Proposal

Narrative

 

 

The goal of this proposal is to further increase the research productivity, services, and visibility of the College of Design and Social Inquiry and FAU by providing students and faculty with software needed for research and program evaluation and hardware needed to create and upgrade a CDSI Ph.D. student research laboratory. Specifically, we ask for:

 (1) Software for Program Evaluation and Research: Three programs are being requested: a) Qualtrics: a three-year license for the web-based software program Qualtrics that will be accessible to all faculty and students in the CDSI; b) STATA software: 10 Faculty perpetual user licenses and 10 student user licenses for the doctoral student research lab for STATA, which is a statistical analysis software program; and, c) NVIVO software: 30 user licenses and subscriptions for the qualitative data analysis package NVIVO for use by faculty and graduate students in the college.

(2) CDSI Ph.D. Student Research Laboratory: Computers and software to upgrade and create a doctoral student research laboratory.

 The educational benefits and goals of each of these requests are explained below.

1)   Software for Research and Program Evaluation:

a. Qualtrics: Qualtrics is a web-based data management software program that assists in the collection and analysis of data in academia. It is licensed in over 1,400 universities in the United States. All members of the College of Design and Social Inquiry will have the opportunities to create and administer experiments and surveys with incredible ease and security. Currently, there are many faculty members use surveys for a variety of purposes ranging from program evaluation to research. For example, around 10 end-of-course surveys are sent to students in the Masters in Non-Profit Management program every year. Similarly, all 220 students in the Masters in Public Administration program are surveyed annually to evaluate their experiences in the program and this feedback is used for program improvement. Undergraduate and graduate students in other fields such as social work, criminal justice, and Architecture are also surveyed on a regular basis for purposes of program evaluation and improvement. Faculty members and administrators in the college also  use surveys on a regular basis to survey alumni for purposes of acquiring feedback on programs. Surveys are also critical for research: faculty members and graduate students, particularly Ph.D. students also use surveys for research purposes. For instance, we currently have a Ph.D. student surveying parents of children on the McKay scholarship to determine their satisfaction level with school services in Miami-Dade county; this data is being used for his dissertation.

Currently, individual departments in the college purchase separate licenses of survey software, such as Survey Monkey on a department-wide basis. However, departmental versions do not ensure individual accounts and this provision can raises serious issues regarding the confidentiality of the questions asked and data collected, which can potentially violate IRB provisions. Hence, Qualtrics will assist us in meeting data confidentiality and IRB requirements and in collecting data, which can then be uploaded directly into statistical analysis programs such as SPSS. Any member of the college will also be able to create a wide variety of surveys (e.g., over 100 question types, countless branching logics, automated triggers, timing schemes, and randomization) and even tools for well-controlled experiments. This program will directly benefit graduate and undergraduate students, as well be used for program evaluations and program improvement. The data collected will also be invaluable for accreditation of several degree programs in the college. Students, who become proficient in survey research methods, will be advantaged candidates upon entering the workforce for many types of jobs inside and outside of academia (as many high profile companies such as Disney, Intel, UPS, Boeing, Chevron, and Kellogg’s etc. also use Qualtrics). Students who are interested in continuing in academia will be experienced in state-of-the-art data collection techniques, which will enhance the quality of their graduate school and job applications.

A three-year license for Qualtrics survey software is being requested for use by all faculty, staff, and students in CDSI.

b.    Stata Statistical Software for Faculty and Students: 

Stata is an integrated statistical software that provides a variety of necessary tools for data analysis, data management, and graphics, all in one complete package. Stata’s  statistical tools include advanced techniques, such as survival models with frailty, dynamic panel data (DPD) regressions, generalized estimating equations (GEE), multilevel mixed models, models with sample selection, multiple imputation, ARCH, and estimation with complex survey samples; to standard methods, such as linear and generalized linear models (GLM), regressions with count or binary outcomes, ANOVA/MANOVA, ARIMA, cluster analysis, standardization of rates, case-control analysis, and basic tabulations and summary statistics. Stata is currently being used via personally purchased faculty licenses in some doctoral level statistics and research methods classes; purchasing a set of perpetual licenses will provide more faculty members with access to this software and allow them to train a number of students (undergraduate and graduate) in different techniques available through this software. Currently editors of leading journals in disciplines contained within CDSI require more sophisticated analysis, which can be undertaken in Stata. The 10 student user licenses for the doctoral student research laboratory discussed below will allow students to complete homework assignments for a number of courses as well enable them to conduct research for papers and dissertations. The use of this software will enable students to learn these tools (some of which are being taught in the statistics and research methods classes) and utilize them for their dissertations. Moreover, the Stata licenses purchased will be perpetual licenses, which are more sustainable than other statistical software programs such as SPSS that is typically bought via annual licenses.

