News

Registration is open for the 2018 cohort of the Web-based Certificate in Mixed Methods Research at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. This 30-hour online program, taught by Daphne Watkins, PhD, is designed for researchers and practitioners in social work, nursing, psychology, public health, anthropology, political science, sociology, education, and other applied fields who are interested in learning more about the integration of qualitative and quantitative research methods and data, commonly used data collection methods and procedures, popular data analysis techniques used in the applied professions, and effective approaches to research conducted in practice settings. Special emphasis will be placed on increasing each participant's ability to critique theoretical foundations of research, form qualitative and quantitative research questions, create study designs that answer mixed methods research questions, and integrate qualitative and quantitative datasets for analysis and interpretation. Program runs Mondays and Wednesdays in June from 6-8pm ET. Offers 30 hours of social work continuing education. Register at ssw.umich.edu/r/mixed-methods-research. 

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: World Education Research Association (WERA) World Congress (Cape Town, South Africa 3 - 5 August 2018) Reimaging Worldwide Education Reseach. Submission deadline: 20 of February 2018. For further information on the WERA World Conference, including information on lodging, workshops, special tours and events, and so forth, visit the conference website for call.  For submission questions, please email the WERA World Congress at admin@wera2018.co.za

Deadline coming quickly! APPLY FOR A MMIRA MAXQDA DISSERTATION AWARD: Details about applications are available on the mmira.org website! 

• Up to two MMIRA MAXQDA DISSERTATION AWARDS will be awarded. Each awardee will receive a certificate and $1,000 US, Global conference registration, a license to MAXQDA Analytics Pro., and time to present at the awards session. Recipients must attend the Global conference. Also up to two Honorable Mentions will receive Global conference registrations. Deadline extended to February 15, 2018. 

Dear MMIRA members and friends

Dr. Merten's webinar is tomorrow! Feb. 6 at 12 (noon) EST. Register here for this exciting webinar!

Donna Mertens - Mixed Methods to Address Wicked Problems

February 6, 2018 

In a study of the future of mixed methods, the need to address wicked problems arose. Wicked problems are those for which there is no agreed upon solution, however, there is a need for urgent action to address the issues. How can mixed methods researchers conduct their work in ways that address such wicked problems as climate change, poverty, violence, and corruption? Such problems typically effect members of marginalized communities more adversely than those in the majority. This webinar will examine designs that are community-based with a focus on wicked problems.

APPLY FOR A MMIRA AWARD: Details about applications for Global MMIRA conference travel awards and MAXQDA dissertation award are now available on the mmira.org website!Deadline February 1, 2018. See QUICK LINKS on mmira.org homepage for information about each of the awards.

• Up to three MMIRA TRAVEL AWARDS (Graduate student members, Members from Developing nations, and Graduate student members from Developing nations) will be awarded. Each awardee will receive a certificate and $1,000 US towards travel expenses, Global conference registration, and time to present at the awards session. Recipients must attend the Global conference.

• Up to two MMIRA MAXQDA DISSERTATION AWARDS will be awarded. Each awardee will receive a certificate and $1,000 US towards travel expenses, Global conference registration, and time to present at the awards session. Recipients must attend the Global conference. Also up to two Honorable Mentions will receive Global conference registrations.

Deadline extended until January 7, 2018! Submit your proposal for the 2018 Global MMIRA Conference to be held August 22-24 in Vienna, Austria (workshops August 24-25). More information at mmira2018.univie.ac.at& mmira2018@univie.ac.at.

Best wishes and happy holidays,

Judith and Heinz

JSMMR Seminar Series #1: “The past and future of mixed methods research”: Speaker: Dr. Hisako Kakai (Aoyama Gakuin University, the former president of JSMMR) Monday, November 20, 2017, 16:30-18:00, the 18^th meeting room at Soken Bldg. (10^th FL), Aoyama Gakuin University (Aoyama campus) RSVP by Nov. 19th required:  https://goo.gl/dNGQp2 No participation fee is charged. 

MAXQDA Grants is a new initiative offering students a $1,200.00 grant, which includes an $800.00 research mobility scholarship. Students can apply at www.maxqda.com/grants until November 15^th 2017. To qualify, the applicant must currently be a student or PhD candidate who is (or will be) conducting fieldwork in the Global South. The grant recipient will also use MAXQDA to collect and analyze their research data, but no previous MAXQDA experience is required. For further information on eligibility requirements, documents to be submitted, and grant conditions, please click here.

 

To stay up-to-date on MAXQDA Grants, receive free teaching materials, or learn about software updates, click here to subscribe to our newsletter!

 

The #ResearchforChange Grant includes:

• $800.00 USD cash research mobility scholarship,
• 1 full MAXQDA Analytics Pro Student software license,
• 2 online training sessions conducted by professional MAXQDA trainers,
• Full technical support for the researcher,
• Exposure & Publicity for the research project. 

