Thursday August 17, 2023
Bi-weekly news from Spark: a centre for social research innovation at McMaster University
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Impact Evaluation Course sign ups are now live
In this workshop, we will dig in to when and how to conduct an impact evaluation. By the end, you will be better able to define and answer questions about lasting changes emerging from an initiative (overall, diverging across elements of an initiative, in different contexts and with different groups of people). We will review the fundamental concepts of evaluation and then delve more deeply into impact evaluation questions, discussing various ways to accurately measure impact and considerations specific to this type of evaluation.
Dates: Tuesdays, September 19th, 26th, October 3rd, 17th and 24th
Time: 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Online
$550 (HST included)
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To hear more about what will be covered, check out this Spark Talk by Paul:
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#SparkResearchReplay
As we near the end of our break from Spark Talks during the summer months (May-Aug), we've been featuring some of our favourite talks from this year in a weekly social media campaign on Twitter @Spark_McMaster. Join us on Twitter every Friday for #SparkResearchReplay!
This week’s #SparkResearchReplay is “Research Creation as Responsive Design” by Julia Brook & Colleen Reihan. Watch it here.
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2nd Annual Employee Picnic
This year the second occasion of the Annual Employee Picnic is going to take place on August 21st, 11:30am - 1:30pm, at the Green Mall in front of the Burke Science Building.
The BBQ is hosted as a way for the university to say thank you to all the faculty and staff at McMaster. Folding chairs, blankets and lawn games are encouraged. Veg & vegan options are available. The occasion is rain or shine, so make sure to come prepared!
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Resources for Researchers
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Research Conversations
We provide up to 4 hours of free support each year to any researcher (students, staff, faculty or community) on every social research topic imaginable. If we can't help you, we'll help you find someone who can.
Request a research conversation here
Qualtrics Licenses
If you are an Faculty of Social Sciences researcher who would like to request access to Qualtrics survey software, please fill out this form
Looking to pool software licences?
Now you can! Fill out this form and we will reach out if we can match you with others looking to pool licences.
Methods Demonstrations
Faculty in Social Sciences may request demonstrations, short trainings, or code-along sessions from Spark staff for Research Methods or Professional Skills courses. We're happy to discuss any needs and have already developed trainings for Literature Review, Interviewing, Survey Development, Focus Groups, Data Visualization. Email us at talk.to.spark@mcmaster.ca to discuss if there's a fit for your course.
CoLab
Research on research innovation (yes, it's very meta) points to a simple truth. Being in the same physical space and able to informally interact significantly increases cross-disciplinary collaboration and discovery. The Spark CoLab aims to be such a space. It is a free, open co-working space for graduate students, research staff and faculty. You can learn more on our website or stop by from 9 am - Noon or 1 pm - 4pm on Tuesday or Thursday for a tour and orientation.
SEAL
Some data is critical to addressing major research questions, but is also profoundly sensitive and must be secured. SEAL is a high security data repository that allows approved researchers worldwide to access highly sensitive data securely. Data owners can use it to engage researchers in using their datasets and researchers can access data that otherwise would not be available to them.
Learn more about SEAL at: https://seal.mcmaster.ca/
Brighter Spark Applied Research
Spark offers custom research and evaluation, as well as highly skilled assistance in implementing virtually any social research method. Our cost-recovery services include methods and software training, custom research, state-of-the-art facilities, and taking on elements of your project to support its completion.
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Help us profile your research, publications, job ads, opportunities, and upcoming events by sending them to: talk.to.spark@mcmaster.ca to be showcased in our following newsletter.
Looking Ahead: Request a Class Visit from SCDS
McMaster educators: did you know that Sherman Centre staff can visit your classroom, give guest lectures, deliver tech demos, and provide access to software?
If you're interested in bringing digital tools into your next class, SCDS is here to help. Learn more about the many collaborative possibilities available with this short video.
Donate technology to support Hamiltonians in need
McMaster staff and faculty are invited to drop off used technology at the ACCESS Tech donation drive happening in front of University Hall at the same time as the second annual employee picnic on Monday, August 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Donated technology will be distributed to local Hamiltonians in need.
Donations of the following used items will be accepted at the ACCESS Tech donation event;
- Desktop and laptop computers
- Printers
- Cameras
- External hard drives
- Cords
- Digital technology of any age.
- Mobile devices — like smartphones or smart watches — that are less than three years old
Learn more here.
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Let's celebrate the achievements of colleagues, friends, and those doing important social research with the potential to spark a brighter world. We welcome recommendations for kudos features (including for yourself)! Please send any features you would like us to mention by emailing us at: talk.to.spark@mcmaster.ca.
A big congratulations to Dr. Andrew Wilkin, who became the first PhD defended at the School of Labour Studies at McMaster University. The title of their thesis was 'Comparing Public Secondary Teachers in Ontario with Different Labour Contracts in a Time of Crisis'.
Read Dr. Stephanie Ross' congrats here.
A resounding kudos to Spark's very own Iman Sadeghi, for co-authoring "How Airbnb is fuelling gentrification in Toronto," a preliminary preliminary study of Toronto’s rental market and Airbnb listings.
Read the article here.
Let's give a round of applause to Dr. Henry Armand Giroux, who was recently featured in the McMaster article, "The U.S. at a crossroads: How Donald Trump is criminalizing American politics."
Read it here.
And lastly, kudos to McMaster University itself for fostering a community of consent. Starting this month, Mac will begin offering It Takes All of Us, an online learning module developed to increase awareness of gender-based and sexual violence. All incoming undergraduate and graduate students at McMaster will be automatically enrolled on Avenue to Learn as of August 14 and all other students are encouraged to take the module, although completion is optional.
Read the story here.
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