CSSI’s research services team is helping researchers focus on what they do best – social science. Whether they’re assisting University of Iowa faculty in refining their project proposal, helping them navigate administrative components of the research process, or designing and executing web and telephone surveys, they help relieve the administrative burden that comes with research. 

Cassidy Branch, manager of CSSI research services, and her team provide assistance with dozens of research projects across campus. For example, her team has recently smoothed the way for:  

• a web survey of physicians to better understand the role of partisanship in the health care system;
• phone interviews with caregivers of family members living with dementia;
• phone recruitment of older adults to participate in a blood pressure management program; and
• a web survey that examined how Americans are using AI tools. 

“We assist by providing expertise about best practices in research design and various options for data collection, which allows researchers to focus on study aims and research questions,” she said. “Also, we can manage administrative tasks – like IRB compliance, purchasing, and study incentive management – that will lessen the burden for researchers.”

Housed in the Social Sciences Research Building, the team includes three additional staff members: Mike Oie, data analytics specialist; Dawn Bower, project specialist; Lisa Halm-Werner, project specialist; plus eight student field staff and four graduate student consultants. Together, they consult with researchers on analyzing data and gaining access to data; oversee the CSSI call center for phone recruitment and interviews; and advise on focus-group planning and questionnaire design. They also manage projects and offer free one-hour consultations. 

The best time to reach out

The best time for researchers to reach out to CSSI for research services, Branch said, is during the planning phase of a project or grant application. CSSI staff can consult on a research plan, prepare a budget, and provide language about services for grant proposals. 

Halm-Werner said the team also works with researchers in the later stages of research, for example, when a researcher realizes they are not getting enough survey responses.

“We provide information so they can consider the best strategies to reconnect with non-respondents, even if that is as simple as a referral to a sample vendor or other resource,” she said. 

The team’s knowledge helps researchers make the most of their budgets, rethink their data collection approaches, and stay flexible as they navigate challenges. 

Julie Lee, assistant professor of health management and policy in the College of Public Health and CSSI researcher affiliate, said the team brings deep knowledge of social science research methods.

“As someone rooted in a specific field, I sometimes lose sight of how a study might land with the broader public,” she said. “To conduct interdisciplinary research, the team's fresh perspective helped me think more clearly and communicate more effectively.”

Faculty interested in CSSI research services, including a free consultation, can complete a project intake form or contact cassidy-branch@uiowa.edu for more information.