title: Undergraduate research internships: veterinary students' experiences and the relation with internship quality.
abstract: The learning environment of undergraduate research internships has received little attention, compared to postgraduate research training. This study investigates students' experiences with research internships, particularly the quality of supervision, development of research skills, the intellectual and social climate, infrastructure support, and the clarity of goals and the relationship between the experiences and the quality of students' research reports and their overall satisfaction with internships.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire (23 items, a 5-point Likert scale) was administered to 101 Year five veterinary students after completion of a research internship. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted with quality of supervision, development of research skills, climate, infrastructure and clarity of goals as independent variables and the quality of students' research reports and students' overall satisfaction as dependent variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 79.2%. Students' experiences are generally positive. Students' experiences with the intellectual and social climate are significantly correlated with the quality of research reports whilst the quality of supervision is significantly correlated with both the quality of research reports and students' overall satisfaction with the internship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the quality of supervision and the climate are found to be crucial factors in students' research learning and satisfaction with the internship.
authors.affiliation: Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Debbie A D C
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Jaarsma
authors.forename: Arno M M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Muijtjens
authors.forename: Diana H J M
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Dolmans
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Schuurmans
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Beukelen
authors.forename: Albert J J A
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Scherpbier
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004520:Education, Veterinary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D012106:Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires