Research technicians work in various industries, including science, medicine, agriculture, and forensic anthropology. They assist researchers at different levels and perform tasks such as collecting and analyzing samples, monitoring laboratory equipment, and participating in experiments. Clinical research technicians work in subfields of clinical health care, such as pharmacology, immunology, and pathology. The actual duties of a research technician depend on the nature of the research and the technician’s skill level. The term research technician can also be used in non-scientific fields where research is conducted.
Research technician jobs vary according to the industry in which the technician is employed. These professionals can work in scientific areas such as biology, chemistry and geology. They may also be clinical research technicians, which means they work in a subfield of clinical health care. Other works by research technicians are still available in areas such as agriculture, nuclear physics and forensic anthropology. Research technicians can assist the lead researcher or research team at various levels, depending on the technician’s level of experience and ability.
In general, the term research technician applies to those who assist researchers working in some aspect of science or medicine. Scientific research technician jobs are as diverse as science itself, although certain branches come to mind more quickly than others. For example, many might imagine that a chemist’s assistant would be responsible for monitoring laboratory equipment, measuring substances in test tubes and beakers, and participating in chemical experiments.
Other branches of science also offer research technician jobs. An oceanographic technician may be responsible for collecting and analyzing ocean water samples, while a research assistant in pedology will collect and analyze soil samples. An agronomist’s research assistant would help study the use of plants as food and thus help the scientist to assess the effects of soil, water, and light conditions on specific plants. A forensic anthropology research technician can measure and weigh bones. Research technicians can also help research climate, fossils and sediments, as well as plants, animals or volcanoes.
A substantial portion of research technician jobs fall within the clinical fields. This includes pharmacology, the study of drugs and treatments; immunology, the study of the human immune system; and pathology, the study of disease. It may also include specialized study of certain organs, medical conditions, or medications.
The actual duties of a research technician depend on the nature of the research and the technician’s skill level. Junior technicians may be primarily responsible for maintaining and cleaning the laboratory, while more senior technicians may participate in actual experiments. Senior-level technicians are also more likely to perform fieldwork.
Although the technical term for research is usually associated with scientific or medical fields, it can be used in any area where research is conducted. This could include statistics, English literature or linguistics. Most often these fields used the terms research assistant or research associate, but assistant may still be referred to as a technician.
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