Consulting Office for Research and Evaluation (CORE)

The primary mission of the Consulting Office for Research and Evaluation (CORE) is to assist others with the design and analyses associated with research or evaluation projects.

CORE is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking help with their: research design, evaluation design, statistical analysis, instrument/survey development, psychometric analyses, data processing and database design, and statistical and analytical software training.

Research Design

Using the optimal design to answer your research question will ensure that the results of your research are meaningful and useful in helping you to answer your questions. CORE can support your endeavors by making certain that you have considered all of the sources of variability that exist in your design and are using the most advantageous sampling schema and analytic approach.

Evaluation Design

Conducting a high quality evaluation of the utmost relevance to stakeholders is a complex endeavor. CORE can help by guiding you in your choice of an appropriate evaluation model, assisting you with the design of data collection tools that focus on the primary objectives of the program you are evaluating, and aiding you in your choice of appropriate analytical methodologies.

Statistical Analysis

Obtaining quality results in any research project is dependent on using the most suitable statistical methodologies. In addition to helping you decide what statistical approach would best help you to answer your research question, CORE can analyze your data and provide an interpretation of the results.

Instrument/Survey Development

In addition to using the most appropriate analytical approach, it is also important to use high quality instruments or surveys to measure your variables. CORE can help you to ensure that your variables have been thoughtfully defined and to design valid and reliable instruments that are based on your specifications.

Psychometric Analysis

Upon using or piloting instruments, it is essential to analyze their properties to determine if they are of the highest quality. CORE can help you design validity studies for your instruments so that you can be sure that you are truly measuring the variables that you have defined. In addition, CORE can analyze your surveys with respect to their reliability and validity and provide an interpretation of the results. CORE can also conduct psychometric scaling studies, designed to scale both people and items on a common metric, using item response theory.

Data Processing and Database Design

Setting up a complex database is not always easy. CORE can help you determine the optimal way to set up your database, as well as teach you how to create new variables and recode existing variables. CORE can also assist you with data processing and data management tasks associated with large databases.

Statistical and Analytical Software Training

Trying to learn how to use an analytical software package? CORE can teach you how to use both major analytical software packages, such as Microsoft Excel, SPSS, or SAS and specialty analytical software packages, such as LISREL, HLM, EQS or BILOG.

Representative Consulting Projects

  • Evaluating the Milwaukee Mathematics Partnership, in which we worked to demonstrate the impact of this NSF funded project on increasing student achievement in mathematics in the Milwaukee Public School District.
  • Developing the Numerical Understanding of Medicine Instrument (NUMi), a project funded by NIH and the American Cancer Society to design a measure of health numeracy in the adult population which can be used to facilitate communication between physicians and their patients.
  • Collaborating with the Center for Self-Sufficiency on the external evaluation of multiple projects across the country that are designed to help improve relationship skills of teenagers and adults.
  • Collaborating with the College of Engineering & Applied Science at UWM to explore the impact of instructional interventions on improving the retention and graduation rates of underrepresented students in CEAS.
  • Working with the Wisconsin Department of Instruction to investigate how schools in the state plan to implement the new federal mandate, Response to Intervention (RtI).
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Contact

Dr. Razia Azen
Professor and Director
azen@uwm.edu

CORE is staffed by doctoral candidates who work in close consultation with the following faculty members:

Dr. Razia Azen
Dr. Raji Swaminathan
Dr. Bo Zhang

Consulting Office for Research & Evaluation
School of Education
Enderis Hall, 238
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413

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