Course agenda

Below is a preliminary description of topics that will be covered during the Research Staff Training. This is a not a comprehensive list, and sessions are subject to change.

For technical skills sessions, participants will have the opportunity to choose between different sessions based on their prior level of knowledge. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to choose between sessions focusing on the use of administrative or survey data depending on their research needs.

Topics will be covered through a combination of interactive lectures, facilitated workshops, and self-paced exercises.

If you have questions about any of the sessions or would like to enquire about topics that are not listed below, please reach out to Jessica Sashihara at jsashihara@povertyactionlab.org.

Technical Skills

1. Self-paced labs - Stata (introductory-advanced), R

2. Visualizing data - tips for strategically designing graphs and tables, and exercises for coding them in Stata

3. Quality assurance in the office - high frequency checks and back checks

4. SurveyCTO - introductory or advanced

5. Power calculations in Stata

6. Best practices for coding and file management

Data Collection

1. Measurement - validity, precision, and possible biases

Option 1: Administrative Data Track

1. Finding and accessing administrative data

2. Working with data partners - data flow options and other considerations for DUAs

Option 2: Survey Data Track

1. Field team management

2. Principles of questionnaire design

3. Quality assurance in the field

Stakeholder Management and Communication

1. Communicating about power and sample size with partners

2. Stakeholder management - tips for communicating and working with PIs, co-PIs, partner organizations, and others

3. Communicating about RCTs - how to discuss research with non-researchers, addressing common concerns and differing priorities/perspectives

Project Management

1. Project management - time (and timeline) management, project logs

2. Ethics discussion

3. Writing and using IRBs - assumes CITI training completion

4. Project life cycle - study stages and minimum must-dos

5. Introduction to and tools for data security

6. Program monitoring - includes discussion of cost monitoring

7. Research transparency