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Journalism Research Assistant

Job Description

Throughout the three years of the FIT internship, the students will gain hands-on experience performing tasks that are central to the Journalism profession and academic discipline. These tasks will introduce and refine the research skills practiced by members of the profession, its academic discipline and the social sciences.  

The student will become conversant with various established and emerging topics of current research and the work of scholars advancing knowledge in the discipline.

The student will gain an understanding of the community of scholars, which may include the participation in an academic conference and/or entry into one of the many academic or professional associations in the field.

The student will gain/enhance mentorship skills under a “train-the-trainer” model that supports and builds a community of practice. 

Year 1
Responsibility/Function

The Journalism Research Assistant will be responsible for performing the following duties under the close supervision and direct mentorship of the Journalism faculty. These duties will reinforce the conceptual and theoretical knowledge that undergird the discipline, along with the practical skillsets, processes, tools and techniques of the profession, which are taught in the Journalism program coursework.

• Familiarize themselves with the scholarly journals that examine the topic(s) assigned by the faculty supervisor.
• Apply principles of critical analysis to assemble various journal articles and other published scientific studies pertinent to the topic(s) assigned by the faculty supervisor.
• Learn to import, sort and collect the above content in RefWorks
• Review and revise imported references to comply with the latest APA guidelines
• Learn to apply Generative Artificial Intelligence tools to assemble summaries of the collected works
• Read and review the AI-generated summaries for accuracy
• Fact check, notate and edit accordingly to ensure accuracy
• Participate in ASDs and Open House events as frequently as their schedule permits 

Year 2
Responsibility/Function

• Continue to research, assemble and notate the relevant literature on the topic(s) assigned 
  by the faculty supervisor using the methods learned during Year One
• Practice and grow the knowledge base and references
• Fact check and notate the collated summaries and references to ensure the records are accurate  
• Assemble one or more drafts of the literature review for the research project(s) underway
• Generate, revise and copy edit references for studies underway
• Learn to sort and generate citations using RefWorks or another appropriate tool
• Critically examine the literature for new and emergent topics
• Based on the knowledge acquired above, select a new topic for a student-led research project to be conducted during Year Three of the internship
• Monitor and mentor incoming FIT interns assigned to research projects
• Engage students and the RWU community as a resource and advocate in matters related to the role of the Fourth Estate in society and the Journalism program at RWU
• Participate in ASDs and Open House events as frequently as frequently as their schedule permits

Year 3
Responsibility/Function

• Continue to research, assemble and notate the relevant literature on the topic(s) assigned 
  by the faculty supervisor using the methods learned during Years One and Two
• Practice and grow the knowledge base and references
• Fact check and notate the collated summaries and references to ensure accuracy  
• Generate and revise the references for faculty research studies
• Critically examine the literature for new and emergent topics
• Lead a research project of their own
• Complete a final draft of their original research
• Present their original research to the community and to an academic/professional audience
• Coach, monitor and mentor FIT interns in Years One and Two
• Engage students and the RWU community as a resource and advocate in matters related to the role of the Fourth Estate in society and the Journalism program at RWU
• Participate in ASDs and Open House events as frequently as frequently as their schedule permits

*Students are prohibited from driving during work-study employment with the limited exception of authorized work-study driver positions.

Starting Date