning process (Part 2) in PDF format. Missing either part will result in no credit.
5. The alternative assignment should be in your own words, avoiding direct quotes. If plagiarism OR the use of AI is detected, you will not receive credit.
6. Alternative assignments should be submitted to the following email: sonasystem4cj@txstate.edu by the research experience deadline. You must include your name, class and section number, and your professor’s name in the subject line.