Social Science Research Assistants

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.

What They Do

Social science research assistants work behind the scenes to help professors, researchers, and policy analysts conduct studies about human behavior, communities, and social issues. They spend their days collecting and organizing data through surveys, interviews, or online databases, then entering this information into specialized software for analysis. Many research assistants code qualitative responses, fact-check sources, and create charts or graphs that visualize research findings. They might track down academic articles in university libraries, schedule interview participants, or monitor laboratory equipment during behavioral experiments.

Programs That Prepare You

College programs linked to this occupation, ranked by graduate earnings

Psychology(doctoral)University of Georgia, GA

Economics(bachelors)Harvard University, MA

Economics(bachelors)Princeton University, NJ

Social Sciences(masters)Utica University, NY

Social Sciences(masters)Johns Hopkins University, MD

Psychology(doctoral)Claremont Graduate University, CA

Economics(masters)Johns Hopkins University, MD

Economics(bachelors)Duke University, NC

Economics(bachelors)Stanford University, CA

Public Policy Analysis(masters)Johns Hopkins University, MD

Political Science and Government(masters)Johns Hopkins University, MD

Economics(bachelors)Dartmouth College, NH

Psychology(doctoral)North Carolina State University at Raleigh, NC

Economics(bachelors)University of Chicago, IL

Economics(bachelors)Amherst College, MA

Psychology(doctoral)Grand Canyon University, AZ

Economics(bachelors)Claremont McKenna College, CA

Economics(bachelors)University of Pennsylvania, PA

Psychology(doctoral)George Mason University, VA

Psychology(doctoral)Florida International University, FL

Public Policy Analysis(professional)University of California-Berkeley, CA

Behavioral Sciences(masters)Harvard University, MA

Public Policy Analysis(masters)Harvard University, MA

Economics(doctoral)George Mason University, VA

Economics(masters)University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus, OK

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