Research

Ideas for Action knows that most organizational leaders and decision makers regularly face a data dilemma.  But they don’t always face the same dilemma.  Too much data, too little, too complex, or data that sits on a shelf (virtual or physical).  It’s not what’s needed to support planning and effective operations.  Getting good, useful data and information into the right hands at the right time is essential when faced with choosing future directions, responding to internal and external environments and trends, and determining the needs of important constituencies.

Ideas for Action research services are customized.  We provide high quality information clients need to inform strategic planning, program evaluation, or any variety of situations where data are required for effective operations.  Our team excels in helping to translate research results into information useful to all organizational members. We construct a simple yet powerful data collection and analysis package, and assist the client in using the results effectively short and long-term.  We focus on practical research solutions knowing that right-sized research tools and results are most likely to be useful throughout the organization and achieve results.  The only good data and information, no matter how sophisticated, are data and information that’s used.

Ideas for Action offers a variety of research services by experienced and qualified partners. Research services can be one part of a broader, multi-prong consulting package or a targeted research project.  The most common research tools and services include:

Quantitative Research Tools

Collection and analysis of data from a sizable group that are quantifiable and that can be used to better understand existing conditions, attitudes or experiences or test hypotheses using statistical significance tests – including:

• Surveys/Questionnaires, primarily structured and often closed-ended
• Structured Interviews of a representative sample that can be generalized to a population
• Correlations and regression analyses of existing or newly collected data

Qualitative Research Tools

Collection and analysis of data from a smaller targeted group to better understand a specific set of issues, attitudes, experiences or problem, including:

• Interviews, often in-depth and semi-structured, of a selected set of respondents:
  • Identify themes from thought leaders, top administrators, and/or consumers to questions of major interest to the client
  • Gather information and/or best practices from peers
• Focus Groups
  • More deeply explore or test questions, ideas or issues with targeted constituencies
  • Observe interactions among group participants
• Reviews of Public Documents
  • Determine current or emerging themes
  • Provide background for further qualitative or quantitative questions

Give us a call – we’d like to talk with you about your research needs.