Data for decisions: The Social Science Research Institute

Not all research involves beakers and Bunsen burners. In fact, one of the University’s most respected units does the bulk of its work with telephones and computers.

For nearly half a century, the UND Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) has conducted social science research that has affected policy decisions about some of the most important issues facing North Dakota.

It was born in 1954 when Dr. Peter Munch, chair of the UND Sociology Department, acquired a grant from the Hill Foundation to study the impact of oil exploration on Williston, N.D. As the SSRI’s first director, the Norwegian sociologist was committed to the application of theoretically directed research to current problems.

Fifty years later, SSRI is still gathering, analyzing and reporting information that is widely used by policy makers in North Dakota and beyond. Pick a public issue facing the state – from economic development to health care – and you'll find SSRI-generated information informing state leaders and the public.

"Our job is to help leaders make informed decisions for their organizations based on the factual, reliable data that we gather," said Cordell Fontaine, SSRI director.

Take Job Service North Dakota, for example. It asked SSRI to conduct several studies of labor markets across the state. Several of the reports are available at www.jobsnd.com. SSRI found that many communities have a labor market that is capable of further economic development.

That was good and useful news for many, said Nelse Grundvig, Job Service North Dakota research analyst.

"The Institute was able to gather data in a timely fashion that enabled us to respond to the needs of local and state officials," Grundvig said. "In several instances prospective employers and economic developers were able to use the data gathered, as well as the reports developed, to help make informed decisions on whether a specific location in the state was an appropriate location. The fact that SSRI holds itself to high standards of professionalism helps ensure that everyone involved is confident that the research was done in an unbiased fashion."
The information was important to state leaders, Grundvig said. "The Labor Market Information Center has used the information gathered by SSRI to help policy makers better understand the issue of unemployment in North Dakota."

And it helped community leaders, too, Fontaine said. "We've been able to give local communities and regions reliable, valid information that they have the labor market to compete – a labor market that is highly educated, highly motivated. They can turn around and use that knowledge to market themselves to recruit a new business or expand an existing one."

A recent study for the North Dakota Information Technology Department demonstrated that 70 percent of North Dakota businesses use modern technologies, very much in keeping with the rest of the nation, said Fontaine. Again, the information is helping the North Dakota Department of Commerce market the state as a good fit for new or expanding businesses.

The research process involved isn't rocket science, but it is social science.

"The key to doing good research is to follow proven research methodology and not deviate from that,” Fontaine said. “It is based on good rigors and knowing the research protocol of what you're trying to do," he said.

SSRI follows standard social science methodology involving proven information gathering and analyzing techniques. There are several ways to survey a target audience, and each methodology has its pros and cons, said Fontaine. Sometimes a mailed-out survey is the best approach. Sometimes a face-to-face focus group works best.

"Our forte is telephone research," Fontaine said. He directs up to 100 callers trained in gathering information through telephone surveys. They work out of various stations in UND’s Gillette Hall.

Technology has helped streamline the process. In the past, SSRI researchers would have had to go to printed telephone directories to create their call lists. Now automated lists and computer programs create the lists. Each caller uses dialing software designed to target a desired population, determined by the needs of the survey.
"The key is, whatever population you are going to survey, everyone has to have a known probability to be surveyed," Fontaine said. "When we call, the first thing we do is identify who we are, and we let them know we reached their number through a random system."

There are standard processes in place throughout each project, he said. The survey questions are designed to explore the issue or question asked by the client and to gather accurate information. That means designing questions that don't bias the respondent ahead of time. SSRI follows standard practices in developing and testing the survey instruments to ensure the questions are as objective as possible. The organization's reputation is unimpeachable in this area. Media and policy leaders put immediate faith in the results of each survey, regardless of whether or not the findings support their particular perspectives.

After the information is gathered, it is analyzed. It isn't enough just to report the raw data. SSRI generates a report that helps the client understand what the data mean and generally provides recommendations based on the results of the analysis.

The client list is varied, but SSRI essentially serves three major groups: UND and UND faculty, state organizations and agencies, and non-profit or not-for-profit organizations such as United Way.

"The Social Science Research Institute fits a small-market niche," Fontaine said. "We have worked with a lot of small agencies and businesses that can't afford a high-priced research organization."

But it also has been sought out by larger organizations.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, based in Miami, Fla., and one of the largest of its kind, has contracted with SSRI to assess the results of its five-year grant program to support community development in Grand Forks. Organizations such as Knight are reluctant to invest dollars without a valid determination that dividends are being yielded.

"We thought the survey was very well done, very timely, and very helpful," said Mike Maidenberg, publisher of the Grand Forks Herald and a Knight Foundation board member. “We got a lot of good advice from Cordell on how to craft the questions to get at the information we were seeking, and we also got good advice on how to present the findings. Overall, we were quite pleased with the SSRI. We are going to repeat the survey in a couple of years.”

Some recent SSRI studies

• Worksite Assessment of Smoke-free Polices, conducted for the Bismarck and Burleigh County Public Health Departments.

• Marshall and Pennington Counties Secondhand Smoking Study, conducted for the Medical/Educational Environmental Tobacco Task Force, supported through a grant from the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco.

• North Dakota Labor Availability and Underemployment Studies, conducted for the Workforce Development Division of the North Dakota Department of Commerce.

• North Dakota Internet and E-Services Study, conducted for the North Dakota Information Technology Department.

• Grand Forks Citizen Survey, conducted for the City of Grand Forks Mayor's Office and the Pubic Information Center.

• Greater Grand Forks Metropolitan Area Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment, conducted for the United Way of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks and Area.

• Gambling and Problem Gambling in North Dakota: A Replication Study, conducted for the Office of the Governor of North Dakota and the North Dakota Indian Gaming Association.