Research Officer (Computational Text Analysis and Qualitative Research), SOCSP

Lingnan University; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 420,000 - 540,000; Full time

Job summary

Lingnan University invites applications for a Research Officer (Computational Text Analysis and Qualitative Research) in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy. The 18-month project, Trustworthy Stablecoins, will combine computational text analysis with qualitative document analysis and interviews.

The appointee will join an interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Alex Preda, contributing to data collection, coding, and integrated findings, starting 2 January 2027.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a social science discipline (e.g., sociology, economic sociology, computational social science, digital social science, anthropology, communication/information studies, behavioural science) or related field.

Responsibilities

• Collect, construct, clean and manage textual datasets comprising regulatory documents, court and litigation documents, audit and reserve reports, industry white papers, technical documentation and related materials.
• Conduct computational text analysis using appropriate programming and natural-language-processing techniques
• Conduct qualitative content/thematic analysis of documentary materials and integrate computational and qualitative findings
• Assist with the design and conduct of semi-structured interviews with participants in financial, fintech and blockchain-related fields, including interview data management, coding and analysis
• Contribute to the interpretation of findings, preparation of research outputs, presentations and academic publications
• Maintain well-documented and reproducible research
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor

Skills

Qualitative analysis

Text analysis

Python

R

Interviews

Data management

English proficiency

Education

Master’s degree in Sociology

Master’s degree in Computational Social Science

Master’s degree in Digital Social Science

Master’s degree in Anthropology

Master’s degree in Communication/Information Studies

Tools

Python

R

Job description

Research Officer (Computational Text Analysis and Qualitative Research), SOCSP

Lingnan University is one of the eight publicly funded institutions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and has the longest established tradition among the local institutions of higher education. It is widely recognised for providing quality education with a focus on whole-person development and conducting high-impact research for a better world. Moving forward, Lingnan University is well positioned to take lead as a comprehensive university in arts and sciences in the digital era, with impactful research and innovations.

Lingnan University offers undergraduate, taught postgraduate, and research postgraduate programmes in the Faculties of Arts, Business, Social Sciences, and the Schools of Data Science, Graduate Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies. To foster interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific progress, Lingnan University established the Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS), attracting distinguished scholars from around the world to collaborate with its faculty and students. With traditional strengths in arts, business, social sciences, and interdisciplinary studies, the University aims to equip students with practical knowledge and critical thinking skills to thrive in the future. Subsequent to the establishment of the School of Data Science and LUIAS, Lingnan University is transforming into a hub for global leaders to develop and promote human-centric technology and social policies. Further information about Lingnan University is available at https://www.ln.edu.hk/ .

Applications are now invited for the following post:

Research Officer (Computational Text Analysis and Qualitative Research)
Department of Sociology and Social Policy
(Post Ref.: 26/243)

The appointee will join an interdisciplinary research team, led by Prof. Alex Preda, bringing together expertise in economic sociology, financial technology, computer science, data science and blockchain analytics. The project is Trustworthy Stablecoins: Coordinating Centralized and Decentralized Finance at Scale. The appointee will contribute to a mixed-methods study combining computational text analysis, qualitative document analysis and interviews to examine trust, evidence and reporting in stablecoin markets and the interface between centralized and decentralized finance. The position is for a period of 18 months, starting 2 January 2027.

Responsibilities

• Collect, construct, clean and manage textual datasets comprising regulatory documents, court and litigation documents, audit and reserve reports, industry white papers, technical documentation and related materials
• Conduct computational text analysis using appropriate programming and natural-language-processing techniques
• Conduct qualitative content/thematic analysis of documentary materials and integrate computational and qualitative findings
• Assist with the design and conduct of semi-structured interviews with participants in financial, fintech and blockchain-related fields, including interview data management, coding and analysis
• Contribute to the interpretation of findings, preparation of research outputs, presentations and academic publications
• Maintain well-documented and reproducible research
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor

Requirements

• A master’s degree in one of the following: sociology, economic sociology, computational social science, digital social science, anthropology, communication/information studies, behavioural science, or a related social science discipline. Candidates from closely related interdisciplinary fields will also be considered
• Demonstrated experience in analysing qualitative or textual data, with experience in computational text analysis, text mining or natural-language processing, preferably using Python and/or R
• Experience in the collection, cleaning, organisation and analysis of unstructured textual data and document corpora
• Strong qualitative research skills, including qualitative textual analysis; experience with semi-structured interviewing and thematic coding would be an advantage
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team and to maintain clear and reproducible research documentation
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Knowledge of financial markets, financial institutions, fintech, blockchain or digital assets would be an advantage

Salary and Benefits

Commencing salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Fringe benefits, where applicable, include annual leave, medical and dental benefits and mandatory provident fund. Appointment will be made on a fixed-term contract for 18 months.

Personal data collected will be used for recruitment purposes only. We are an equal opportunities employer. Qualified candidates are advised to submit their applications early for consideration. The University reserves the right not to make an appointment for the post advertised, or to fill the post by invitation or by search. We regret that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Lingnan University is an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Moreover, the anti-discrimination laws in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (namely Sex Discrimination Ordinance, Disability Discrimination Ordinance, Family Status Discrimination Ordinance and Race Discrimination Ordinance) forbid discrimination and victimization in employment on the grounds of sex, marital status, pregnancy, disability, family status, race and the like. It is unlawful to decide against a candidate on the aforesaid grounds.

Enquiries: [e-mail]