STETSON INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
421 N. Woodland Blvd., Unit 8407
DeLand, FL 32723
Tel.: (386) 822-7240, Fax: (386) 822-7245
e-mail: sisr@stetson.edu, website: www.stetson.edu
Purpose
The Stetson Institute for Social Research (SISR) was founded in January 1993 as an
educational, research, consultation, and evaluation resource for Stetson University
students, faculty, and administrators, and for the surrounding community.
Roles
SISR’s main roles are to
 Provide professional consultation, research, and evaluation services;
 Design, implement, and manage basic and applied research (e.g., polls);
 Act as a clearinghouse for research and consulting opportunities for Stetson faculty
and students; and
 Serve as a liaison between those seeking research services and SISR faculty affiliates
and student researchers.
Guiding Principles
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Professional integrity
Sound methodological principles
Service to the community
Faculty, staff, and students are well-trained in the ethics of social research and follow the
guidelines established by professional social science associations, using research methods
and procedures that produce valid and reliable results and that follow the principles of
scientific inquiry.
Research, Consultation, and Evaluation
SISR’s goal is to produce reliable and valid research findings about social issues. SISR’s
staff is available to consult and assist in the following areas:

Grant development
Assist in the development of one or more sections of a grant application, including
those dealing with the various facets listed below.

Study design
Consider alternative research designs; define study populations; and identify
appropriate sampling frames and procedures, data collection methods, and data
analysis techniques.
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Sampling
Advise on sampling designs, including defining study populations; specifying
appropriate sample sizes; identifying appropriate sampling procedures, sources of
telephone and face-to-face sampling frames, and sampling strategies; and providing
estimates of sampling variability.

Instrument development and testing
Construct questions to facilitate and motivate responses and the recording of
responses; and pretest the instrument.

Data collection
Advise on appropriate methods of data collection (e.g., mailed questionnaire,
telephone interview, focus group) and timing of data collection (e.g., one-time crosssectional, longitudinal); and collect data via mailed surveys, face-to-face interviews,
telephone interviews, systematic observation, focus groups, experiment, ect.

Interviewing
Select, train, and supervise interviewers; prepare interviewer and field supervisor
instructions; conduct interviews and focus groups; and verify interviews.
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Data analysis
Determine the bases for hypotheses confirmation or rejection; code data for analysis;
define a completed survey; enter data into electronic files and clean the data; and
reduce data via descriptive and inferential statistics.

Project management
Describe the study design and methodology, including the study population, sampling
procedures, response rate, and sample bias; instrument development; data collection
and analysis; findings; and research instruments and codebooks.
Education
SISR is committed to enhancing undergraduate and graduate students’ education by
guiding them in meaningful research and instilling in them a strong sense of the social
value of quality research. Hence, SISR prepares students to
 Be knowledgeable research users, evaluators, and participants;
 Anticipate the uses of social research in their careers in public service, education, and
the private sector; and
 Interact appropriately with research professionals and their clients.
Some Current and Former Clients
ACT Corporation
City of DeLand
Community Outreach Services
Daytona Beach Armory Redevelopment
Daytona Beach Community College
The Daytona Beach News Journal
Eckerd College
Florida Hospital-DeLand
Florida Academy for Excellence in Teaching
The House Next Door
Monroe County School Board
National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism and the Office of
Domestic Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Reality House
Stetson University
Stewart-Marchman Treatment Center
Volusia Community Learning Center
Volusia County Government
Volusia County Public Library
Volusia County School Board
VOTRAN
WCEU-TV
Workforce Development Boards of Brevard, Flagler and Volusia Counties
Working Arrangements
Clients are encouraged to use SISR’s expertise as early as possible in the research
process. Call the director for more information.
The SISR staff will be happy to meet with potential clients to discuss proposed
research projects and to respond to formal requests for proposals. The staff will then
determine the feasibility of Stetson working with clients, given the availability of
faculty research affiliates and other staff, the timing of he project, and other
resources. Project schedules, budget, and staffing will be determined and agreed
upon by SISR and the client before the project begins.
Once the project is completed, clients are expected to acknowledge SISR in reports,
publications, and other forms of communication.
SISR Staff
John K. Schorr, Ph.D., Director
216 Davis Hall
421 N. Woodland Blvd, Unit 8407
Stetson University
DeLand, FL 32723
Phone: (386) 822-7085
E-mail: jschorr@stetson.edu
Fax: (386) 822-7245
Diana Croasmun, Senior Secretary
218 Davis Hall
421 N. Woodland Blvd, Unit 8387
Stetson University
DeLand, FL 32723
Phone: (386) 822-7240
E-mail: ddsmith@stetson.edu
Faculty Research Associates
Bruce Bradford, Ph.D., Geography and Environmental Science
Diane D. Everett, Ph.D., Sociology
James E. Mallett, Ph.D., Finance
Stuart Michelson, Ph.D., Finance
Carolyn Nicholson, Ph.D., Marketing
John K. Schorr, Ph.D., Sociology
Robert K. Sitler, Ph.D., Spanish and Latin American Studies
Mercedes S. Tichenor, Ph.D., Education
John Tichenor, Ph.D., Director of Institutional Research
Governance and Policy Committee
Grady Ballenger, Ph.D., Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
John K. Schorr, Ph.D., Director, Sociology
Diane D. Everett, Ph.D., Past Director, Sociology
Bruce Bradford, Ph.D., Geography
Carl D. Cochran, Ph.D., Psychology
Anne M. Hallum, Ph.D., Political Science
Elizabeth D. Heins, Ph.D., Education
William R. Nylen, Ph.D., Political Science
Kathy Jo Piechura-Couture, Ph.D., Education
Ranjini L. Thaver, Ph.D., Economics
John Tichenor, Ph.D., Director of Institutional Research
Mercedes S. Tichenor, Ed.D., Education