Planning, commissioning and managing research projects

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Planning, commissioning and managing research
projects

• Dr Aileen OGorman
• School of Applied Social Science
• University College Dublin
• aileen.ogorman_at_nacd.ie

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To complete research proposal

• Ethical considerations
• Project planning timescale
• Budget and costs

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Ethical considerations

• See NACDs Research Ethics Guidelines
• informed consent
• confidentiality and anonymity
• recording issues
• health and safety of fieldworkers
• data handling and storage
• payment issue

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Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003

• Applies to data controllers i.e. people who keep
  personal information on individuals on computers
  and (from 2007) on manual systems
• personal data means data relating to a living
  individual who can be identified from the data
• Mainly not applicable to researchers if data is
  anonymised

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Planning milestones and timescale

• Work backwards
• Outline date final report due
• Breakdown what needs to be achieved to met this
  deadline e.g
• completion of interviews by mm/yy
• transcription of taped interviews by mm/yy
• coding of questionnaire by mm/yy
• data entry by mm/yy
• data analysis by mm/yy
• draft report by mm/yy
• Set dates for meeting of RAGs

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Calculating Costs and Resources

• existing human, physical and financial resources
• required human, physical and financial resources
• cost-effectiveness

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Costs outline budget

• Staff personnel lead investigators core
  support staff secretarial/clerical support
  field staff consultants
• Office space rental costs
• Office equipment - Computer hardware software
  for data analysis, email/internet access
  tape-recorders mobiles telephones, fax machine
  photocopier
• Office supplies stationery, tapes, batteries
  etc.
• Comunication costs - Telephone and postage costs
• Travel costs for researchers fieldworkers
• Data entry/transcription costs
• Photocopying Printing questionnaire,
  brochures, instruction sheets, draft and final
  reports
• Launch costs

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Tenders

• If tendering research study request applicants
  submit a written proposal detailing the
  following
• Research methodology justification for methods
  how analysis will be conducted and reported
• Consideration of ethical issues
• Project management outline of milestones
  timescale
• Personnel involved - credentials and track record
  
• Description of administrative and technical costs
  
• References and examples of past work

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Evaluation of tender submissions

• Research methodology
• Understanding of the project
• Understanding of the work involved
• Feasibility of the approach suggested

• Project management
• Ability to deliver key outputs on time
• Clarity in description of milestones
• Credibility of research team
• Previous experience in related area

• Value for money
• Cost of project
• Description and justification for proposed
  costs
• Value for money

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Contract

• Mairead Lyons will discuss

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Planning Phase 2A

• Develop questionnaire
• Pre-test/pilot questionnaire
• Instructions manual for field-workers
• Develop field procedures
• Train community and/or peer researchers
• Design sampling plan and access strategy
• Schedule interviews

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Planning Phase 2 B

• Allocate roles and responsibilities
• Identify lead researcher responsible for the
  project
• Outline staff involved, other organisations,
  field workers etc
• What time will different members of the research
  team dedicate to the project
• What is each member responsible for e.g. number
  of interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, data
  analysis, writing up of report etc.
• Identify potential difficulties and contingency
  plans

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Project Implementation

• Collect data
• Develop computer programme and enter data /
  transcribe interviews
• Conduct data analysis
• Write draft and final report
• Launch disseminate results
• Develop service / implement recommendation

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Key Contents of Research Report

• Overall, a research report should
• explain the purpose of the research
• describe the research methods
• present the data, analyses and findings produced
  by the research and comment on their validity and
  any limitations
• draw out conclusions on the basis of these
  findings
• identify any policy implications arising from the
  research

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Structure of Research Report

• Acknowledgements
• Summary
• Introduction - Context/Background Aims
  objectives
• Literature review
• Methods
• Findings
• Conclusions
• References/bibliography

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• GOOD LUCK!