Fall 2014
Research Project: Restaurant Opportunities Center United (ROC-U)
This semester I am working with the results of a survey conducted by the Restaurant Opportunities Center United (ROC-U). The survey was administered to restaurant workers and focused on issues they face in the restaurant industry. Along with another research fellow, I have coded and cleaned a spreadsheet containing the survey results. We are currently quantifying the data so that it can be included in a handout for ROC-U. In addition, we are working with evaluations from a Nanny Certificate Program that was sponsored, in part, by the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
What have you gotten out of the experience so far? My experience as a research fellow has been incredibly rewarding. First, I have learned a great deal about the process of working with data. Prior to this, I had never been exposed to the intricacies of coding. In addition, it has been such a gratifying experience as I have worked with survey results from the initial analysis of the data to the tangible results of seeing the data used in a research handout. Further, I have learned so much about the issues restaurant workers face from both the data and the opportunity to work directly with Teófilo Reyes, National Research Director of ROC-U. Moreover, I have gained insight into the nanny and elder care industry through my work with KC Wagner; her incredible knowledge of workers' issues and passion for the Worker Institute's research has been invaluable to my experience as a fellow.