Research
How OPRE Is Advancing Research in Human Services
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) is playing a central role in transforming how human services programs are studied, understood, and improved ...
OPRE & Federal Evaluation Projects What You Need to Know About OPRE Methods Meetings
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, plays a crucial role in advancing ...
How to Design a Valid and Reliable Questionnaire
Creating a well-designed questionnaire is essential for gathering accurate and meaningful data. Whether you’re conducting academic research, evaluating customer satisfaction, or assessing employee engagement, ...
Using Longitudinal Data to Study Social Change
Understanding how societies evolve over time is no small task—but with the right tools, researchers can uncover powerful trends and patterns. Longitudinal data is ...
Simple Techniques to Improve Survey Participation Rates
Getting people to respond to surveys can be a challenge, especially when they’re busy or skeptical about how their feedback will be used. But ...
Top 5 Ethical Challenges in Social Research
Social research plays a vital role in shaping policies, evaluating programs, and understanding complex human behavior—but it must be conducted ethically. Researchers work with ...
How Focus Groups Help Shape Government Policy
Focus groups are a powerful, human-centered tool for shaping effective and inclusive government policy. Unlike surveys or administrative data, focus groups provide rich, qualitative ...
How to Use Administrative Data in Public Policy Studies
Administrative data—the information governments already collect during the delivery of services like education, healthcare, housing, and welfare—has become a cornerstone of modern public policy ...
What Is Nonresponse Bias and Why It Ruins Good Data
Nonresponse bias is one of the most common—and most damaging—problems in survey research and data collection. It occurs when the people who do not ...
How to Design an Effective Survey for Social Research
Designing an effective survey is essential for collecting reliable, actionable data in social research. Whether you’re evaluating a public program, gathering community feedback, or ...
