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Research Volunteer Program

What is the RV Program? | Volunteer Responsibilities | Why Volunteer? | Apply

What is the Research Volunteer Program?

VAOnline.org created the Research Volunteer Program for a very simple reason... our work load is becoming very heavy!   As you'll know, we provide extensive information and networking resources the global victim assistance / victimology community through our website link directories, our listservs, and other Internet communications mediums.

Additionally, we provide referral and information assistance to individuals, agencies and organizations around the globe on a daily basis, and often work in cooperation with regional, national and international victim assistance organizations on a variety of specialized projects.

Too Busy!
At our all-volunteer organization, work is definitely piling up !

Our most pressing and work intensive project is the researching and maintenance of the link directories presented on the VAOnline.org website.  This is where we are seeking the bulk of assistance from our volunteers.

Locating and posting good resources to our webpages is critical.  Potential resources on the Internet are located through a variety of Internet search tools. After being collected, each individual resource is examined and reviewed, passing through an editorial process to determine if the link should be included in our online directories, and into which directories the link should be directed.

Considering VAOnline presents some 44 individual topical link directories and related document pages, this was becoming a herculean task.  Add in the recent upgrading of Google Translation Tools to allow on-the-fly searches and translations of web pages in multiple languages -- which will allow VAOnline.org to present victim assistance related web pages in languages other than English -- the task becomes truly monumental.

For these reasons, VAOnline.org is seeking volunteer researchers to:

  1. Accept responsibility for using free Internet research tools to identify links to agencies, organizations, services and documents for either:
    1. One of the topical directory areas (DV, Sexual Abuse/Assault, etc.)
    2. One individual language or language group (the volunteer needs to either be multilingual, or extremely familiar with the specific cultural/national group(s) the language is used by as well as comfortable in using Google Language Tools)
    3. One of the world's national, regional and/or cultural groups

  2. Assist in maintaining website link directory quality by checking VAOnline's link pages to ensure the links are still leading to appropriate material

  3. Assist VAOnline.org in maintaining a list of regional, national and international events of interest to the victim assistance / victimology community.

  4. Other duties as VAOnline.org deems fit.

Research Volunteer Responsibilities


    Carrying on the work!
  1. To ensure volunteers are able to identify appropriate materials for inclusion in our link directories, each applicant is required to have a minimum level of education/experience in academic or practical fields related to victim assistance / victimology.

  2. Each volunteer is be expected to spend a minimum of 8 hours per month to said research, and to keep submit a list of hours per month spent conducting research for VAOnline.org. 

  3. Research must be done without bias as to academic theory, political, social or religious viewpoints.

  4. Volunteers researching new links are required to ensure the links collected match a set a criteria to be outlined by VAOnline.org. 

  5. Volunteers researching new links are required to ensure the links collected are not already posted in VAOnline.org' s link directories.  VAOnline.org's staff reserves the right of decision as to what links will be included on our site, and what their reviews shall be.

Basic training materials on use of Internet search / translation features will be provided by VAOnline.org.  Simple text materials will be provided at the start of the Research Volunteer Program, but eventually interactive multi-media presentations via Flash-based distance education will provide detailed and easy-to-understand training sessions for volunteers with all levels of technical expertise.

Why Volunteer ?

Volunteers serving with our Research Program will receive:

  1. The grateful thanks of VAOnline.org and the global victim assistance / victimology community it serves.

  2. The right, after the six-month probation period, to request a note of reference for the volunteer's activities with VAonline.org, including length of service and areas of responsibility.  Physical letters of reference can be requested once in any six month period, while e-mail confirmation of reference can be requested at any time.  

  3. The right to have contact information posted on a "VAOnline.org Research Volunteers" webpage on our site, for those volunteers who wish to be publicly listed.  A separate section will list inactive / former volunteers, so the web page in question will form a permanent note of reference for the volunteer's time with VAOnline.org

  4. Access to one or more communications tools (such as a listserv) provided so volunteers are able to exchange information, request clarification, suggest new areas of research or items of interest to VAOnline.org, provide feedback on the Volunteer Research Project, etc.  Eventually other, more interactive, communications tools may be installed (web forums, wikis, etc.)

 

Apply to become a Research Volunteer

In applying to become a VAOnline.org Research Volunteer, I have read the following, understand and agree that:

  1. I meet the following minimums for academic or practical experience to demonstrate my understanding of the field. I understand that failure to meet the criteria will exclude me from the Program
    :
    • A minimum of two years in a post-secondary academic major such as criminology, psychology, social work, sociology or victimology, and that I will supply required references for the above.

      OR

    • A minimum of two years staff or volunteer service with a crime victim crisis agency (police victim services, sexual assault center, domestic violence center, etc.), or with a victim support service (court victim/witness program, government-sponsored victim support services, or general victim support organization), and that I will supply required references for the above.

  2. All volunteer work shall take place on and through the Internet, and that I have access to a computer and Internet connection through which to conduct such research. 

  3. I will only use the free search and translations tools approved by VAOnline.org 

  4. I acknowledge VAOnline.org will not sponsor or otherwise financially compensate any volunteer for the costs of computer, software or Internet access; nor for any fees or expenses incurred by the volunteer in the course of conducting Internet research; nor for time spent in actual research.  VAOnline.org cannot be held accountable for any commitment made by a volunteer for fees, expenses or services.

  5. A volunteer can request to be assigned an area of research based on experience, interest, linguistic capability or cultural familiarity, but that final assignment of research tasks to volunteers will be made according to VAOnline.org's needs and requirements.

  6. I agree that VAOnline.org reserves the right accept or reject volunteer applicants as it deems fit..

If accepted as a Research Volunteer, I acknowledge and agree that:

  1. VAOnline.org will supply guidance and support to volunteers in their research duties

  2. Where needed, basic training information will be supplied to volunteers in the use of Internet search technologies.

  3. Basic criteria will be supplied to volunteers to assist them in selecting appropriate links, documents and online resources.

  4. It is part of the volunteer's duties to ensure collected/submitted links are not already posted on VAOnline.org website.

  5. I will be required to submit time sheets for volunteer hours on a monthly basis, and that repeated failure to submit the required time sheets will result in expulsion from the program.

  6. I will be required to submit collected links, or report on research activities, on a monthly basis, and that the submitted materials must fit VAOnline.org's research criteria.  Repeated failure to meet required criteria, or failure to submit the required link listings / reports, will result in expulsion from the program.

  7. I must serve a minimum of six months as a Research Volunteer to be able to request a letter of reference from VAOnline.org.  After this period I can request a formal letter of reference once every six months.  E-mail references can be requested at any time after the first six months.

  8. I have the option of having personal information, such as contact information and and areas of service with VAOnline.org, listed on a publicly-viewable Research Volunteer's web page.

  9. Access to any communication medium(s) for volunteers (such as a listserv or web forum) is a privilege, not a right.  I agree that all messages posted through such medium(s) must: be on topic, polite and non-confrontational, and that VAOnline.org has the right to set usage policy and/or exclude a person or persons from any medium as they deem fit.

  10. VAOnline.org has the right to dismiss any volunteer from the Volunteer Research Project, at any time, as it deems fit.

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Link research and web site maintenance by Randy McCall
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