12/12/2016

Fixed-term Research Assistant/s quantitative social scientist - Our World In Data

Fixed-term Research
Assistant/s quantitative
social scientist
by Max Roser

I. Research Assistant/s Quantitative Social

Scientist for OurWorldInData.org
ForthewebpublicationOurWorldInDatawearelookingforaquantitativesocialscientist/stoworkasa
researchassistant.ResearchassistantswillbeemployedaccordingtotheconditionsoftheUniversityof
Oxfordforcasualworkers.WearelookingforcandidatesstartworkingonthisprojectinJanuary2017
(orFebruary2017atthelatest)foramaximumof12weeks.Theexacttimingisflexibleandcanbe
discussed.Considerationwillbegiventoeitherfulltimeorparttimeappointmentsbutweexpecta
minimumcommitmentof7hoursaweek.Thepositionisparticularlysuitedforgraduatestudentsin
Oxfordbutitisopenforanyonewhoisqualifiedandmotivatedtodothiswork.Thepayis14.40per
hour,basedonaworkingweekof37.5hoursandapplicantsmustpossesstherighttoworkintheUK.

II. Our World In Data

OurWorldInDataisanonlinepublicationthatshowshowlivingconditionsaroundtheworldare
changing.ItispublishedattheUniversityofOxfordandcoversawiderangeoftopicsacrossmany
academicdisciplines:Trendsinhealth,foodprovision,thegrowthanddistributionofincomes,violence,
rights,wars,culture,energyuse,education,andenvironmentalchangesareempiricallyanalyzedand
visualizedinthiswebpublication.Foreachtopicthequalityofthedataisdiscussedand,bypointingthe
visitortothesources,thiswebsitealsoservesasadatabaseofdatabases.
Theideabehindthispublicationistobringempiricalresearchonhowlivingconditionsaroundthe
worldarechanging,toalargeraudience.Specifically,weaimtoproduceanddisseminateresearchon
theinterlinkageoflongrunphenomenarelatedtohumandevelopment,includingcausalrelations,to
helpthegeneralpublicincludingjournalists,academics,andpolicymakersmakebetterinformed
decisions.
Weseethisprojectasapublicgood:Thepublicationisfreelyavailableonline,alldataisavailablefor
download,thevisualizationsareavailableunderapermissiveCreativeCommonslicense,andalltools
topublishOurWorldInDataareopensource.ThelongtermplanistoestablishOurWorldInDataasan
openaccesswebpublication,writtenforanyoneinterestedinglobaldevelopment,andcowrittenwith
experts,presentingempiricalresearchonchanginglivingconditionsaroundtheworldthrough
accessibledatavisualizations.
https://ourworldindata.org/job-offer-quantitative-social-scientist-for-ourworldindata-org-at-the-university-of-oxford/

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12/12/2016

Fixed-term Research Assistant/s quantitative social scientist - Our World In Data

ExploreOurWorldInData.orgtoseewhatthisprojectisabout:
Theentryonworldpoverty.
Theentryonglobalhealth(anoverviewentry).
Thesearethreeofdozensofsimilardataentriesonawiderangeoftopics.
TheprojectisbasedattheUniversityofOxfordsOxfordMartinSchool.TheOxfordMartinSchoolis
aninterdisciplinaryinstitutionwithintheUniversityandforthispublicationweworktogetherwiththe
Schoolsnetworkofacademicsandtheveryhelpfuladministrativeteam.Theresearchprogramme
dedicatedtothispublicationisdirectedbyDrMaxRoserwhostartedtoworkonthispublicationmore
than5yearsagoandleadsthetechnicalandcontentdevelopmentoftheprogramme.DrEstebanOrtiz
OspinaisinchargeofresearchandcontentdevelopmentatOurWorldInData.Thesuccessful
candidate/swillbeworkingcloselywithbothresearchers.

III. Main Responsibilities

Findingdataandbuildingcomprehensiveusabledatasets
Forthiskeytaskitisessentialthatthecandidateisabletofindandcollectrelevantdata
andisthenabletopreparethedatasetsinareproduciblefashionbyusingRand/orStata.
WhileStataandRarethestandardlanguagesusedintheproject,candidateswhoarenot
abletoprograminRorStata,butareabletoworkwellinanothercomparablelanguage,
willalsobeconsidered.
Cataloguingdatasourcesandwritingstandardizeddescriptionsofthesesources
AssistingtheteaminexpandingthecontentofOurWorldInData.org
Other,lessfrequentresponsibilitiesinclude
Preparingmaterialforpresentations
WritingprogressreportsforthePI
Liaisingwithmediainquiriesrelatingtothedevelopmentofthewebsite
Liaisingwithacademiccolleaguesrelatingtothedevelopmentofthewebsite

IV. Skills & Requirements

Background(masterslevel)inquantitativesocialscienceorstatisticsisessential
AbilitytoprogramStata(orR)
Deepinterestindevelopmenteconomics,economic&socialhistory,andcommunicationof
research
Excellentwrittenandpresentationalskills
Abilitytopresentfindings/technicalinformationtononspecialistaudiences
Familiaritywithhistoricaldatasourcesand/orwithdatasourcesindevelopmentresearchis
desirable
Skillsineconometrics,statistics,datavisualisationandwebdevelopment,areuseful
Durationanddays:Wearelookingforacandidate/sassoonaspossible.Toensurethatwemake
progresstheresearchassistantshouldbeabletoworkfor23daysperweekideallymorefora
periodof12weeks.Candidateswhowouldbeavailableforshortercontractlength,butwhocouldstart
soonandworkfulltime,willalsobeconsidered

https://ourworldindata.org/job-offer-quantitative-social-scientist-for-ourworldindata-org-at-the-university-of-oxford/

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12/12/2016

Fixed-term Research Assistant/s quantitative social scientist - Our World In Data

Locationandemployment:
Whilesomeremoteworkispossible,wecanalsoofferyouanofficeattheUniversityofOxfordwhere
youwillbebasedinEagleHouseinJericho,Oxfordareallynicepartofthetown.
StudentsattheUniversityofOxfordarewelcomedtoapplyanditispossibletofindaflexiblesolution
thatwillbecompatiblewithyourworkinghoursandworkloadforyourstudies.Weareopentorequests
forremoteandflexibleworking.

Howtoapply:Pleasesendaletterofapplication,explaininghowyoumeettheSelectionCriteria,a
shortletterexplainingwhatmotivatesyoutodothisworkandjoinourteam,aCV,andthenamesoftwo
refereesto:recruitment@oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk.TheclosingdateforapplicationsismiddayMonday
9thJanuary2017.

https://ourworldindata.org/job-offer-quantitative-social-scientist-for-ourworldindata-org-at-the-university-of-oxford/

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