Research Director (Qualitative/ Mixed Methods) Research Methods Skills
Competence in research methods is key for most roles within the Research
Department at NatCen Social Research but the expected level of skill and experience
required varies with the seniority and methodological specialism of the role. This
document sets out our expectations for a qualitative Research Director at each stage
of the research process.
Design and Development
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Able to develop a research study design in response to a tender.
Data collection methods: Able to make the final decision on appropriate
data collection method/s.
Sampling qualitative/cognitive: Thorough understanding of qualitative
sampling approaches able to design and be responsible for sample design for
complex studies. Able to support junior staff in all sampling tasks.
Sampling – quantitative: Understanding of the principles of quantitative
sampling including: the pros and cons of different quantitative sample
designs, multi-stage sample design, and response rates.
Communicating with research participants: Able to design and oversee
implementation of strategies for maximising cooperation in quant or qual
studies. Ultimately responsible for approving design of and quality assurance
of all public facing study materials (letters, leaflets and consent forms etc) in
consultation with Operations and Communications team where appropriate.
Qualitative/cognitive data collection instruments: Able to provide
guidance on design and to take responsibility for final topic guides, interview
schedules and other relevant qualitative/cognitive data collection instruments.
Question development: Understanding of principles of question design and
wording.
Testing survey data collection instruments: Able to advise on appropriate
testing procedures for survey instruments (piloting. CAPI testing, cognitive
testing) and to ensure that materials have been tested before use.
Fieldwork and Associated tasks
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Respondent recruitment: Able to advise on recruitment issues. Ultimately
responsible for ensuring recruitment for qualitative or cognitive research
studies is conducted to a high standard.
Qualitative fieldwork skills: Able to advise others on conducting all forms of
qualitative data collection. Ultimately responsible for ensuring quality of
fieldwork undertaken on qualitative studies. Responsible for ensuring
fieldworker safety procedures are followed.
Briefing fieldworkers: Able to advise others on briefing
documents/fieldworker instructions/ fieldworker briefings for qual, quant or
cognitive studies. Ultimately responsible for quality assurance of briefing
documents/ fieldworker instructions and briefings.
Monitoring fieldwork progress: Able to advise others on issues to monitor
during fieldwork and appropriate action to be taken when fieldwork problems
arise. Ultimately responsible for ensuring qual/cognitive fieldwork targets are
met or for working with ops to ensure quant fieldwork targets are met.
Related Documents: Research Director job description,
September 2015
Data management and preparation
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Data security and confidentiality: Thorough knowledge of NatCen security
policy and how it relates to data and document handling. Responsibility for
ensuring that staff have knowledge of and adhere to NatCen’s protocols for
the secure and confidential management of datasets, digital recordings and
transcripts. Responsibility for the data security and confidentiality issues of
projects. Able, with guidance to advise others on level of data of data that can
be provided to internal and external data users.
Qualitative/cognitive data management: Review protocols for the
management of digital data, transcripts and fieldwork notes for each project
and ensure that all team members adhere to these. Able to take overall
responsibility for data quality issues on qualitative/cognitive studies. Able to
devise and critically appraise.
Analysis and interpretation
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Qualitative/cognitive analysis: Ultimately responsible for ensuring quality
and integrity of the analytical process.
Interpretation skills: Able to interpret qualitative/cognitive data to a very
good standard and advise others in interpreting their analysis. Good
understanding of how to interpret, and clearly explain, results of advanced
statistical techniques. Able to synthesise data from different sources to a very
good standard and advise others in doing this. Able to produce clear
conclusion and recommendations from a study based on the evidence and
informed by the wider literature.
Other Research Skills
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Research ethics: Overall responsibility for ensuring that individual projects or
groups of projects are delivered to appropriate ethical standards.
Contribution to learning and development activities: Able to lead on the
development and delivery of learning and development activities, modules or
courses (internal or external).
Related Documents: Research Director job description,
September 2015