Careers In Research

This page is intended as a brief and general introduction to the type of organisations who employ social researchers. The most useful advice we could offer to any budding social researcher is the most obvious. Get some form of research methods training or qualification; decide which sector you are interested in; keep reading the job sections in the quality press, sending your CV and cruising the various job websites such as the Guardian's job website, or specialist websites like Social Science Information Gateway, and eventually you will be rewarded. The main areas of employment for social researchers are in central government, local authorities, the academic community, independent research institutes and commercial market research organizations. Some of the organisations listed on our other useful websites page may be of use to you Market Research Organisations There are a number of market research organisations which regularly conduct social research. Many market research organisations do have specialist social research divisions or units and take on graduate trainees. Although there is no guarantee that any trainee would be able to specialise in social research, this is the main method of entry. Agencies also recruit more experienced social researchers - this is mainly done through recruitment consultants or through advertising. The Market Research Society, may be a good first stop for some general advice about applying for jobs with market research companies. Academic Organisations Social research in academic settings provides employment (for researchers with varying degrees of experience) in two types of environment. The first is the large, well-established research centre, perhaps with endowment funding, charitable funding or ESRC-designated status, which will employ permanent research staff on career grades linked to those of academic lecturers as well as shorter-term staff on two or three year research contracts. This type of centre will typically undertake work for a mixture of clients: central government, local authorities, quangos, as well as developing their own research programmes which might be funded by charitable trusts or the research councils. They will also often undertake consultancy work. Examples of this first type of set up would include the School for Advanced Urban Studies (SAUS) at Bristol University, the Social Policy Research Unit at York University and the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the University of Kent. The second type of social research post is as an adjunct to a higher education teaching department, where there may only be one or two research staff and for which there is less likely to be a coherent career structure. Staff are mainly recruited on fixed term contracts, for the duration of a particular contract. Charities, independent organisations, trade unions, pressure and lobby groups and other such organisations Many charities and independent organizations, trade unions, pressure and lobby and similar groups employ their own permeate research officers. Many also employ researchers on a short-term basis to carry out a single study or evaluation. These groups tend to advertise for researchers through the national press, however circulating a CV to some of the larger charities may be worthwhile. Central Government All the main government departments employ social researchers to some degree. The Government Social Research Unit (www.gsr.gov.uk) acts as an umbrella providing career information, news, training, events and the latest methodological developments for all government social researchers and is a useful resource for those interested in a career as a Government Social Researcher. The Office for National Statistics www.statistics.gov.uk - also employs a large number of social researchers. There are two main grades to which external candidates are recruited: Research Officers (ROs) and Senior Research Officers (SROs). The basic requirement for recruitment as an RO is a good first degree and ideally some postgraduate experience, for example a masters. Some knowledge and understanding of social research and the substantive issues of the department involved are looked for at interview, and having some research experience is always an advantage. SROs are only recruited with at least 3 to 4 years research experience, usually in an area of relevance to the department in question. Each department tends to advertise independently as and when they need to recruit, though details are usually provided on the GSR website. The main source of adverts for all of these types of post are the quality press (for example the Guardian, www.jobsunlimited.co.uk, and the Times Higher Education Supplement). A good website for information about the various government departments is the UK Open Government website, which gives links to just about every government department. The SRA newsletter also carries adverts for job vacancies as does the Market Research Society’s newsletter and members of the SRA are regularly sent job advertisements. Local Government Local authority budget cuts at one time just about killed off local government research. Now with government initiatives such as "Best Value" and the emphasis on performance indicators, evidence based policy and practice and so on, there has been a revival of research opportunities in local government. Most local government departments, but in particular, social services, housing, education and chief executive departments make use of research, and therefore require researchers. Once again vacancies are usually advertised in the national press. Training You can improve your chances of landing a job in social research by undertaking training in social research methods. Courses on methodology range from part-time evening to full-time Masters degrees. As well as formal educational qualifications it may be helpful to attend some day or short courses. Day or short courses can be a effective introduction to new methods or techniques. More details can be found in the ‘Directory of Social Research Organizations in the United Kingdom, Second Edition’ edited by Martin Bulmer, Wendy Sykes and Jacqui Moorhouse, published by Mansell – ISBN 0 7201 2371 2 Members of the SRA receive a quarterly newsletter carrying articles on research issues and methods, information on publications and events and on the work of the executive committee. A Directory of Members containing a detailed list of members, their employing organizations, research interests and areas of work will soon be available on this website, in a secure area. If you would like to join please see our membership page for an application form and details of how to join.