Standard Operating Procedure (SOP):
EVNoire/EVHybridNoire Data & Research Team Processes
Approved by Leadership: ENTER DATE
1. Purpose
This SOP outlines the procedures and best practices for the Data & Research Team at EVNoire/EVHybridNoire It ensures consistency, quality, and efficiency in conducting qualitative and quantitative research, as well as supporting grant applications and strategic analytics.
2. Scope
This SOP applies to all team members conducting:
● Qualitative Research (Key Informant Interviews, Focus Groups)
● Quantitative Research (Surveys)
● Grant Application Support & Data Services (Supporting Leadership and Project Managers to submit grant applications)
● Strategic Analytics (Creating data dashboards, leading CRM efforts)
3. Roles & Responsibilities
3.1 Research Team Member Roles
● Senior Research & Data Scientist IRB
● Strategic Analytics Manager
● Research Associate
● Research Analysts
3.2 Research Team Member Responsibilities
● Develop research instruments (interview guides, focus group scripts, surveys)
● Conduct data collection and analysis.
● Prepare deliverables (reports, presentations)
● Ensure compliance with ethical and confidentiality standards
3.3 Leadership’s Role and Responsibilities (Dr.
Francis)
● Use research insights for decision-making, funding applications, communication with clients, business development
● Define research needs and objectives
● Approve research protocols, scripts, and surveys
● Provide guidance on deliverables and reporting needs.
4. Standard Procedures
4.1 Qualitative Research Process (Key Informant Interviews & Focus Groups)
Qualitative research allows EVN/EVH to dig deep and fully understand peoples’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about topics in the transportation space Below we provide a high level overview of the steps needed to conduct qualitative research at EVN/EHN.
The following sources provide more detailed information about our processes for Qualitative Research:
● Qualitative Research Guide
● Folder of Past Examples of Qualitative Work
Step 1: Learn Project/Client Needs and Establish Research Strategy
● A leadership member (usually Dr. Francis) will inform the Data & Research team of a new project and the overall goals, expected outcomes and timeline of the project There may be an internal kickoff meeting with program managers, leadership team members and the D/R team to learn more about the project.
● Determine if IRB approval is needed for this project If so, follow the steps outlined in the IRB SOP
● The Senior Research & Data Scientist will work internally with the D/R Team to discuss the project and develop a research strategy and timeline which includes establishing participant criteria, logistics (e g , in-person or virtual data collection, facilitators), incentives, outreach/recruitment strategies, etc. The project budget is important to consider when developing the project strategy
Step 2: Develop Research Instrument
● Draft Key Informant Interview or Focus Group script based on research goals
● Ensure questions are clear, unbiased, and aligned with study objectives.
● It may be helpful to review past examples of these scripts to gain a better understanding of how this type of work has been conducted in the past.
● Obtain approval from the Senior Research & Data Scientist and/or Dr Francis that the script(s) are in good shape for client review.
Step
3: Gain Client Approval for the Script
● The client-facing project lead (either Dr. Francis or the Senior Research & Data Scientist) will share the script with the client for review and obtain feedback
● The D/R team revises the script(s) based on this client feedback and repeats the client review process again until the client is satisfied with the script.
Step 4: Recruitment
● Develop an outreach toolkit for the project and utilize the recruitment resources outlined in this toolkit The Communications Lead can be very helpful with developing/implementing the toolkit.
● Typically EVN/EVHN works with their partners to help recruit participants for qualitative research. If partners are included, Leadership may be working to establish a contract with these partners to ensure compensation for their efforts
Step 5: Training of Facilitators
● EVN/EVNH will often work with local community members to co-facilitate qualitative research sessions Facilitators will need to be trained on the research project and scripts, while EVN/EVHN staff will need to review best practices in conducting focus groups and/or key informant interviews
Step
6: Conduct Focus Groups/Key Informative Interviews
● If the interviews take place in-person, travel arrangements will need to be made to ensure that research staff are able to travel to conduct the focus groups/key informant interviews.
● If the qualitative sessions are taking place in-person, it is important to arrive at least an hour before the sessions take place to set up and check recording equipment, as well organize incentives and consent forms
● Obtain participant consent and follow ethical guidelines outlined in the IRB (if applicable).
● Record sessions securely for transcription and analysis
Step 7: Data Transcription
● Use a transcription service such as XX to transcribe the data
● Anonymize scripts
● Deidentify participants
● Verify accuracy of transcripts before analysis
Step 8: Data Analysis
● Read each transcription to get a sense of the tone and key themes
● Take each “chunk” of text and insert into a Google Sheets spreadsheet
● Systematically apply codes (brief descriptors of the content) to each chunk of text.
● Review the codes and develop themes based on these codes
● Review examples of previous qualitative data analysis work to get a sense of how to perform qualitative data analysis.