Immediate Opportunity

Social Solutions International seeks a qualified Mixed Methods Specialist to be part of a team of facilitators during a week-long United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Evaluation Clinic for program and technical staff working in USAID Missions in the Africa Region. The Evaluation Clinic, Making Evaluation Work for Your USAID Mission, is being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in February 2018.

Background

Implementation of USAID external evaluations are contracted out to independent third parties who comprise the evaluation teams. Program and technical staff at USAID Missions must develop evaluation statements of work (SoWs), select qualified evaluation team members, and oversee the full evaluation process (from evaluation planning to use and dissemination of findings), including the technical integrity of evaluation designs. The purpose of the Evaluation Clinic is to support USAID Mission staff in carrying out these responsibilities to the highest degree of quality possible.

The clinic is designed around three tracks in line with different stages of an evaluation: 1) Evaluability Assessment, 2) Evaluation Scope of Work (SoW), and 3) Post-Evaluation Plans.  Each clinic participant will choose to follow a specific, product-focused track that will comprise key sessions around the particular evaluation stage. This is intended so that participants can bring an evaluation related product (e.g., evaluation SoW, evaluation workplan, evaluation report, etc.) to the clinic and, with the advice and feedback of peers and mentors, leave with a near-final draft of that product. These sessions will be conducted in small groups (consisting of 6-8 people) so that each participant will have focused mentorship.  Special (two-hour) sessions on other evaluation topics, such as Strengthening Evaluation Credibility with Mixed Methods and Alternative Methods for Assessing Impact, will be sequenced early in the workshop to supplement learning of all participants.

The Consultant will serve as the lead facilitator for these two special sessions and will work with clinic participants in their respective tracks throughout the clinic to apply learning from these sessions to the development of their products.  The overall aim of these special sessions is for participants to know how to successfully integrate quantitative and qualitative methods throughout the evaluation process.  Specific learning objectives might include, for example, participants’ ability to: identify mixed-method options for use in evaluations, identify the types of evaluation questions that are best-suited for mixed-method options, and strengthen the rigor of qualitative data analysis.

Tasks

·       Work as part of the Evaluation Clinic team to ensure special evaluation sessions are appropriately integrated into the three clinic tracks.

·       Contribute to the finalization of learning objectives and materials for two evaluation special sessions: Strengthening Credibility with Mixed Methods and Alternative Methods for Assessing Impact

·       Facilitate two (two-hour) special evaluation sessions on Strengthening Credibility with Mixed Methods and Alternative Methods for Assessing Impact.

·       Working with Clinic participants throughout the Clinic to apply learning from these sessions to the development of their products.

Skills and Prerequisites

·       At least ten years of experience designing, conducting, and implementing mixed methods studies in developing countries.

·       Extensive experience with a diverse range of qualitative inquiry and analysis.

·       Extensive experience integrating qualitative findings with quantitative survey data.

·       Strong working knowledge of contribution analysis and/or other alternative methods for assessing impact.

·       Extensive experience as a dynamic training facilitator who can demonstrate the ability to deliver a high-quality training workshop.

·       At least three years of experience working on USAID-financed projects or activities.

·       Preferred: Experience as an evaluation team leader or member on a USAID-commissioned evaluation in the past five years.

Minimum Qualifications

MA/MS with at least eight years of experience in related field.

Application Instructions

Please send resume/CV and cover letter to Joe O’ Connor: joconnor@socialsolutions.biz.

Appointment of our Executive Director - on November 2 the board voted unanimously to appoint Jeff Anderson to a 3 year term. The board and membership would also like to recognize the essential role Burke Johnson has played as our ED for the past FIVE years! 

Jeffrey Alvin Anderson is a tenured professor in the School of Education at Indiana University-Bloomington (IU). He holds affiliations with the Center for International Education, Development, and Research (CIEDR), the Center for Evaluation and Educational Policy (CEEP), and the P-16 Center. Currently, he is the principal investigator of Project FoCuS (Families, Communities, and Schools): “Supporting partnerships among schools, families, and communities through collaboration, engagement, and research.” Author of 45 peer-reviewed publications, Anderson’s research broadly focuses on the role and impact of interagency collaboration and family engagement in public schools and communities. Preventing mental illness, supporting families, and improving educational and social outcomes, especially for young people with emotional and behavioral challenges, are core goals of his work. Since arriving at IU in 1998, Anderson has been awarded more $6 million in external funding for his research and development efforts. He is currently an associate editor for the Journal of Child and Family Studies and the president of the national Higher Education Consortium Special Education (http://www.hecse.net/), focusing his elected efforts on bridging the gap between research and policymaking. Anderson teaches in the undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. programs in teacher education and curriculum and instruction and is a member of IU’s Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching. He was an Administrative Law Judge for the Indiana Department of Education and spent 7 years as a member of the IUPUI Institutional Review Board. Jeff Anderson is happily married, has 4 kids who range in age from 12 to 32, and the family has 2 cats, 5 chickens, a snake, mice, and a pretty cool dog named Jupiter.