Many ORs are also responsible for making technical arrangements for data storage, processing, and access on their campuses, as well as arrangements for statistical and technical user assistance. Depending on the background and training of ORs and the organizational structure of their institutions, the OR functions are carried out in different ways. ORs come from a variety of backgrounds. Some work in campus libraries and have responsibility for electronic information services. Others work in computing centers, research institutes, or academic departments.
Some ORs have strong statistical and computing skills.
Some are also faculty who focus on quantitative research. Some are part of the higher administration of a member institution. For example, the OR may be a faculty member who provides statistical help to users, but the ordering, processing, and maintenance of data and codebooks may be handled by a combination of others in campus libraries, or the social science computer lab. The OR may be the head of a library with library staff responsible for ordering and data management, but with statistical help provided by the staff of, say, the economics statistical lab. In my case, the OR is a data archivist in a research center, and all OR functions are carried out in the data archive.