Job openings/Research Analyst (Public Policy)

JOB TITLE

Research Analyst [CLOSED]

REPORTS TO

Education Programs Manager

EMPLOYMENT DURATION

June 2010 to September 2011. The Wikimedia Foundation is currently expanding. As as we grow we are likely to have frequent positions open up. Though limited in duration, this grant based position is a potential opportunity to explore mutual fit for continued employment.

About Wikimedia's Public Outreach department and the Public Policy Initiative

With more than 100,000 active contributors globally, Wikipedia is one of the world's most successful experiments in peer production. Volunteers have always made a collective effort to recruit new contributors, by welcoming new users, developing tutorials and help pages, creating promotional materials, meeting face-to-face, and so on. The Public Outreach department of the Wikimedia Foundation works in collaboration with volunteers and with the Foundation's 20+ worldwide chapters to determine and foster the most effective approaches to public outreach.

With our Public Policy Initiative, we are developing a flexible model for reaching out to one specific target group: subject matter experts. Professors and students of U.S. public policy will be solicited to participate in writing and improving articles on the English language Wikipedia, and actively supported in their efforts throughout the 2010–2011 academic year. We will thoroughly evaluate and document the initiative, providing a template for our volunteers to replicate its approach in other disciplines and other geographic areas.

JOB PURPOSE

The Research Analyst will be an integral member of the Public Policy project team and will act as a first point of contact for other parties involved in this initiative. The primary role of this position is to work closely and collaboratively with the Public Policy project team and Wikimedia Foundation technology team to coordinate and participate in the collection, interpretation and evaluation of project technical data. The Research Analyst will create reports, charts, graphs, maps and tables that will be designed to concisely, clearly and meaningfully convey information for a lay audience. The position will work closely with the Wikimedia Foundation's part-time Data Analyst. The Research Analyst will be instrumental in evaluating the success of the initiative by providing reports and analysis that will help to answer specific questions regarding Public Policy article accuracy, engagement, quality and other metrics of success.

RESPONSIBILITIES


 * Evaluate current framework and create baseline reports outlining the quality of the current Public Policy articles in collaboration with the technical team and Wikimedia community.
 * Compile data learned from the baseline reports to create a metrics of success standard for the Public Policy Initiative.
 * Develop a database of appropriate primary and secondary information sources.
 * Collect, categorize and prioritize information requests from working groups.
 * Respond to requests as appropriate, by providing links or a synthesis of existing research, or by creating custom reports.
 * Develop and design questionnaires and surveys.
 * Work closely with technology team to establish procedures for procurement of data; recommend new methods for collection and documentation of data;
 * Coordinate and participate in the preparation and presentation of reports and analysis, capture progress, trends, and appropriate recommendations or conclusions.
 * Other duties as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS


 * 5+ years experience as an analyst or researcher, preferably in a company that analyzes media/Internet usage data or in an academic setting.
 * Strong ability to analyze and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data from primary and secondary sources, and proven ability to create simple, meaningful reports.
 * Must be willing to work collaboratively and discuss methodology and conclusions with the technology team, project team, and the Wikimedia community.
 * Experience designing questionnaires and surveys is a must.
 * Must be willing to solicit ideas and discuss methodology and conclusions beyond direct contacts, notably the Wikimedia community.
 * Ability to work in a collaborative, consensus-oriented environment.
 * Must be able to set priorities and work independently.
 * Must be comfortable using a wide variety of communications/collaboration tools including wikis, mailing lists and IRC.
 * Experience with Wikipedia and/or Wikimedia is a plus.