Social Science Research Assistants

data entry statistical analysis information conventional interests software report english language presentation survey computer

Graduate Research Assistant, Research Assistant, Research Associate, Social Research Assistant

What they do:
Assist social scientists in laboratory, survey, and other social science research. May help prepare findings for publication and assist in laboratory analysis, quality control, or data management.
On the job, you would:
  • Design and create special programs for tasks such as statistical analysis and data entry and cleaning.
  • Provide assistance with the preparation of project-related reports, manuscripts, and presentations.
  • Prepare tables, graphs, fact sheets, and written reports summarizing research results.

Knowledge

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Engineering and Technology

  • computers and electronics

Business

  • administrative services
  • customer service

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Skills

Basic Skills

  • reading work related information
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • order or arrange things
  • use rules to solve problems

Math

  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Dependability
  • Cooperation
  • Attention to Detail
  • Independence
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Integrity

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Analytical or scientific software

  • IBM SPSS Statistics Hot Technology In Demand
  • The MathWorks MATLAB Hot Technology In Demand

Computer based training software

  • Appletree

Object or component oriented development software

  • Perl Hot Technology
  • R Hot Technology In Demand

Education

Education: (rated 4 of 5)
bachelor's degree or
master's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training
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Job Outlook

Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about social science research assistants.