Position Overview
An undergraduate research assistant is usually a student, currently enrolled in a graduation program, who is hired to assist teachers, professors, or instructors with their research work.
These individuals may also be hired by organizations to provide support in handling research and development work.
Depending on the position one is being hired for, this work may or may not be considered entry level.
Position Requirements
Eligibility criteria to work as an undergraduate research assistant is knowledge of the area of research that an employer requires, along with an exceptional understanding of the different ways of gathering information and synthesizing it.
Not everyone can work as a research assistant. If this is the work that you want to do, you will have to make sure that you possess a thirst for knowledge, and know all there is to know about different data gathering mechanisms.
You may be trained in gathering information, depending on the specific requirements of the employer, or you may be expected to know your work before you join – all this depends on which level and type of work you are being hired for.
To work as an undergraduate research assistant, it is imperative that you possess exceptional analytic skills, along with demonstrated expertise in conducting research with different participants. Some of the main duties of an individual working as an undergraduate research assistant include:
Undergraduate Research Assistant Duties & Responsibilities
• Obtain instructions for handling research and data attainment, and perform necessary steps to ensure that the right type of information is gathered.
• Collect data through complex techniques, and procedures, library research, and structured interviews.
• Schedule research activities, and organize and report on the status of each research parameter.
• Plan and modify research procedures, techniques, and tests to meet the dynamic needs of each project.
• Write and edit materials for publications, and ensure that they edict the proper information.
• Assist in preparing academic journals, and manuscripts, and prepare general literature reviews.
• Gather and analyze data, and prepare materials for submission to agencies and foundations, for research funding purposes.
• Manage and reply to project-based communication, in the form of letters, emails, and memos.
• Organize, maintain, and update website content, ensuring that it stays current and consistent with recent research.
• Provide support for the acquisition of research materials from different sources, and assist in the preparation of articles, reports, and presentations.
• Ascertain that all sensitive and confidential data is handled with integrity, and stored according to protocols set by the organization.