Ten perpetual user licenses are requested for the purchase of Stata/IC for faculty teaching statistics and methods classes using Stata and 10 student user licenses are requested for the doctoral student research lab.

 

c.    c) NVivo software: NVivo is a Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS)  program that helps researchers manage, shape and make sense of unstructured information such as interview and transcript data. It provides a workspace and tools to enable scholars to easily work through information. Since it has tools for classifying, sorting and arranging information, it helps speed up the research process and provides more time to analyze materials, identify themes, glean insight and develop meaningful, evidence based conclusions. CAQDAS are widely used now in universities, government, and businesses at a global level and NVivo will help getting more research, particularly qualitative research published as it facilitates a rigorous analysis. It will also be useful in program evaluation of comments submitted in response to surveys that used annually to evaluate progress and improve student educational experiences. Currently, a number of faculty and doctoral students in CDSI undertake some form of qualitative research. This software will allow them to carry out their research more effectively and will also help them train graduate and undergraduate students in its use. It will be useful in the qualitative research methods classes (such as PAF 7820) and other methods classes listed below. Doctoral students in CDSI also teach undergraduate courses, including those in research methods. Since they will be trained in the use of this software, doctoral students can also teach this software to undergraduate students, which will assist in meeting QEP goals of encouraging and fostering undergraduate research.

 Thirty perpetual user licenses for NVivo 11 are being requested for use: Of these 6-10 licenses will be installed on the computers in the doctoral student research laboratory. Other licenses will be used by faculty as needed for teaching, program evaluation, and research purposes.

(2) CDSI Ph.D. Student Research Laboratory:

This request is to create an up-to-date and well-equipped computer laboratory that will assist and encourage Ph.D. student research and other scholar initiatives. The hardware and software being requested for this Lab will facilitate data analysis and research undertaken by Ph.D. students.

The computers currently being used in this space are no longer under warranty coverage and are unable to run the statistical software package, Stata or NVivo that we are proposing to install or more up-to-date versions of word processing programs. The average age of the existing computers is 6 years old. A request is being made to update this computer equipment with 10 computers (6 desktops and 4 laptops).

The lab will be highly useful for students in following FAU courses:

PAD 6327 Program Review and Analysis

PAD 6701 Applied Methods 1

PAD 6706 Applied Methods 2

PAD 7240 Public Expenditure Analysis

PAD 7703 Advance Quantitative Analysis

PAD 7707 Advanced Research Seminar in Public Affairs

PAD 7910 Advanced Research and Study                                    

PAD 7932 Advanced Public Policy

PAD 7980 Dissertation

PAF 7800 Quantitative Methods in Public Affairs

PAF 7820 Qualitative Methods in Public Affairs

 

Overall Benefits and Alignment with Strategic Goals:

This proposal aligns with and helps CDSI meet the FAU’s Strategic Goals # 1 and 2, which emphasize enriching the educational experience and inspiring research, scholarship and creative activity. More specifically, the requested software for undergraduate and graduate students will give students an opportunity to conduct research and become skilled in data collection methods and statistical analysis. Currently, undergraduates do not have access to survey software, despite learning about survey research in their methods classes. Teaching them these methods will further QEP and undergraduate research goals. Graduate students will gain access to programs such as NVivo and Stata, that will allow them to learn cutting-edge statistical analysis methods, affording them a competitive advantage in academic endeavors. This will assist them in publishing in scholarly journals, getting jobs, and result in greater access to external funding. These results will improve the student experience at all levels by having students participate in scholarly and creative activity and help achieve FAU’s goal to be a world-class research university and acquire a competitive edge in scientific research.

Surveys undertaken for program evaluation and subsequent program improvement using the survey software and analysis programs requested in this proposal will help meet the sub-goals discussed under FAU’s Strategic Goal # 1, D. 10., of developing “focused academic plans for all campuses based on student population and needs” and, D. 11., of  “improving tracking of graduates in order to provide information about graduates’ subsequent educational and career tracks.”

