Training on Research Design, Mobile Data Collection, and Mapping, and Data Analysis Using NVivo and R Course

New developments in data science offer a tremendous opportunity to improve decision-making. In the development world, there has been an increase in the number of data gathering initiative such as baseline surveys, Socio-Economic Surveys, Demographic and Health Surveys, Nutrition Surveys, Food Security Surveys, Program Evaluation Surveys, Employees, customers and vendor satisfaction surveys, and opinion polls among others, all intended to provide data for decision making.

It is essential that these efforts go beyond merely generating new insights from data but also to systematically enhance individual human judgment in real development contexts. How can organizations better manage the process of converting the potential of data science to real development outcomes. These ten days hands-on course is tailored to put all these important consideration into perspective. It is envisioned that upon completion, the participants will be empowered with the necessary skills to produce accurate and cost-effective data and reports that are useful and friendly for decision making.

It will be conducted using ODK, GIS, NVIVO and R.

Course Duration

10 Days

Who Should Attend

• Researchers in social sciences, environmental studies, public health, and other fields
• Data analysts and data scientists
• Professionals in non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and private sectors involved in data collection and analysis
• Graduate students and academic faculty members
• Anyone interested in learning about modern research methods and tools

Organizational Impact

• Enhance research integrity and credibility through a standardized, mixed-methods approach.

• Improve operational efficiency with mobile data collection, reducing time and costs.

• Uncover deeper insights to support more effective and impactful programs.

Personal Impact

• Gain specialized skills in modern research and evaluation methods.

• Advance into senior research, evaluation, or data stewardship roles.

• Contribute to high-quality, reliable research and lead complex projects with confidence.

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Design effective research studies with clear objectives and methodologies.
• Utilize mobile data collection tools to gather field data efficiently.
• Apply geographic information system (GIS) techniques to map and analyze spatial data.
• Use NVivo for qualitative data analysis, including coding and thematic analysis.
• Perform quantitative data analysis using R, including statistical tests and data visualization.
• Integrate and manage data from multiple sources for comprehensive analysis.
• Present research findings effectively using visual and statistical tools.
• Understand ethical considerations in research design and data collection.

Module 1: Introduction to Research Design

• Overview of research methodologies
• Defining research questions and objectives
• Ethical considerations in research

Module 2: Mobile Data Collection Tools

• Introduction to mobile data collection apps (e.g., ODK, KoBoToolbox)
• Setting up surveys and forms
• Field data collection techniques

Module 3: Geographic Mapping and Spatial Data Visualization

• Introduction to GIS and mapping concepts
• Collecting and visualizing spatial data
• Creating maps using open-source GIS tools

Module 4: Introduction to NVivo for Qualitative Analysis

• Overview of NVivo features and interface
• Importing and organizing qualitative data
• Coding and thematic analysis

Module 5: Advanced NVivo Techniques

• Working with multimedia data in NVivo
• Creating and analyzing data matrices
• Using NVivo for mixed methods research

Module 6: Introduction to R for Data Analysis

• Overview of R and RStudio
• Importing and managing datasets in R
• Basic data manipulation and descriptive statistics

Module 7: Statistical Analysis in R

• Performing inferential statistics (t-tests, ANOVA, regression)
• Data visualization using ggplot2
• Advanced statistical methods and modeling

Module 8: Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Data

• Combining NVivo and R for mixed methods analysis
• Merging and managing data from multiple sources
• Case studies and practical applications

Module 9: Data Presentation and Reporting

• Creating effective visualizations and reports
• Presenting qualitative findings using NVivo
• Preparing comprehensive research reports

Module 10: Final Project and Course Review

• Applying learned techniques to a final project
• Peer review and feedback sessions
• Course summary and Q&A session