Training & Coaching
Sometimes we all need someone else to come in and help fill the gaps. Principal Investigators often find it hard to find the time to fully onboard new research teams and teach them the needed methods or protocols. And of course, sometimes even the PI is learning the methods and building protocols for the first time. To ease the overwhelm, we can provide custom training and coaching for research teams – from a few hours to as much as is needed over multiple years. We’ll work with PIs to not only do the training but make sure the processes and protocols are clear and agreed to, and that everything is working smoothly. That’s our measure of success.
Methods Training are offered at three levels:
- Introduction courses reduce the initial burden on researchers for orienting their team to the methods but does not qualify trainees to conduct the method without rigorous supervision.
- Basic skill courses prepare trainees to apply the methods being taught with some independence for routine processes and tasks.
- Advanced skill trainings prepare trainees with more nuanced understanding and practical application experiences so that they may be able to take on more complex or multi-faceted areas of the analysis. Advanced training is also useful for those that have used a method before but are a bit rusty.
Examples: Don’t see what you’re looking for? Just ask – we’ll be able to help or point you to someone who can.
Qualitative Methods
| Service | Introduction | Basic Skill | Advanced Skill |
| Interviewing, including inter-rater reliability | 3 days | 4 days | 8 days |
| Survey design | 1 day | 4 days | 6 days |
| Focus groups | 2 days | 4 days | 6 days |
| Arts-based methods | 3 days | 5 days | 8 days |
| Text analysis, including basic Natural Language Processing in advanced | 2 days | 4 days | 10 days |
| Recruitment | 1 day | 3 days | 5 days |
Quantitative Methods
| Service | Introduction | Basic Skill | Advanced Skill |
| Regression analysis | 3 days | 5 days | 10 days |
| Cluster analysis | — | — | 6 days |
| Multi-level modeling | — | — | 6 days |
| Working with missing data | 3 days | 5 days | 8 days |
| Predictive analytics | 2 days | — | 10 days |
| Systems modelling | 2 days | — | 10 days |
| Social network analysis | 3 days | 6 days | 10 days |
Other Methods
| Service | Introduction | Basic Skill | Advanced Skill |
| Materials design for external audiences | — | 5 days | 10 days |
| Data visualization | 2 days | 5 days | 8 days |
| Dashboard creation/management | — | — | 12 days |
| Community-engaged methods | 3 days | 5 days | 8 days |
| Completing Mac Ethics applications | 1 day | 2 days | — |
We do not teach software for the sake of teaching software.
We teach it so that researchers have the best tools for their work. All software training is meant to get you using the tool for what you need, as soon as possible.
| Software | Purpose | Days required |
| Atlas Ti | Qualitative data analysis | 4 days |
| Dedoose | Qualitative/mixed methods data analysis | 4 days |
| Excel | Basic quantitative analysis | 3 days |
| LimeSurvey | Survey software | 5 days |
| Microsoft-based data visualization | Data visuals | 2 days |
| NVivo | Qualitative data analysis | 4 days |
| Piktochart | Data visuals | 3 days |
| Qualtrics | Survey software | 4 days |
| R | Statistics/visuals | 8 days (intro) |
| REDCap | Survey/data storage – longitudinal studies | 6 days |
| SAS | Statistics/visuals | 3 days (intro) |
| Stata | Statistics/visuals | 3 days (intro) |
| SurveyMonkey | Survey software | 2 days |
| Tableau | Data dashboards | 8 days |
Information Box Group
Direct Research Services Learn More
Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to hire an Research Assistant, or more help is needed than hands are there to help. We have an exceptional seven person interdisciplinary research team that can offer highly skilled research assistance as needed. This can include data cleaning/wrangling, lit review, data collection, qualitative or quantitative analysis, data visualization and preparation for publication.
Research Impact & Knowledge Mobilization Evaluation Learn More
Some larger grants are calling for substantial efforts at mobilizing research for the benefit of the community and call for evaluation of the impact of the research/education activities. We are highly experienced at evaluating research impact and happy to contract with PIs needing to build this into their proposals.
Workspace (free & fee-based) View Our Facilities
Spark has a wide selection of spaces available to research teams. Read about the available spaces below and feel free to reach out <forms link> if you would like to discuss your specific needs.