Chapter 12. “You’re Invited to the Rejection Party” and Other Strategies for Normalizing Rejection and Failure as Part of the Research Process

Abstract

Undergraduate research can facilitate remarkable achievements and successes, but experiences of failure in research can be just as transformative. Experiencing failure can communicate to students that they do not belong in their field or in research, but reframing those experiences can help students persist and catalyze their learning and development. This case study presents interventions developed at California State University, Monterey Bay aimed at normalizing failure in the research process, recognizing failure and rejection as part of academic success, and utilizing failure as a catalyst for growth. The authors use interviews and written reflections from a diverse group of undergraduate researchers to understand how students make meaning out of experiences of failure and rejection, as well as the factors that shape how students respond to these challenges.