Research Design Discussion Group Sessions

Presenting a research design for discussion at IQMR is required. Institute participants routinely highlight the feedback they receive in such sessions as one of the most valuable aspects of IQMR. You can review instructions for preparing the research design here.

On most instructional days, the 75-minute “Research Design Discussion Group” sessions in which IQMR participants present their designs for feedback and critique from other participants take place just prior to lunch. We usually offer six or so research design sessions in parallel, in each of which three or five authors present their designs, and 10-15 IQMR participants comment on them. An IQMR instructor chairs the session.

Each research design is either considered for 25 minutes or for 15 minutes, depending on whether it is a full or proto design. Almost all of the heavy intellectual lifting in research design discussion group sessions is done by Institute attendees. There is a very strong norm at IQMR that everyone reviews the research designs to be presented in the sessions they will attend in advance, everyone helps, and there is almost no free riding.

Design authors should use their presentation time wisely. We urge you NOT to spend valuable time making a long and detailed presentation of your design. The default position is that everyone in the room has read the designs under discussion, and you do not need to repeat that information. Perhaps take a few minutes to highlight areas you think need attention and improvement. We also suggest that you not engage in long and involved discussions defending a particular element of your design. Use your time to gather as much constructive criticism as you can, offering clarifications and asking follow ups if you think it will help that process.

You do not need to bring printouts of your design to the session in which it will be discussed.

You will indicate whether you would like to present a “proto” research design or a “full” research design via the “R+ResDes+DMP Survey” in April. All research designs are due by June 1 via the survey linked here.

In addition, all participants must sign up for the research design discussion groups. We will send you the research design discussion group schedule and signup form by June 8 and ask that you sign up by June 15.