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It’s long been known that Capitol Hill is its own little world, geographically located in D.C. but far removed from the day-to-day hustle and bustle of the city. Hill staffers can be a distinct bunch themselves, sharing their own customs and mores when it comes to everything from dress to dialogue.

Now it seems that researchers at Harvard University want to better understand the Hill’s culture. Paul D. Thacker, a lab fellow with Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at the Cambridge-based university, wrote us today asking for help locating Hill staffers that would be willing to speak anonymously about their life and times in the country’s legislative branch. He explains:

For my project I’m interviewing 100 anonymous staffers to write a book about life on the Hill. I’ve interviewed 62 people so far, everyone from Chiefs of Staff to Interns, both House and Senate, Republicans and Democrats. The vast majority of staffers I’ve spoken with are still on the Hill, but a handful have left in the last few years.

What I’m really looking for are people who can tell interesting and amazing stories that will help folks outside Washington understand how the Hill operates and how staffers keep the place running. For reasons that scientists do not completely understand, humans seem hard-wired to learn about the world around us from listening to the experiences of others.

At the moment, only about 13 percent of the American public has a positive opinion of Congress. I’m trying to figure out if that’s fair. There’s never been a book done like this before, where staff have explained the place in an honest manner.

Thacker sent along a few of the quotes he’s already gotten, including this one from a scheduler for a Republican senator: “Men on the Hill? Douchebags. They’re a bunch of douchebags. They’ll be at a happy hour telling these stories about their time with the Member, and how they helped influenced the Member. The guy telling this story will be like a driver, but he’ll be telling this story about how the Senator asked him about a bill. And if you just listen carefully…you can tell they’re full of it.”

Or this one, from a Democratic committee staffer: “There’s no rules. Nobody tells you what your job is. Take twenty gladiators and drop them into a pit. Watch them start climbing all over each other. That’s what a Committee is like.”

If you work on the Hill and would like to participate, email him.