ONR Services - Data Management

Primary Contact: Maria Hein (maria-hein@uiowa.edu)

What is the role of the Data Manager for the College of Nursing?

I am ready to start a new study. How can the Data Manager help me during the beginning phase of my study?

What data entry systems should I use?

I have collected the data already, and I would like some assistance. How can the Data Manager help me?

What resources are available for qualitative research?

I would like some assistance creating graphs to display the results of my study. What resources are available?

What is the role of the Data Manager for the College of Nursing?

The Data Manager provides data management support, including designing new databases or working with existing databases; building datasets from a variety of sources; cleaning and managing data files; assisting the statistician with statistical analysis; and preparing tabular and graphical summaries of study results.

I am ready to start a new study. How can the Data Manager help me during the beginning phase of my study?

It is important to consult with the Statistician and Data Manager during the early planning stages. The Statistician and Data Manager will meet with you to discuss plans for data management, including planning data entry forms and data entry options, and designing a database for your study. The Data Manager can also train research assistants assigned to a project to perform data entry.

What data entry systems should I use?

Please meet with the Data Manager and Statistician to determine the best data entry system for your study. Office for Nursing Research is providing support for the following systems:

RedCap
REDCap offers both a database platform and an online survey platform. Structured online forms can be created to simplify and constrain data entry as your data are entered into a database. Online surveys can also be created in REDCap so that study participants can click on an email link to begin completing a survey.

Qualtrics
For longer or very complex surveys, Qualtrics is another online survey platform that may work for you. Please note that WebSurveyor is no longer an option for new studies, as the University is phasing out this platform.

Teleform
Teleform, a software application that can be used to create scannable data collection forms, is now available to College of Nursing researchers. The Office for Nursing Research is phasing out its support of the SNAP software that has been used previously to create scannable forms.

For more information about these systems, contact Maria Hein at maria-hein@uiowa.edu or 335-7076.

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I have collected the data already, and I would like some assistance. How can the Data Manager help me?

The Data Manager can assist with cleaning and merging datasets and preparing them for analysis.

What resources are available for qualitative research?

For qualitative data collection, the Data Manager can provide training for your staff on how to moderate focus groups.

For qualitative data management, NVivo software is available. If you would like to attend NVivo training, contact Linda Curran (linda-curran@uiowa.edu).

I would like some assistance creating graphs to display the results of my study. What resources are available?

The Data Manager is available to create graphs, using Excel or Delta Graph. When you meet with the Data Manager about your graphing needs, please bring your ideas for graphs or choose sample graphs from the Figure Gallery.

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