Research Assistant

University of Kentucky

Equal Employment Opportunity/M/F/disability/protected veteran status.

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

Related

Experience:

N/A

License/Registration/Certification: N/A

Physical Requirements:

Occasional lifting up to 25 lbs. Sitting for long periods at a computer. Shift 10-12 (flexible) hours per week.

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.

• 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.

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.

Positions require approximately 10-12 (flexible) hours per week. There will be occasional on-site activities in Lexington that will require a physical presence 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.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre‑employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.