Transcript for the Video entitled Summer Research Institute: Preparing to Participate
Slide 1
National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect
Slide 2
Summer Research Institute: Preparing to Participate. This video was produced by the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN).
Slide 3
This video uses the following acronyms and abbreviations:
SRI is the Summer Research Institute
NDACAN is the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect
AFCARS is the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System
LONGSCAN is the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect
NCANDS is the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System
NYTD is the National Youth in Transition Database
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Once accepted, what tools will SRI participants need to be successful?   
Participants will need uninterrupted access to a computer with the following
Item 1 Reliable high-speed internet.
Item 2 Installed statistical software programs which are needed to complete the proposed analyses. It is expected that prior to the start of the Institute you will either already have, or will work to obtain, the basic proficiencies needed to use the software programs described in your application.
Item 3 Software to open the following document file types: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Adobe PDF.
Item 4 An Audio device: We request that you use a dedicated USB headset for the microphone and for audio playback. An example of a USB headset is the "Logitech ClearChat Comfort/USB Headset H390." We discourage using the built-in microphones of webcams or laptops because they capture excessive ambient noise or are not positioned optimally. We also discourage the use of external speakers for audio playback because they may cause feedback or echoes.
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Once accepted, what tools will SRI participants need to be successful? Continued…
Item 5 A Video device: For the highest quality video and ease of configuration, we recommend that you obtain and use a dedicated USB Webcam. One example is the Logitech C270 720p 3-MP HD Webcam. For video, you can also use a built-in camera of a laptop.
Item 6 A quiet work environment with limited or no interruptions.
Item 7 Access to a phone near your computer workstation. If the video conferencing audio fails to initialize, you can listen to the video conference by phone while watching what is being presented on the computer screen.
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How should participants prepare for the Summer Research Institute?
Working with Your Dataset
At the time of acceptance, you should already have applied for and received the dataset or datasets you will use to complete the proposed research, and therefore the following items are based on the assumption that you have already received the data.
Item 1 Read all dataset documentation.
Item 2 Review the research literature by examining the list of publication citations found in the NDACAN child abuse and neglect Digital Library, also known as the "canDL".  The citations are grouped by dataset.  Anyone can access the canDL by visiting the publications page of the NDACAN website www.ndacan.acf.hhs.gov 
Item 3 Conduct exploratory analyses to examine and further understand the variables of interest to your research. This may include running frequencies, producing charts and graphs, etc. in order to identify data outliers, missing data issues, and necessary data recodes. 
Item 4 Participants should begin to pull together an analysis-ready dataset. This process may include identifying variables and observations of interest, performing data recodes, beginning to think through the algorithms for deriving new variables, or working with NDACAN staff to assemble a special merge of multiple datasets. Requests for special merges of the NCANDS Child File, AFCARS, and NYTD datasets should be submitted shortly after acceptance in order to give staff the appropriate time to complete the request before the start of the Institute. 
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How should participants prepare for the Summer Research Institute? 
Communicating with the Archive
Please promptly respond to all requests leading up to the SRI.  This could include the following:
Item 1 Creating and submitting a biographical sketch to be shared with other participants.
Item 2 Learn how to use the web-conferencing software (e.g. Zoom)
Item 3 In advance of the Institute, participants will be asked to perform video conferencing software test sessions with NDACAN staff to confirm that the audio and video hardware are working properly and that participants are able to connect to the video conferencing service.
Item 4 Participants will be expected to engage in one-on-one calls with NDACAN Analysts to discuss their progress on the proposed research project. These calls allow for analysts to help resolve issues that participants are experiencing while using the data and preparing for the Institute.
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What will be expected of participants during the period of the SRI?
Participants will be expected to work on their proposed research project during the specified days and times of the Institute. The SRI is a focused time where participants work independently on their proposed research until a point at which they become stuck or require consultation. NDACAN dedicates 100% of available staffing resources to help further our participant's projects by answering questions and providing research consultations as needed. 
Participants are encouraged to network with fellow attendees who are working on the same dataset or have similar interests. It is not uncommon for collaborations to result in jointly authored peer-reviewed publications. 
Please note that NDACAN is located in the Eastern Standard Time Zone and so all times reported will be based on the Eastern Standard Time Zone.
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What will be expected of participants during the period of the SRI? Continued…
Participants will attend webinar presentations and web-based meetings as indicated in the SRI Event Guide and Schedule which is circulated in advance of the Institute.
An excerpt from the 2016 Event Guide and Schedule can be found on the next slide. Please note that each year the Event Guide and Schedule will change. A snapshot of the 2016 schedule is only being provided as an example of what the schedule might contain. The important take-away from viewing the schedule is the amount of time where participants will be working independently on their research project.
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Excerpt from the 2016 SRI Event Guide and Schedule
On day one of the Institute, a block of time is set aside in which all participants will join a web conference where they will hear a welcome address from NDACAN, provide a brief introduction of themselves to the other participants attending the Institute, and receive important logistical information. 
On day two, statistical consultations and dialogues with the NDACAN Directors are available to participants by appointment. These appointments can often be set up prior to the start of the Institute. In this sample Event Guide and Schedule, the NDACAN Analysts are available to receive requests for assistance during the hours of 9AM until 12PM and again from 1:30PM until 4:30PM, as indicated by the heading "Analysts Available." It is also during this time that participants will be working independently on their research projects until which point they request assistance.  It is likely that each day will offer a "Workgroup Check-in" session. During these sessions, participants will be grouped based on a common theme, and an NDACAN Analyst will facilitate a meeting to discuss progress on projects as well as any potential or pertinent issues that arose while working with the data which may be of interest to the group. In the current example, participants were grouped based on whether they were using Administrative datasets like NCANDS Child File and AFCARS, or Survey data, like NSCAW and LONGSCAN. Each full day will generically flow like the Day number 2 example. The last day of the Institute will end with a meeting for all participants. One thing that is not shown in this example is that, whenever possible and applicable, NDACAN will host other sessions on topics of common interest to the group.
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In summary, the SRI is designed to help participants work towards accomplishing their goals as they relate to the proposed research project. 
Participants who spend time appropriately preparing for the Institute are better able to take advantage of NDACAN staff expertise by asking higher level, more sophisticated questions. 
If you have questions about a dataset, please contact NDACANsupport@cornell.edu. 
This concludes our video on preparing to participate in the Summer Research Institute.
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The National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect is a project of the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research at Cornell University. Funding for NDACAN is provided by the Children's Bureau.