Research Meets Lived Experience

  • Research Design

    Knowing the right questions to ask is often the most important element of research. Our academic training and personal experiences enable us to design research that will truly help your agency or organization better understand your topic of interest.

  • Data Collection

    Research suggests that people with lived experience are viewed as more credible and trustworthy by other system-impacted individuals. Our personal histories enable us to build rapport with research participants, which helps us collect honest, reliable, and actionable feedback during the data collection process.

  • Analysis & Findings

    Our team's lived experience can improve data analysis by providing context and insights that uncover underlying patterns or trends often missed by traditional methods. Our unique perspectives can lead to more accurate interpretations and actionable conclusions, ensuring that data-driven programs and policies are better aligned with real-world conditions and challenges.

Surveys & Administrative Data

Using survey or administrative data to investigate important questions can offer valuable insights into system operations and individual experiences. These two types of data sources can help you identify what is happening. Survey data captures personal experiences and perceptions, allowing you to understand the impact of policies on specific populations. Meanwhile, administrative data provides robust, large-scale information, enabling us to track trends, assess program effectiveness, and help you develop evidence-based programs, policies, and curriculums.

Focus Groups & Interviews

The use of interviews and focus groups to collect data allows for in-depth exploration of stakeholder experiences, providing rich, qualitative data that can reveal the nuances of how individuals interact with system. This type of data helps you understand why something is happening. Researchers can then explore complex issues, identify underlying factors, and gather detailed narratives that might not emerge from quantitative data alone. By capturing diverse voices, conducting focus groups and/or one-on-one interviews can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the issues facing your agency or organization. Research findings can then be used to inform the development of more effective and responsive policies and programs.