Research Development Working Group
The Carsey Institute has recruited top research methodologists and statisticians
in the social sciences and health fields at the University of New Hampshire to form the Research Development Working Group. These individuals are available
for consultation with faculty conducting research and preparing proposals
in the social sciences and health fields, as part of the Carsey Institute’s
effort to build resources for faculty research.
Consultants also offer lunchtime workshops. The workshops are described below:
The Rewards and Pitfalls of Survey Research
Cocheco Room, Holloway Commons
Thursday April 10, 2008, 12-1 pm
Presenters
David Moore, “Beyond Margin of Error: The Fuzziness of Public Opinion”
The margin of error is only a small part of the variability of public opinion measures. What polls measure as opinion also can be greatly affected by slight differences in question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and the order in which response options are presented. Race and gender of interviewers also can influence opinion measures.
David Moore is Senior Fellow at the Carsey Institute, former Vice President and Managing Editor of the Gallup Poll, founder of the UNH Survey Center, and former Professor of Political Science at UNH. His forthcoming book, The Opinion Makers: An Insider Reveals How Media Polls Distort Elections and Manipulate Consent, will be published by Beacon Press in 2008.
Andrew Smith, “The UNH Survey Center: Resources for Faculty Research”
The center conducts surveys for university researchers, government leaders, and other clients. Learn more about this valuable faculty resource.
Andrew Smith is Director of the UNH Survey Center and Associate Professor of Political Science.
Lunch will be provided to faculty members who register in advance. To register, please contact Melanie Higgins Dostie (Melanie.Higgins@unh.edu, 862-2821).
For more information about the Research Development Working Group at the Carsey Institute, contact David Pillemer (david.pillemer@unh.edu, 862-2127).
Lessons from the Field: Strategies of Qualitative Research
Thursday, November 29th, 2007
12:40-2:00pm
MUB 338/340
Organizer and Moderator: Professor Michele Dillon, Sociology
Panelists
Professor Thomas Schram, Education, “Negotiating the Observed and the Narrated in Ethnographic Fieldwork.”
Professor Sharon Murphy, Social Work, “Heideggerian Hermeneutic Phenomenology: A Strategy for Interpretation of Domestic Violence Experiences.”
Professor James Tucker, Sociology, “Talking About Death: Researching Suicide and Its Aftermath.”
Qualitative research methodology allows for depth in understanding social groups and social processes. In this workshop, researchers from diverse disciplines will talk about the varied strategies they use in negotiating the challenges encountered in conducting qualitative research and especially on topics that are inherently sensitive and difficult to study.
Graphs and Models for Categorical Dependent Variables
Presenter: Lawrence Hamilton
October 19, 2007
12-1 pm
MUB room 330/332
Surveys and experiments often yield a wealth of categorical variables. The simplest ways to describe such data are well known, and many reports go no farther than showing a series of percentage tables or chi-square tests. Detailed analysis of categorical variables can present a formidable challenge, however. This workshop starts with some thoughts about graphing, and then considers logit models for binary, multiple-category and ordinal variables. Finally, we look at new methods for multi-level ("hierarchical") research.
Lunch is provided to faculty members who register in advance. TO REGISTER, please contact Melanie Higgins (Melanie.Higgins@unh.edu, 862-2821).
For more information about the Research Development Working Group, contact David Pillemer (david.pillemer@unh.edu, 862-2127).
Consultants include:
Professor Michele Dillon, Department of Sociology
Professor Suzanne Graham , Department of Education
Professor Larry Hamilton , Department of Sociology
Professor David Pillemer, Department of Psychology
Professor Rebecca Warner , Department of Psychology
Professor Robert Woodward , Departments of Health Management and Policy and Economics
