Thursday September 28, 2023
Bi-weekly news from Spark: a centre for social research innovation at McMaster University
|
|
Thank you!
We wanted to take a moment to offer a big thank you to everyone who came out in support of our Spark Talks over the past two weeks and attended our Open House. It's not easy juggling a full workload and life outside of research, so those who were able to do all that and attend means a lot to us here at Spark.
|
|
Save the Date for Our Fall Lineup of Spark Talks
As the season shifts, so does our dedication to elevating discourse in social sciences. We're well into our Fall lineup of Spark Talks, curated to fuel your intellectual curiosity and foster collaborative inquiry. These seminars promise not just knowledge but a communal exploration of crucial research topics that matter now.
If your schedule doesn't align, worry not. Each Spark Talk is recorded and featured on our MacVideo channel, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to engage with the cutting-edge dialogues that Spark has to offer. We look forward to igniting stimulating conversations with you this Fall.
|
|
Spark Talk This Friday!
Many students of statistics and econometrics express frustration with the way a problem known as “bad control” is treated in the traditional literature. The issue arises when the addition of a variable to a regression equation produces an unintended discrepancy between the regression coefficient and the effect that the coefficient is intended to represent. Avoiding such discrepancies presents a challenge to all analysts in the data intensive sciences. Cinelli offers graphical tools for understanding, visualizing, and resolving the problem through a series of illustrative examples.
Read the paper here.
Remember, there will be no talks on October 6th due to the Thanksgiving holiday and no talks on October 13th as that will be during Reading Week. So if you wanted to check out a Spark Talk before Reading Week, this is your chance!
|
|
|
|
Watch Dr. Cinelli give a brief preview of their upcoming presentation in our Spark Talk Preview video
|
|
Resources for Researchers
|
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
Sherman Centre: Events & Other Opportunities
September 28: Learn to graph data, express relationships between entities and visualize networks at this virtual workshop on Gephi.
September 28: McMaster's Research Data Management (RDM) Community of Practice is back! Join us on the last Thursday of every month to learn together as researchers and research support staff across all levels of RDM expertise.
2024 Graduate Residency in Digital Scholarship: The Sherman Centre invites applications for its 2024 Graduate Residency in Digital Scholarship. The residency program is designed to support graduate students to work on a facet of a research project in digital scholarship (related or not to their primary graduate research work), broadly defined, which expands and challenges their respective fields. Applications are due Monday, November 6, 2023. Learn more about the Graduate Residency program here.
If you want to sign up for the DS Dispatch, where Sherman Centre staff round up interesting events, resources, and opportunities in the world of Digital Scholarship, sign up here.
#HASTalks: Agency of Older Adults in the Food Justice Movement
#HASTalks is a seminar series curated by the Department of Health, Aging & Society at McMaster University. This event is co-hosted with the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging.
Date: Oct 03, 2023
Time: 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Details: Agency of Older Adults in the Food Justice Movement - This research project aims to provide evidence-based recommendations to build the agency and engagement of older adults within the context of the food justice movement, which currently overlooks age-related concerns. Using a qualitative case study design, this research is aimed at better understanding the perspectives of older adults who are experiencing rising rates of food insecurity.
The study findings will be used to inform programs and policies emerging from the food justice movement, thereby empowering older adults and providing opportunities for greater agency. Working collaboratively with community food organizations who are well positioned to act as a lever in the democratizing of food, this work will help to advocate for improved quality of care for older adults by working towards food justice for all.
ALL are welcome to attend this FREE session! Register for this event via Zoom OR join the live session in LRW 1003.
Please note: This session may be recorded. Please be aware that any materials entered, exchanged, or viewed by participants during the session may be recorded.
CBRCanada: Community-Based Research Orientation
Are you new to community-based research and interested to get your feet wet? Join CBRCanada for a community-based research orientation this Fall to learn basic concepts in community-based research and more about CBRCanada programs to help you and your team continue on your learning journey.
Date: October 3rd, 2023
Time: 12-1:30pm
Time Zone: Eastern Time - US & Canada
Details: This event is available for both CBRCanada members and for non-members
You can see more info and you can register here.
Workshop in International Survey Methods (WISM): Fall Schedule
WISM is pleased to announce their schedule for the Fall 2023 Workshop on International Survey Methods.
“The Evolution of Mobile-phone Surveys in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Study of Coverage Structure”
Date: October 18
Speaker: Mahmoud Elkasabi (RTI International)
Zoom Link | Download Calendar Event
“From Stories to Models: Eliciting Culturally Determined Knowledge from Hyperlocal Populations using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps”
Date: November 8
Speakers: Clifford Zinnes (NORC at the University of Chicago), Santadarshan Sadhu (NORC), Peter Revay (Two Six Technologies), Rebecca Myhre (Two Six), James Gentile (Two Six)
Zoom Link | Download Calendar Event
McMaster: New Faculty Workshop Series
These workshops expose faculty to McMaster's various management and support structures and involve guest speakers from across campus to present critical topics for career success. Each peer-to-peer workshop format provides an excellent opportunity to hear from reputable faculty and/or senior leaders on aspects of the academy to help junior faculty develop their intellectual pursuits and campus community connections.
All workshops will be held from 3:00pm - 5:00pm in the West Room at the Faculty/University Club (Alumni Memorial Hall). You also have the option of registering to attend the event remotely.
New Faculty Workshop: Welcome & Reception
Date: Thursday, September 28
Register here
New Faculty Workshop: Teaching & Learning
Date: Thursday, October 26
Register here
New Faculty Workshop: Grants & Funding Landscape
Date: Thursday, November 23
Register here
New Faculty Workshop: Graduate Supervision
Date: Thursday, December 14
Register here
For more information, visit the Faculty Leadership and Development Resource Hub.
|
|
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.
Firstly, a resounding kudos to Lathusha, Megan, Naisha, Megan & Krishian at the the Office of Community Engagement. This summer they worked with United Way in Hamilton to evaluate the capacity-building needs of Hamilton/Halton area non-profits.
Read more here.
Kudos to McMaster University Library’s Research Data Management Services team for rolling out their new data management plan database which brings together more than 180 plans and related resources from around the world into a central open-access platform.
Read more here.
Let's hear it for Vice-Provost (International) Bonny Ibhawoh, who offered a message of support for McMaster University’s Indian community .
Read more here.
And lastly, kudos to McMaster University itself for setting the global standard for industry impact, ranking as one of the world’s top universities in the 2024 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Mac ranked 1st in the world in Times Higher Education’s (THE) Industry metric.
Read the story here.
|
|
|
|
|
