Please complete a research application and choose one of the research positions listed below (research applications available on the Undergraduate Research link or in Townshend Hall 141). Please return your completed applications to the contact person listed for the project via email.
Below are the research projects that are available for students to work on for SOCIOL 4998 credit Autumn Semester 2025. SOCIOL 4998 is one of the options that students can use to fulfill the major Experiential Learning Requirement - PLEASE NOTE, you may only count 3 hours total of research credit towards the SOCIOL-BA and CRIMINO-BA majors and 6 hours total of research credit towards the SOCIOL-BS major. Also, remember that research experience is especially important if you are planning on applying to graduate school!
Please read the requirements for each project carefully, as some require either specific coursework or specific GPA.
Neighborhoods, Identity, and Mobility Among Somali Immigrants
Email application to Dr. Nima Dahir at dahir.13@osu.edu
This research project examines how Somali immigrants in Columbus, Ohio, navigate their racial and immigrant identities in relation to their neighborhoods and how these factors shape economic mobility. Using in-depth interviews and participant observation, the study explores how individuals experience and respond to neighborhood institutions, resources, and social dynamics. Undergraduate research assistants will help with literature reviews, transcription of interviews, and qualitative coding.
Requirements:
This position is ideal for students with an interest in race, immigration, urban sociology, and qualitative research methods. Preferred qualifications include some sociology coursework, especially in race, immigration, or urban sociology and an interest in / experience with qualitative data analysis. Somali language skills are ideal but not required. 1-3 students needed.