<p>Just as a note about doing research on the high school level, it really depends on the field. I have friends who conducted experiments in nuclear fusion using parts sourced from their local hardware store and knowledge gained off the internet. For something like medical research where there’s a ton of equipment and facilities necessary, it can be necessary to find a lab that’s willing to take you in, but in my experience this is pretty doable. Most professors are happy to let you use their equipment and provide some general guidance as long as you demonstrate in your initial encounters with them that they won’t have to babysit you, by coming in with a clearly defined research goal that you understand and having basic familiarity with lab techniques. So unless there’s no college or (in the case of medical research) hospital with a lab nearby, any high school student who wants to conduct research and has access to the internet should have no problem doing so.</p>