Application Guide

How to Apply for Data Research Associate - Dartmouth College

at Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

🏢 About Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

The Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a global research center at MIT that pioneered the use of randomized controlled trials to evaluate social programs and inform evidence-based policy. Working at J-PAL means contributing to rigorous economic research that directly influences poverty alleviation efforts worldwide, with a focus on transparency and reproducibility in data work. The Dartmouth College location offers the opportunity to work within an academic research environment while being part of an internationally recognized network.

About This Role

This Data Research Associate role focuses on digitizing historical economic data through OCR and manual entry, then merging it with contextual sources for statistical analysis. You'll build reproducible data pipelines and documentation to support public data release, making previously inaccessible historical economic data available to researchers globally. The position also involves coordinating undergraduate research assistants, combining technical data work with mentorship responsibilities.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve processing batches of historical PDFs through OCR software, manually verifying and correcting digitized data entries, then writing R or Python scripts to merge this data with contextual economic indicators. You'd document your workflow in Git, prepare metadata for eventual public release, and check in with undergraduate assistants on their data entry progress and quality issues.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Is Looking For

  • Has a bachelor's degree in Economics or related field with demonstrated programming experience in R, Python, or Stata specifically for economic research applications
  • Possesses meticulous attention to detail for OCR and manual data entry from historical PDFs, with experience in data cleaning and validation processes
  • Has experience building reproducible data pipelines and creating documentation for public data release, showing understanding of research transparency standards
  • Demonstrates ability to work independently on complex data problems while also coordinating and guiding undergraduate research assistants effectively

📝 Tips for Applying to Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

1

Highlight specific experience with OCR tools (like Tesseract, Adobe Acrobat Pro, or ABBYY) and manual data entry from PDF sources in your resume

2

Provide concrete examples of statistical analysis you've performed on merged datasets, preferably in economic research contexts

3

Mention any experience with version control (Git) and reproducible research practices, as J-PAL emphasizes transparency

4

Describe specific projects where you've documented data pipelines or created metadata for public data sharing

5

If you have economics coursework or research experience, emphasize how it connects to poverty policy or development economics

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Demonstrate your understanding of J-PAL's mission and how reproducible data work supports evidence-based poverty policy", 'Provide specific examples of programming experience applied to economic research questions (not just generic coding projects)', 'Explain your approach to ensuring data quality when digitizing historical sources and merging with contextual data', 'Describe any experience mentoring or coordinating research assistants, showing leadership potential']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review J-PAL's published research papers that involve historical data digitization to understand their methodologies
  • → Explore J-PAL's existing public data repositories to understand their documentation and release standards
  • → Research the specific Dartmouth-based projects at J-PAL to understand local research priorities
  • → Look into J-PAL's transparency and reproducibility guidelines for data work

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk me through your process for validating OCR output from historical PDFs and handling ambiguous data
2 How would you design a reproducible pipeline for merging newly digitized data with existing contextual sources?
3 Describe a time you had to solve a complex data problem independently - what was your approach?
4 How would you ensure undergraduate research assistants maintain data quality standards while working on digitization projects?
5 What economic research questions interest you, and how might digitized historical data help address them?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on programming skills without connecting them to economic research applications or policy impact
  • Not demonstrating understanding of data quality issues specific to historical document digitization
  • Failing to show experience with or appreciation for reproducible research practices and documentation

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)!

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