
Melissa Lawrence
Research Officer
Rigorous research that informs real decisions
Research officer with eight years conducting research for a university and a public-sector body in Edinburgh. Designs and runs research projects — gathering and analysing data, reviewing evidence, and producing reports that inform policy, strategy and practice. Authored a research report that shaped a funded programme and was cited in sector guidance. Designs studies and surveys, conducts qualitative and quantitative analysis, reviews literature, writes reports and briefings, and manages research projects to deadline. Strong on both the methodological rigour and the clear writing research needs to actually be used. Objective, thorough and good at turning findings into accessible insight. Looking for a research-officer, researcher or analyst role with an organisation that values evidence and rigour.
Edinburgh Research Institute - Edinburgh, UK
Research Officer April 2016 to Present 10 years & 4 months
Authored a research report that shaped a funded programme and was cited in sector guidance.
Conduct all the qualitative and the quantitative analysis and review all the evidence and literature.
Design all the studies and the surveys and manage all the research projects to the deadline.
Write all the reports and the briefings that inform the policy, the strategy and the practice.
Turn all the rigorous findings into clear and genuinely accessible insight for the busy decision-makers.
Scotland Policy Unit - Edinburgh, UK
Research Assistant October 2014 to March 2016 1 year & 6 months
Produced the literature reviews and the report sections for the senior researchers.
Learned the research design, the analysis and reporting on real projects.
Then earned the move into a research-officer role leading projects there.
Scotland Policy Unit - Edinburgh, UK
Research Intern June 2012 to September 2014 2 years & 4 months
Supported the analysis and the report writing for the research projects there.
Learned the research methods and the analysis work properly on the job.
Then earned the move into a full research-assistant role from there.
University of Edinburgh
MA (Hons) Social Sciences (September 2008 to June 2012)
University of Edinburgh
MSc in Research Methods (September 2013 to September 2014)
Report that shaped a programme
Rigour made accessible
MSc Research Methods — Dissertation
University of Edinburgh (February 2014 to September 2014)
Mixed-Methods & Statistical Analysis
NCRM (April 2019 to Present)
Published Research Report
Edinburgh Research Institute (January 2019 to Present)
Sector Evidence Review
Edinburgh Research Institute (June 2020 to Present)
J. Fraser
- Research Design
- Quantitative Analysis
- Qualitative Analysis
- Survey Design
- Literature Review
- Report Writing
- Data Analysis (SPSS/R)
- Evidence Synthesis
- Project Management
- Briefings