Job Title
Research Assistant
Requisition Number
DU14280
Department Name
8M500:School of Information Science
Work Location
Lexington, KY
Salary Range
$20 per hour
Type of Position
Student
Position Time Status
Part-Time
Required Education
N/A
Required Related Experience
N/A
Required License/Registration/Certification
N/A
Physical Requirements
Occasional lifting object up to 25lbs.
Sitting for long periods of time at a computer.
Shift
10-12 (flexible) hours per week.
Job Summary
Are you conversant in statistics? Are you Interested in mixed methods research, and/or participatory design? Do you want to contribute to a research project examining how public institutions shape access to information within communities?
Shannon Crawford Barniskis, a faculty member from the School of Information Science, is hiring an hourly graduate student research assistant. This position focuses on a research project examining public library boards of trustees, including how boards are selected and trained, and how they make decisions related to information access, governance, budgets, and information policy.
Responsibilities include assisting with:
· Quantitative analysis of survey results, including t-tests or other inferential statistics
· Synthesizing a literature review
· Analyzing qualitative data
· Writing or potentially presenting reports of the findings as a co-author/co-presenter
· And other duties as assigned.
Your input and voice will matter in this project, which examines public library boards of trustees: how they are selected and trained, and the decisions they make around issues such as book banning efforts, budgets, and information policy. The graduate research assistant will be integrated into all phases of the research project, which could lead to co-authorship of publications in top journals in the field.
These positions are expected to require approximately 10-12 (flexible) hours per week. There will be occasional on-site activities in Lexington that will require a physical presence and occur at specific times, which are also flexible. These are 11-month positions (January-December 2026). The research project will continue until 2027 (though it is reliant on grant continuation), and interested applicants may be able to continue in the position—potentially for more hours each week, after May 2026.
Skills / Knowledge / Abilities
Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?
No
Preferred Education/Experience
Deadline to Apply
01/31/2026
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