This proposal will also help further achieve FAU’s strategic goal # 3 which is to increase FAU’s community engagement. CDSI has already conducted studies of FAU’s economic impact in the past and this programs requested will enable CDSI faculty to conduct more detailed and sophisticated analysis in the future. The survey software, along with the qualitative and statistical analysis programs for analyzing results will also enable us to meet the goal of systematically assessing “the community perception of FAU’s engagement with the community” (Strategic Goal # 3, A. 4). Meeting these goals more efficiently will enable CDSI to more effectively serve the 3,600 undergraduate and graduate students in professions that CDSI educates in working towards establishing and maintaining safe, healthy, and sustainable communities.

Facilities

For the CDSI Ph.D. Student Laboratory, the existing Ph.D. student office will be used, which is located in Room 117 of the Social Sciences building. Room 117 is comprised of one conference room and six smaller individual offices shared by 2-4 doctoral students each. This space is used by CDSI PhD students to work and study. The six desktop computers being requested will be installed in the larger conference room which will be converted into a student lab accessible only by a password or key card given to all doctoral students. The laptop computers will be available to students through the CDSI and School of Public Administration offices, which will maintain records and accountability for these computers, by signing them out to students on a need-for-use basis.

CDSI and the School of Public Administration will be providing the desks and chairs for the computer stations and installing a security pass-code system for access to the doctoral student research laboratory.

 

 

Hardware Requirements

Hardware Requirements

 1)  

1)   1) Six (6) Dell desktop computers (attached price quote provides specifications)
OptiPlex 9020 @ $1,191.16 each x 6 = $7,146.96

2)   2) Four (4) Dell laptop computers (see price quote for specifications). The laptops will enable students to conduct field research.
Latitude E6440 @ $1,605.61 each x 4 = $6,422.44

 

Software Requirements

   1

1)          Qualtrics: A three-year license for the web-based software program, Qualtrics (official quote from Qualtrics academic representative- see attachment). 3-year license ($5,000/year) = $15,000.

2)          NVivo*:  Perpetual licenses for the qualitative software program NVIVO 11 for 30 users (official quote from NVIVO academic representative- see attachment). 30 users: $517.50 each x 30= $15,525 – 15% discount ($2328.75) = $13,196.25

 

3)          Stata: A Lab License for Stata IC: $1,200 for a 10 user Lab.     

Pricing information available at http://www.stata.com/order/new/edu/lab-licenses/dl/. (Also in attachment).

4)          Stata/IC:  10 Perpetual User Licenses for faculty ($2,665). Pricing information available at    

http://www.stata.com/order/new/edu/volume-licenses/dl/. (Also in attachment)

 

 

*Currently NVivo 10 is in use. However, NVivo will be releasing version 11 early next year. If this proposal is awarded and approved, the new version will be available by that time for purchase. For this reason, we requested a quote for NVivo 11.

 

 

Personnel Costs

None. Each faculty member would be provided a license for the requested software upon request to the Department/School. Each Department/School secretary would manage a one-page application procedure for the software license to be approved by the Department Chair on an individual basis. For Qualtrics, students would request a license from each Department/School in a similar manner. Stata will be installed on the computers in the Student Lab.

 

Other Costs

 None.

Timeline

The lab will be ready for use as soon as hardware and software are delivered and installed. The timeline for the Qualtrics  software license will span 3 years, effective Spring 2015 till Spring 2018. After three years, the use of this software will be re-evaluated. Licenses for Stata and NVivo are perpetual licenses and do not need to be renewed.

Sustainability

Funding for Qualtrics is being requested for a three-year period. The need for this software will be re-assessed after a period of three years by the college research committee with input from students in order to determine need and the type of software, given that the field changes and that different software options may be available in the future.

The student lab will be maintained by the CDSI IT personnel for any needed maintenance and system upgrades.

Stata and NVivo software are being purchased as perpetual licenses; this eliminates the need for annual license renewals.

 

Resource Matching

 

CDSI and the School of Public Administration will be covering the costs for the desks and chairs for the computer stations and installing a security pass-code system for access for doctoral student research laboratory.

 

Implementing Organization

The School of Public Administration will administer the doctoral student research laboratory. Each Department/School secretary in CDSI will manage a one-page application procedure for the software license to be approved by the department/school Chair on an individual basis. Hardware installation for the student lab will be implemented in-house by CDSI IT personnel.