Computer and Information Research Scientists
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics > Science and MathematicsProjected Growth: Much faster than average
Projected Job Openings
Extensive Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors. Develop solutions to problems in the field of computer hardware and software.
Common job titles of Computer and Information Research Scientists include:
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Experience and Education
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
36.22% said they needed a Bachelor's Degree.
28.42% said they needed a Doctoral Degree.
Tasks
Analyze problems to develop solutions involving computer hardware and software.
Apply theoretical expertise and innovation to create or apply new technology, such as adapting principles for applying computers to new uses.
Design computers and the software that runs them.
Meet with managers, vendors, and others to solicit cooperation and resolve problems.
Approve, prepare, monitor, and adjust operational budgets.
Develop and interpret organizational goals, policies, and procedures.
Evaluate project plans and proposals to assess feasibility issues.
Assign or schedule tasks to meet work priorities and goals.
Direct daily operations of departments, coordinating project activities with other departments.
Participate in multidisciplinary projects in areas such as virtual reality, human-computer interaction, or robotics.
Maintain network hardware and software, direct network security measures, and monitor networks to ensure availability to system users.
Develop performance standards, and evaluate work in light of established standards.
Participate in staffing decisions and direct training of subordinates.
Conduct logical analyses of business, scientific, engineering, and other technical problems, formulating mathematical models of problems for solution by computers.
Consult with users, management, vendors, and technicians to determine computing needs and system requirements.
Tools
Web servers
Video projectors
Universal serial bus USB flash drives
Stereographic projectors
Render farms
Real time motion capture systems
Quarter inch cartridge QIC tapes
All ToolsPersonal computers
Pan-tilt-zoom cameras
Network storage arrays
Network interface cards NIC
Mobile robots
Microcomputers
Massively parallel processors MPP
Mainframe computers
Magneto optical discs
Lighting grids
Laser scanners
Image capture devices
High-speed networking testbeds
High-performance cluster HPC computers
High end computer servers
Hard disk drives
Graphics workstations
Free-field speakers
File servers
Distributed heterogeneous computers
Digital video cameras
Digital cameras
Computer scanners
Computer laser printers
Cluster systems
Articulated robots
Technologies
Amazon Redshift
Apache Hadoop
Apache HTTP Server
Apache Kafka
Apache Solr
Bash
C#
All TechnologiesComputer aided design and drafting CADD software
Django
Eclipse IDE
Elasticsearch
ESRI ArcGIS software
Geographic information system GIS software
Git
Google Analytics
IBM Cognos Impromptu
IBM SPSS Statistics
JavaScript
Linux
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Visual Studio
MongoDB
MySQL
National Instruments LabVIEW
Practical extraction and reporting language Perl
Python
Qlik Tech QlikView
Relational database management software
SAP Business Objects
Scala
Unified modeling language UML
Ada
Advanced numerical software
Algorithmic software
Apache Flume
Augmint
Automated document generation software
CA Erwin Data Modeler
Charm++
Clustering software
Clustermatic
CMAKE
Computational statistics software
Data mining software
Data visualization software
Doxygen
Eiffel
Embarcadero JBuilder
Extensible stylesheet language transformations XSLT
Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
Graphics pipelines
Greenhills Ada compilers
High-performance software libraries
IBM InfoSphere DataStage
IBM Rational Apex
IBM Rational Rose
Intel Integrated Performance Primitives
Intel Math Kernel Library
Jupyter Notebook
Low-level virtual machine LLVM compilers
Mathematical software
Microsoft ActiveX
Microsoft Visual Basic.NET
Microsoft Visual C# .NET
Microsoft Visual Studio.NET
Microsoft Windows XP
Multisensory data representation software
Object oriented development environment software
Open Graphics Library OpenGL
Optimization software
Oracle DBMS
Parallel systems software
Perforce Software Configuration Management System
Plug-in file software
Polaris parallelizing compilers
Polhemus Fasttrack System
Relational database management system software
Rice Simulator for ILP Multiprocessors RSIM
Simulation software
Software libraries
Source code management SCM software
Sun Microsystems Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition J2EE
Sun Microsystems Solaris
Three-dimensional 3D graphics software
Ubuntu
Verilog
Video editing software
VME PowerPC VxWorks
Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis Weka
Skills
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Programming
Writing computer programs for various purposes.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Science
Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Operations Analysis
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Technology Design
Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Abilities
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Fluency of Ideas
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Expression
Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Information Ordering
Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Category Flexibility
See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Near Vision
Come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Originality
Choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Quantitative Abilities › Mathematical Reasoning
Occupation Sections
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