Step 9: Develop Final Deliverable
● Create a final report, slide deck or other deliverable (based on client needs) that summarizes key findings and insights for the qualitative research, while providing actionable insights and recommendations.
● Share the finalize deliverable with the Communication Lead for proofreading and formatting support
● Share the final deliverable with the client.
4.2 Quantitative Research Process (Surveys)
Step 1: Learn Project/Client Needs and Establish Research Strategy
● A leadership member (usually Dr. Francis) will inform the Data & Research team of a new project and the overall goals, expected outcomes and timeline of the project There may be an internal kickoff meeting with program managers, leadership team members and the D/R team to learn more about the project.
● Determine if IRB approval is needed for this project If so, follow the steps outlined in the IRB SOP
● The Senior Research & Data Scientist will work internally with the D/R Team to discuss the project and develop a research strategy and timeline which includes establishing participant criteria, logistics (e.g., using Qualtrics), incentives, outreach/recruitment strategies, etc. The project budget is important to consider when developing the project strategy
● If Qualtrics will be involved in the data collection process, follow the Working with Qualtrics SOP to develop a scope of work
Step 2: Develop Survey Instrument
● Develop a draft of the survey instrument (based on goals identified in Step 1) to share with the Senior Research & Data Manager/Dr Francis for approval Complete survey build form outlining survey questions, logic, and flow. This form is helpful for understanding skip logic and response options prior to being programmed into Qualtrics
● Review past examples of how questions were asked in previous EVN/EVHN surveys and utilize those questions (where appropriate) when developing the survey instrument for the project New questions will likely need to be developed for the project as well
● Once approved internally, the survey instrument is shared with the client for feedback and approval (make changes to the survey based on client feedback).
Step 3: Program Survey in Qualtrics
● Utilizing the survey build form, program Qualtrics with the survey questions
● Conduct internal review of survey functionality and testing before launch
Step
4: Data Collection
● If EVN/EVHN is launching the survey, distribute the survey invitation link via email/social media.
● If Qualtrics is launching the survey, inform Qualtrics that the survey is ready to be soft launched Then wait for the initial data (typically 10% of responses) to be collected, review the data for errors, correct any errors on the survey or with sampling, then inform Qualtrics of any requested changes and continue sampling to meet the quota
● Monitor response rates and address technical issues as needed.
Step
5: Incentive Distribution
● As part of Step 1, the incentive for the survey should be determined.
● If EVN/EVHN is distributing the incentive, ensure that the participants receive the incentive within XX days of completing the survey
● If Qualtrics is administering the survey, confirm that incentives are being delivered to participants in a timely manner
Step
6: Data Cleaning
● Once the data collection process has finished, data should be checked and cleaned prior to performing data analysis As part of the data cleaning process, remove duplicates, invalid responses, and check for missing or inconsistent data.
Step 7:
Data Analysis
● Data analysis will typically take place in Qualtrics; however, other software programs (e g , SPSS, R) can be used as well
● It is important to first perform descriptive analyses (e.g., mean, median, mode) for each survey item, prior to moving into bivariate analysis It is common practice to look at the responses by key demographic indicators such as gender, race/ethnicity, and age
● Utilize DataWrapper to generate tables and graphs.
Step 8:
Develop Final Deliverable
● Create the final deliverable (based on client expectations) for the project such as a report and/or slide deck.
● As part of the final deliverable, data-driven recommendations should be provided to the client.
4.3 Grant Application Support & Data Services
The D/R team provides support to EVN/EVHN staff working on grant applications Ways the D/R team support these grant applications include:
● Responding to data requests with timely, accurate information.
● Generating data summaries, visualizations, and maps to the grant application
● Providing relevant research and data for grant proposals.
● Supporting writing and editing of data-driven sections in grant applications
4.4 Strategic Analytics
The D/R team provides Strategic Analytics support to the company by performing the following:
● Leading the company’s Tableau efforts to develop data dashboards based on internal and external datasets
● Leading the company’s CRM process (e.g., working with HubSpot, ZoomInfo).
5. Quality Control & Ethical Standards
EVN/EVHN follows the following standards with working with data:
● Confidentiality: Maintain participant privacy and secure sensitive data
● Training: Providing key staff working on the project with appropriate training to complete tasks.
● Accuracy: Ensure all data collection and analysis processes are rigorous and error-free
● Review Process: All deliverables must undergo internal review before submission. 6. Tools & Software Used
Transcription Revcom
Qualitative Analysis
Other survey functions (screeners, events, feedback)
Quantitative Analysis
Data Visualization
Report Creation
Google Sheets
Typeform, Qualtrics, Google forms
Qualtrics, Google Sheets
Tableau, Data Wrapper
Canva, Google Docs
