Published: Jan 14, 2026 by Kristie Barlas

[Kristie Barlas is a student researcher/scholar and has been actively involved in faculty research projects. CIRI had the pleasure of interviewing her about her experience. ]

1. How did you first get involved in research with your faculty mentor, Dr. Villagran, and what motivated you to take on the RA role?

I enrolled in the MLIS program with the aspiration to become an academic librarian because research sounded fun. So from day one, my motivation was already there. What I didn’t know was how to get the experience I needed, beyond enrolling in INFO 285 Research Methods.

Prior to becoming a research assistant (RA), I reviewed the profiles of pathway advisors for their courses and research publications. I strived to enroll in the courses of professors I wanted to work with, semester schedule willing. I took Dr. Villagran’s class on cultural competence (INFO 281) and knew I wanted to work with her.

The next semester she hired me as a student assistant for SJSU’s Cross-campus Interdisciplinary Responsible Computing Learning Experiences (CIRCLE) project to develop a series of mini-modules that introduced responsible computing to students in our college. My responsibilities involved reviewing literature to draft and organize the written content. Frankly, I adored this process. It was my favorite part of my work. That, more than anything, motivated me further to become an RA.

2. Can you share with us what you do as an RA? 

The work is pretty fluid and changes with the priorities of the research study. In the beginning, I focused heavily on gathering literature, evaluating for relevancy, and drafting the literature review. We brainstormed ideas on the research design, potential framework, and project outcomes such as conference presentations or website content. During the data gathering phase, I helped develop the survey and interview questions and supplementary materials (e.g. moderator guide), coordinate interviews, and moderated a few Zoom interviews. The data analysis phase involved developing a qualitative thematic codebook, coding through the free software Taguette, and calculating demographic statistics. Then we incorporated our findings into the manuscript. In addition, I learned the scholarly submission process and presented the preliminary research findings to CIDS faculty and at a conference. In June 2026, I’ll also present these findings at ALA!

3. What are some of the most valuable skills or lessons you’ve learned from working as a research assistant?

• From my experience, any student assistant (including RA’s) are hired to learn. You are expected to know how to do some tasks, but this is also your opportunity to practice new skills and expand your professional knowledge.
• Research really is iterative. You can usually go back and improve a process whether in the same study or a subsequent study.
• Research is a community endeavor. Researchers can, and should, ask for opinions on their research design or data interpretations from trusted colleagues or community members from the participant demographics they study.
• There is no such thing as a perfect literature review. There will always be more that can be included but, at some point, you need to stop reading and start gathering data.
• Reflect the information gathered. Ask participants or your research partner(s) if you’re interpreting the data accurately. It is too easy to let our own biases influence our research questions, interpretations, and conclusions.

4. What was it like to co-publish with your faculty mentor? Can you share what role you played in the project and how it felt to contribute to published work?

The process was definitely a marathon, not a sprint. We divided the manuscript evenly, drafting our sections, copy-editing the other’s, and then editing collaboratively. To start, we didn’t give ourselves any page limit, which helped to get all the findings on the page. However, the length of the manuscript ended up being double the maximum page limit… Big yikes! Eventually, we cut the paper down. Editing was undoubtedly the most challenging aspect of the process, by far, and I was so grateful that Dr. Villagran’s mentorship could help me keep from rewriting off the deep end.

Honestly, it still feels a little surreal that I’ve co-written a scholarly article. I’m very proud of the work I’ve put into that project and can see how it helped strengthen my writing skills. I can’t wait to see the article published in The Library Quarterly! The publication date has not been released yet but will likely be published early 2026.

5. How has working closely with a faculty member shaped your academic or professional goals?

This is the part where I’m going to get sentimental, because that’s who I am. I’ve never had a real mentor in my schooling, so having Dr. Villagran as mentor has helped me beyond words. I feel more confident and steady in my professional identity, skills, and ability to navigate unfamiliar projects. I’m dreaming of bigger academic and professional goals. I feel mentally (and mostly emotionally) prepared for the challenge of finding a job and advocating myself as an emerging professional. It is invaluable to have a mentor see your potential and support your professional growth. 

6. What advice would you give other students who are thinking about becoming research assistants or want to get involved in faculty research?

First, I want to remind us (myself included) that, in many ways, research is the process of learning about something systematically and intentionally. You can learn, therefore you can do research! What matters more is whether you find that systematic process enjoyable and interesting. To anyone interested in becoming a research assistant, your class assignments can work toward your research skills. Consider those your practice mini-literature reviews. You’re already practicing the skills necessary for research. It’s really just connecting with someone who can help guide you to the appropriate next step.

Now the practical advice. Scope out the faculty profiles. Do any of their classes or research publication topics interest you? Take one of their classes. Do you feel like their work style would be a good fit with yours (e.g. very structured, more relaxed)? Set up a 30 min chat with them to discuss how you could get research experience or what skills they look for in an RA. They can make a mental note for themselves or to refer you to another professor. If they’re hiring a student assistant, apply anyway and let them know you want to be an RA eventually! See if you would work well with this professor and if they could incorporate any research-related tasks in your work. Also, I suggest joining any student organizations or social media groups and connect with others who have similar research goals. I didn’t and that is the one regret I have after finishing my program in December. 

Good luck to all of you in your masters program! You can do this!!