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Announcements, events, and other news from Spark

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October 10th 2024

Bi-weekly news from Spark: a centre for social research innovation at McMaster University

Centre News

Spark Welcomes New Social Sciences PhD Students to the CoLab

On September 26th, Dr. Jeremiah Hurley, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) and Dr. Melanie Heath, Associate Dean, Graduate Studies in FSS held a welcome reception for McMaster's new Social Sciences Ph.D students in Spark's CoLab.  Built as a collaboration with Spark, the Library, the School of Graduate Studies, and the Student Success Centre, the reception is meant to support interdisciplinary connection and an introduction to services relevant across the Faculty.

Spark staff got to know the students, talked about our support services, and gave out access cards to each student to use the Spark CoLab for study, meetings, group work sessions, and collaborating on projects.  Each access card also lets them into the Grad Study Room on the 4th floor of Mills Library. In addition, the graduate students were introduced to the many resources of Spark including Qualtrics licenses, Research Toolkits, the Spark Talks repository (150 methods videos strong!), access to the QualSuite, and the option of booking private spaces and research equipment (including a computer with NVIVO and Stata).

Welcome and congratulation to this year's new class of Social Sciences PhD students!

Upcoming Events

Spark Talk: Is the Gender Wage Gap Really a Motherhood Wage Gap?

Date: October 25, 2024

Time: 10:30 – 11:20 am

Register here

Is the gender wage gap really a motherhood wage gap in disguise? In this talk, Dr. Cha will present a new paper that shows family wage gaps (motherhood wage penalty, fatherhood wage premium, marriage premium/penalty) are strongly associated with the gender wage gap, but with important caveats.

Youngjoo Cha is Associate Professor of Sociology at Indiana University-Bloomington and Yonsei University. Her current research investigates how the trend toward long work hours and the normative forces behind them reinforce gender inequality and what organizational and institutional conditions help to change this trend; the role of stereotypes for the labor market outcomes of Asian-origin individuals in the U.S.; and how the pandemic has changed employees’ and employers’ perspectives on work.

This is a preview for Youngjoo Cha's upcoming Spark Talk on October 25, 2024.

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 contact us here.

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 [email-masked] 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.

For a full list of Brighter Spark Applied Research's services, visit here.

Spark Collaborations

Help us profile your research, publications, job ads, opportunities, and upcoming events by sending them to: [email-masked] to be showcased in our following newsletter.

Unpacking the U.S. presidential election — and its impact on Canada

On October 22nd/24 at 6pm, Don Abelson, (Professor of Political Science and the Academic Director of Wilson College), Karen Bird (Political Science professor), and Terry Flynn (Associate Professor of Communications Management) will host a discussion on U.S.-Canada relations and the broader international significance of what Abelson has called, “one of the most consequential elections of our times.” Registration may be found here.

Call for Participants: Statistics Canada Workshops

Statistics Canada is offering two valuable workshops designed to enhance your understanding of statistical methods and economic frameworks. These workshops are ideal for beginners or those seeking a refresher.

Workshop: Introduction to Basic Statistics

This 8-hour workshop, spread over two days, covers essential statistical measures and hypothesis testing methods, making it perfect for those new to statistics or in need of a refresher. Participants will learn about Descriptive and Inferential statistics, measures such as margin of error, and Z-tests and Chi-Square methods.

Cost: $325 per learner

Target Audience: Ideal for beginners; may be too basic for advanced users.

Registration: Available in both English and French from October to November. Register Here

Workshop: Statistics Canada's Supply-Use Framework

This workshop provides an overview of Statistics Canada's Supply and Use Tables, including GDP calculations and economic impact models. It's geared towards those interested in understanding macroeconomic concepts and how they are applied.

Cost: $550 per learner

Target Audience: Ideal for those with a basic understanding of macroeconomics; may be too basic for advanced users.

Registration: Available in both English and French in Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal from September to November. Register Here

Kudos

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: [email-masked].

A hearty congratulations to Indigenous Studies and Sociology associate professor Vanessa Watts for receiving 2 million dollars in funding to examine the experiences of Indigenous residents of the Mohawk Institute Residential School and the Hamilton Mountain Sanatorium. Watts is joined on the project by co-investigators Chelsea Gabel, Bonnie Freeman and Amber Dean from McMaster. This project is one of six across Canada that will play a crucial role in advancing Indigenous research, research training and knowledge mobilization in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Read more about their success here.

Kudos to the Department of Anthropology for 50 years of Social Sciences excellence. Their 50th Anniversary was celebrated on September 20th and 21st, at an event that included both current students and faculty welcoming back Anthropology alumnae. Read more about the event here.

Congratulations are in order for McMaster Social Sciences researchers who recently received 1.1 million dollars in funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Funding was award to: Catherine Frost (Political Science), Rumen Kostadinov (Economics), Andrea Lawlor (Political Science), Stephanie Premji (Labour Studies), Pau Salvador Pujolas Fons (Economics), Gajendran Raveendranathan, (Economics), Celia E. Rothenberg (Religious Studies), and Jonathan Zhang (Economics). Read more about their successful grants and research topics here.

Truth and Reconciliation Day was once again a great success at McMaster. To commemorate the solemn event the Indigenous Health Learning Lodge held an open house and the Indigenous Studies Department screened the Woodland Cultural Centre’s Truth and Reconciliation presentation -- including a touching letter from a residential school survivor. To remember residential school survivors, the Survivor's Flag has been flying above University Hall since September 23rd. Other small events included the Indigenous Student Services organizing a vendor market in the atrium of MUSC, representing Indigenous makers; and Orange Shirt Day observances throughout the university. Read more about Truth and Reconciliation Day events at McMaster here.

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