What Are the Different Types of Researcher Jobs?

Among the many different types of researcher jobs are medical researchers, science researchers, sociology researchers and psychology researchers. Economists, marketing analysts and teachers may also be included in the list of possible researcher jobs. In any of these disciplines, an individual may be a professional researcher or a may begin a career as an amateur researcher.

While the types of researchers vary, the basic duties of a researcher are the same. Whether working as an individual or as a team, researchers study data in an attempt to accurately identify and predict future trends and effects. Often, information gleaned from previous research is used to change certain outcomes.

In order to become a researcher, most individuals are first trained in the discipline she or he plans to eventually research. For instance, medical researchers and scientists first obtain a post-graduate degree in a specific field of interest and many even undergo supervised researcher training before actually working as a researcher. It is not unusual for medical researchers to obtain a medical degree as well as a Ph.D. before entering the research field. Some may work in a clinical setting before eventually deciding to pursue researcher jobs, but many bypass clinical work and immediately begin researcher jobs, instead.

Economists analyze economic trends in an effort to forecast future events that may impact business, technology, land development, consumer spending, inflation and a variety of other community and global interests. An analyst conducting this type of research may do so on behalf of specific government agencies or may be employed by a private research firm. Professional researcher jobs such as these, however, require a college degree and most require a graduate degree or higher in the field of business, economics or accounting.

Some researcher jobs exist primarily to study human and animal behavior. Psychologists and sociologists holding a master’s degree or higher conduct research and testing to determine how beings interact in certain environments, as well as the effects of certain stimuli on humans and animals. Information obtained through such research is used in a variety of ways, such as designing educational programs and workplace environments, treating mental illness, designing new communities, helping individuals improve interpersonal relationships and helping society better understand human behavior, in general.

While many researcher jobs exist solely to create better standards of living for the general population, others focus more on increasing a private company’s bottom line. For instance, a marketing analyst may be hired by a company to research what individuals expect from a particular product or brand. The information gathered from such research may then be used to design advertising campaigns aimed at selling more of a specific product or service to increase a company’s overall revenue.