research writing jobs

research writing jobs

The Growing Trend of Research Writing Jobs: Opportunities, Challenges, and Best Practices

1. Introduction

The aim of our paper is to draw attention to the opportunities and challenges faced by research writing job holders and to increase the visibility of research writing jobs. Our experiences and best practices resonate with examination of the loss of the academic “craft” and are also signposted in genre studies on grant writing and in institutional studies of science communication, which explore the roles, practices, and identities of communication professionals within large research centers and universities. Our focus is on the writers and the impacts on their professional development.

We describe research writing jobs as those involving substantial amounts of writing for research, but where this research is not the job holder’s main activity. In many cases, research writing jobs have been formalized and embedded within the research management structure. Typical job holders include: researchers (junior, senior), research managers, research strategists, communication professionals (so-called ‘science communicators’), and grant writers. These jobs can be poorly recognized within the institution because many metrics and promotion systems focus exclusively on outcomes from the research activities such as grants and publications. The professional development challenges faced by staff whose formal role and professional identity is not anchored in research are often overlooked. In this paper, we share experiences and best practices we have developed through running a research writing support structure, and which can be applied more widely.

2. The Rise of Research Writing Jobs

Moreover, the 2008 financial crisis has accelerated the development of a lucrative market for some academics. With job prospects for PhDs in the humanities and social sciences looking increasingly bleak, a number of companies now offer research writing opportunities without the need to visit the office, either during doctoral study-years or as a Plan B. These companies can provide a lifeline for graduate students and PhDs who want to gain experience as freelance researchers while they pursue a full-time tenure-track job. Nonacademic research experience, in addition to the academic publications, can make a tenure-track candidate look more appealing to a potential academic employer by demonstrating the ability to deliver results.

Research writing is not a new occupation. Journal and newspaper editors, textbook publishers, and countless others have long paid outside experts for editing, proofreading, fact-checking, ghostwriting, and even for the entire writing process for original works. Educational publishers have also long hired experts to write, ghostwrite, and contribute ideas to their various instructional materials, as have writers’ organizations, such as the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Academic publishers, too, have recruited faculty authors to write books and journal articles as sole authors, and both publishers and universities have traditionally relied on faculty members to contribute chapters and articles to edited collections. The massive expansion of the higher education sector, however, has expanded the demand for original research writing services.

3. Opportunities in the Field

Are you seriously contemplating a career as a research writer? It can be a rewarding and enriching experience. Here are four compelling reasons for pursuing a career as a research writer. For both new and seasoned research writers, pursuing smaller, now-and-then gig projects for reputable writing positions will help beginners learn the invaluable skill of writing information in a long format – a skill that will be crucial as they start to tackle more in-depth projects. Fortunately, numerous research writing jobs introduce new entrant or beginner researchers. Experience is the deciding factor between the classifications. Beginners with a high school diploma can write simple summaries of articles on health issues, finance, litigation, and procurement for a veterinarian website, seekalawyer.com, simply hired or other job websites. However, many research writing jobs may require some specific expertise, such as an industry, institution, or form of writing.

4. Challenges and Pitfalls to Avoid

It’s very, very difficult to get everyone on board with utilizing research writing to demystify the complex and the arcane. The current crop of researchers reside under stakeholder pressure to vet and interpret research articles in peer-reviewed academic journals. They just do not have the time, the interest, or the natural ability to decode research articles into newspaper snippets every research paper has to end up as. It remains an insurmountable challenge to build widespread consensus on making research papers more relevant and user-friendly for everyone. And in doing so we may actually chip away at the value of the research. As the barrier to entry with research analytics is relatively low, we may find that everyone and their shield have become an expert in the same manner that everyone has become a self-styled expert in wine simply by appreciating the taste and finding their own declaration of knowledge.

The biggest challenge in research writing is to present interesting, focused, and fresh content to a diverse, multi-disciplinary global audience that easily gets bored. Each discipline researches and writes about such narrow and arcane subjects that it becomes difficult to keep a large audience captivated. Good research writing is also extremely detailed and precise. Basically, the attribute that makes a good scientist is the same attribute that makes a bad copywriter. The writing has to be very standardized, too, in order to conform with the stringent format guidelines. The rise of ‘research analytics’, however, imposes a heavy cowled spectre on research writing. This specter wages a war on dull content in an attempt to ‘humanize’ the content in research.

5. Best Practices for Success

Lay the groundwork for a good working relationship. Charge reasonable fees. No research should be done for the price of a doughnut, but student clients cannot afford exorbitant prices. Be sympathetic. The researcher-writer should remember his or her own experiences as a college student and learner. You are the expert. The writer contributing research to a project can expect respect on the basis of that expertise. Lead, don’t follow. Rely on student clients to provide primary sources and to make judgments regarding value or importance. Follow up on data and papers that are hidden behind pay walls. Publication databases are great ways to access competent, proven research. However, the fees and wait times for needed documents may both be extensive. Stick to strict ethical research standards. The researcher-writer should never fabricate data. Always ensure the client has signed the dotted line before accepting and starting on a new project. Establish payment processes following a standard procedure before accepting orders.

There are myriad ways in which experienced researcher-writers ensure successful collaboration and a smooth process. As a newcomer, you should feel confident in taking the lead on certain aspects of your work. It is common for student clients not to understand, for example, that citations have a format and a syntax, or that writing assignments, even lengthy research papers, can be significantly improved with the use of plain language. Here are some tips and best practices to bear in mind if you are writing or aiming to write as a researcher, student, professor, or professional.