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Study Design and Survey Methodology

Critical activities take place at the earliest stages of a research project, including the identification of the issues of interest, the formulation of the research questions, investigation of prior research, selection of methods and approaches, and steps to ensure the comparability of the project to prior research and the utility of anticipated findings to potential future research. In conceiving a research project and devising the research process, NORC relies on the knowledge and experience of its own highly skilled staff members and turns to the faculty scholars at the University of Chicago.

Specific areas of expertise include:

Representative Projects

2012 National Survey of Indigent Defense Systems (NSIDS). Sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the 2012 National Survey of Indigent Defense Systems (NSIDS) will gather data about the manner by which defense services are provided to indigent people accused of crime for which they may be jailed or imprisoned under states' laws in each county and state throughout the United States. More

MCC Impact Evaluation Services in Benin. NORC is designing, coordinating, and implementing rigorous impact evaluations of the Access to Land and Access to Credit components of MCC's programs in Benin. The impact evaluations will measure the contribution of these interventions to changing household income in the project intervention areas as well as examine the total value of additional investment on targeted rural land parcels.
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Success Study of the Horatio Alger Association Scholarship Program. The Horatio Alger Association (HAA) Scholarship program is a national effort that awards financial scholarships and provides mentoring to at-risk students who have experienced different types of adversity while still demonstrating strong academic potential. NORC is currently conducting Phase 1 of the Success Study of the HAA Scholarship Program to understand the factors associated with students’ abilities to overcome adversity. More

The Impact of the Economic Downturn on Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). For the HRSA Office of Rural Health Policy, NORC is conducting a study to investigate the increasing role of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs)as health care safety net providers during the current economic downturn. More

The Study of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) provides commodity foods, fruits and vegetables to low-income households, including the elderly, living on Indian reservations and to American Indians residing in designated areas in Oklahoma. The study will provide current information on the participant characteristics, reasons for participation, local program administration, and access barriers. NORC will review a national probability sample of FDPIR case records and conduct interviews with 832 FDPIR households across 25 FDPIR programs, analyze these data, and create a public use data file. NORC will also engage in tribal consultations with USDA and conduct outreach with tribes. More

See all Study Design and Survey Methodology projects