Research & Data Assistance

Research projects can be challenging, especially for novice researchers. Fortunately, the university has support to help students, faculty, staff, and the larger GW community develop their research skills. 

Starting Your Project

Starting a research project can be a daunting task. It can feel overwhelming to identify a researchable topic, develop questions worth answering, and identify literature that has already been written about your subject. Some resources that might be helpful include:

  • Meeting with your professor or another faculty member who has research experience in your field. 
  • Reviewing the databases to identify and acquire existing research on your topic. 
  • Scheduling a research consultation with a librarian in Gelman Library (or one of GW's specialized libraries, such as Himmelfarb for health sciences or the Jacob Burns Law Library for law-related topics). 

 

During these meetings, you might be asked:

  • What subjects or courses have you found most interesting during your studies?
  • Is there a specific topic within your field of study that you would like to explore further?
  • Have you come across any research articles or studies that have piqued your curiosity?
  • Are there any practical problems or real-world issues that you would like to investigate?
  • What aspects of your coursework or subjects have you found challenging or unclear?

Obtaining and Managing Data

Data can take many forms based on the research project and the subject area(s) covered in the project. Once you have your data, you may need to do some work to prepare it for analysis. Some resources that might be helpful include:

 

During these meetings, you might be asked:

  • What specific data do you need to address your research question or objective?
  • Have you identified potential sources or databases that might contain the required data?
  • Are there any ethical considerations or data privacy concerns associated with accessing or collecting the data?
  • What challenges do you anticipate in terms of data availability or accessibility?
  • Have you considered the timeframe or duration needed to collect the required data?

Analyzing Your Data

Acquiring and preparing your data is an important step, but it is far from the final stage of a research project. The following resources are available to help determine the appropriate analysis procedures based on your research questions and interpret your findings:

  • Meeting with your professor or another faculty member who has experience with the methodology you are using for your project. 
  • Scheduling a consultation with a data consultant in Academic Commons to learn about statistical analysis using programming languages and software such as R, python, SAS, SPSS, and STATA (specific programs to be supported vary each year based on projected usage). 
  • Completing modules on Linkedin Learning (all members of the GW community have access to LinkedIn Learning). 

 

During these meetings, you might be asked:

  • What specific research questions or hypotheses will your data analysis aim to address?
  • Have you identified the appropriate methods for your research project?
  • What software or tools do you plan to use for data analysis?
  • Have you considered potential confounding variables or biases that might affect your data analysis?
  • What steps will you take to ensure the validity, reliability, and/or trustworthiness of your data analysis?

Findings and Discussion

Once you have analyzed your data, the next step is to interpret the results, discuss the limitations of the study, and connect your findings to other completed work. The following resources can help you with these tasks:

  • Meeting with your professor or another faculty member with expertise in the topic for which you have completed your research project. 
  • Scheduling a research consultation with a librarian who can help you connect with existing scholarship. 
  • Attending formal and informal gatherings (such as conferences and related seminars in your field or university workshops and events) to discuss your topic with other students, researchers, and scholars.

 

During these meetings, you might be asked:

  • How do your results align with your initial research question or hypothesis?
  • What are the main findings or key patterns that emerged from your analysis?
  • Can you provide specific examples or evidence from your data to support your interpretations?
  • How do your results compare to previous studies or existing literature in the field?
  • What are the main implications or significance of your findings?
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