{"id":17685,"date":"2021-11-10T12:31:03","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T11:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humanrightscareers.com\/?p=17685"},"modified":"2024-10-07T15:56:49","modified_gmt":"2024-10-07T13:56:49","slug":"human-rights-research-jobs-our-quick-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humanrightscareers.com\/magazine\/human-rights-research-jobs-our-quick-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Human Rights Research Jobs: Our Quick Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Most human rights careers have one thing in common: they depend on research. That means human rights researchers serve an essential role in the field, providing the data and analysis that can make or break an organization\u2019s ability to reach its goals. Interested in this important work? Here\u2019s a quick guide that answers the questions you might have about human rights research jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is human rights research important? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Without accurate research, human rights work would be ineffective. No one would know where human rights violations are occurring, who is most affected, who is responsible, or what solutions are needed to preserve human rights. The stakes are high. If an organization\u2019s research methodology is flawed, it can only be so successful. Poor research can lead to the waste of resources, the spread of misinformation, damaged reputations – and most significantly – continued human rights violations. Good research, on the other hand, provides organizations with much-needed clarity on the state of human rights, making a successful plan of action possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do human rights researchers do? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Human rights research isn\u2019t radically different from research in any other field. Researchers work to establish facts and find evidence for claims. That includes conducting interviews, tracking and monitoring news stories, studying satellite images and other photographic evidence, and using social media forensics. Many human researchers work from an office but often travel to talk to survivors or witnesses of human rights abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers also compile all the data they\u2019ve collected into a comprehensive form. Most human rights organizations publish many reports a year on different topics, as well as an annual report summarizing their overall findings. These reports are distributed through the human rights world, but they’re also important for raising public awareness. The writing needs to be accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do human rights researchers work? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many nonprofit human rights organizations conduct their own research, so they need to hire researchers. Major research and advocacy groups include Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International, and Refugees International. The United Nations employs researchers, as well, as do human rights institutes, academic entities, and governments. Any organization that puts out reports throughout the year depends on researchers. Human rights lawyers also often need help with research.  Examples of organizations regularly recruiting human rights researchers are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n