If you’re interested in a career that allows you to conduct research, gain knowledge and make contributions to your field, you have many options to consider. People who enjoy using their skills to analyze data can find jobs that enable them to make advancements in their field and in their professional lives. Exploring your options can help you determine the career path that fits your goals. In this article, we discuss 10 jobs involving research and analysis:

• Market Research Analyst: Market Research Analysts examine the conditions of the market to help companies decide on a target market and which products or services to offer them. They monitor current sales trends and predict consumers’ future purchasing habits to help the marketing team develop strategies for marketing the company’s products and services. They also create market research methods such as surveys and polls, extract data from the responses and translate the information into charts, graphs and reports to present to their teams and clients.

• Forensic Scientist: Forensic Scientists work with law enforcement to collect evidence from crime scenes and examine it in a laboratory. They examine specimens such as bodily fluids, fingerprints, weapons left at the scene and trace evidence like hairs and fibers. Forensic scientists then use the results of their research to attempt a reconstruction of what happened at the crime scene, including how it happened and who may have committed it. They sometimes testify about their research in court cases to help juries decide on a verdict about the suspect’s involvement.

• Archaeologist: Archaeologists study artifacts from the recent and distant past. They use their comprehensive knowledge of science to extract artifacts from dig sites and examine them in laboratories. To understand the age and significance of the artifacts they study, archaeologists study historic climate patterns and other environmental concerns that affected life during certain time periods. Their research and studies help people learn about history since the origin of time, including cultures, civilizations and behaviors.

• Business Analyst: Business Analysts are responsible for helping companies improve operations, processes and programs in order to meet company objectives and goals. They identify areas for improvement and create efficient systems that can boost sales. Business analysts also establish methods of greater employee productivity, create strategies for how to maximize IT resources and monitor project performance. They maintain and manage requirements in a complex, modern business environment.

• Biologist: A biologist studies living organisms, including humans, animals, plants and bacteria, to gain knowledge of how each organism functions, along with how the environment and other external factors may influence each one. They study organisms in their natural habitats and may also collect specimens to examine on a cellular level in laboratories. Biologists usually choose a specialty within the field based on the types of research questions they want to answer. They may also conduct fundamental research to understand living matter or perform applied research to develop or improve processes in one of many sub-branches of biology.

• Historian: Historians evaluate documents and artifacts from different periods in history to learn about past events and determine their importance today. They use primary sources, or sources of information created during the time period the historian studies, to collect stories, records and other data. These collections help them recognize patterns and gain an understanding of specific time periods. They use their research to help people understand the basis for current events and how events from the past can help people make decisions about the future.

• Scientist: Scientists use standard research methods to explore concepts or processes within their field, such as chemistry, physics or physiology. Through experimentation, scientists attempt to define correlations between different sources of data and recognize patterns that help them resolve problems or advance research efforts. They use specialized equipment to perform their experiments and may work with colleagues to address specific research questions as a team. After analyzing their results, they create reports they can use for future research or contribute to the field for reference by other scientists.

• Psychologist: Psychologists study human psychological processes to prevent, diagnose and treat mental health disorders. Most psychologists use their continued research efforts to help their patients understand their mental health needs and develop treatment plans that enable them to manage their conditions. Psychologists often work with a specific demographic, such as children or residents of correctional facilities. They attend continuing education programs to stay informed on new research and trends in the industry and implement emerging therapies in their patient care plans.

• Pharmacologist: Pharmacologists research new ways to create medications using chemical compounds and test their safety and efficiency before release onto the market. Using their expertise in the fields of biology and chemistry, they assess how a pharmaceutical drug would absorb, interact and break down within the human body in order to treat a medical condition. After completing intensive research studies, pharmacologists may recruit volunteers to test new medications.

Economist: Economists research economic trends and issues by gathering information that reveals the production and distribution patterns of goods and services. They often create surveys and analyze the results using mathematical and statistical methods and specialized software. Then, economists compile the data in visual and written reports and use them to provide companies with information about employment trends, wages, prices and other elements of the economy to help them understand how the current economic circumstances affect their businesses. They also give government agencies economic data they can use to develop policies and legislation.