Qualitative Researcher

Department Summary

The Department of Education at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies (Ed&IS) is dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, and service, with a steadfast commitment to advancing educational equity and social justice. We are committed to advancing educational research, practice, and policy to foster equity, diversity, and inclusion in education. By preparing future educators, researchers, and leaders and conducting cutting-edge research, we strive to create positive change and address the complex challenges facing education locally, nationally, and globally for the betterment of society.

Social Media Safety Research Collaborative (SMS-RC) is an interdisciplinary project to study harms on social media and other digital platforms that brings together researchers from the School of Education and Information Studies and the Organization for Social Media Safety (OFSMS), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting social media safety through educational programming. The study aims to examine harms and risks on social media and their impact on wellbeing and to develop strategies to counter these harms targeting youth on social media platforms.

This position is a dynamic opportunity for individuals to contribute to a rapidly growing field of research related to the use and impact of digital media, especially social media and AI, on young people’s social, emotional and cognitive development. The Social Media Safety Research Collaborative (SMS-RC) is seeking a researcher with a deep understanding of this growing field, advanced qualitative methodological skills, and experience in writing academic articles as well as research summaries for a lay audience.

The candidate will play a key role in Social Media Safety Research Collaborative (SMS-RC) research activities, leading the analysis component of the project in collaboration with SMS-RC project director, EdIS faculty leads, and our non‑profit partner, Organization for Social Media Safety. Dr. Christine Ong will serve as the direct supervisor. Additional assignments will be delegated to the candidate based on the needs of the project.

The candidate should have experience in advanced qualitative methods, research design and implementation. A background in quantitative methods and program evaluation is desirable. The candidate should be able to work collaboratively with our team to write academic articles, research briefs, and plan for community convenings (e.g., sharing results with schools, parents, etc.). They should be familiar with literature associated with social media harms, digital literacy, and prevention and interventions that promote safe use of digital tools and digital citizenship.

The Research Analyst will serve as the primary contact for issues related to data generated through the Social Media Safety Research Collaborative (SMS-RC) project under the general direction of the project director. Major responsibilities include managing and analyzing data, designing new analyses and studies, and disseminating results through academic publications and accessible reports.

* UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.

• Knowledge of existing research related to the use and impact of digital media, especially social media and AI, on young people’s social, emotional…