NIRN Implementation Research Capabilities
Research designs, planning, and methodologies
Select appropriate study designs and frameworks, co-develop research questions, and create data collection plans for evaluations and implementation studies.
Literature reviews and environmental scans
Identify relevant databases, screen resources, assess the quality of the literature, and synthesize the findings.
Assessments, survey development, and test construction
Expertise in survey development methodology, reliability, and validity studies.
Qualitative methods
Develop interview protocols, focus group protocols, and coding schemes, and conduct various types of qualitative analyses (e.g., content analysis, grounded theory).
Quantitative methods
Provide statistical support from basic statistics to multilevel modeling.
Writing for scientific and non-scientific audiences
Translate research findings into peer-reviewed manuscripts, reports, briefs, and presentations for various audiences.
IRB preparation, grant writing, and research administration
Assist with IRB preparation, informed consent, research coordination, and grant and proposal writing.
Option 1: Consultation and Education
Is your team or organization…
- In need of implementation research, evaluation guidance, and expertise?
- Interested in learning and exploring how implementation research can add to your practice?
- Looking to develop knowledge and skills in implementation research and evaluation?
Whether through consultation during individual meetings or a series of learning webinars, NIRN supports partners in strengthening the rigor and relevance of their implementation research. We help teams refine research questions, select appropriate study designs, identify measures, interpret data, and connect findings to implementation decisions and future inquiry. The intended service outcomes are to:
Provide tailored guidance, solutions, and recommendations in implementation research and evaluation
The intended outcomes of this service are to:
- Provide tailored guidance, solutions, and recommendations in implementation research and evaluation
- Increase familiarity and knowledge of implementation research and evaluation designs, methods, and tools, and their use in applied contexts
Option 2: Design, management, and/ or execution of discrete implementation research and evaluation tasks
Is your team or organization…
- In need of an implementation research and evaluation group to design some aspect of your implementation research and evaluation effort?
- In need of assistance with the management or execution of discrete implementation research and evaluation tasks, such as collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data or disseminating implementation research findings?
Our work spans the comprehensive research and implementation cycle. We review the literature and existing systems, select and apply implementation frameworks, design studies, and choose the right methods. We develop tools, collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and turn findings into clear reports, presentations, publications, and other products for a wide range of audiences. We also support partners in using data for improvement and provide help with grant writing, IRB submissions, and other research management needs.
The intended outcomes of this service are to:
- Collaboratively identify the most appropriate approach to completion of the implementation research and evaluation task of interest.
- Produce implementation research deliverables that are relevant and useful for your needs and align with your broader evaluation effort
Option 3: Design, management, and execution of research and evaluation studies
Is your team or organization…
- In need of an implementation research and evaluation partner?
- Interested in integrating implementation research and evaluation data as part of your initiative?
We use research, evaluation, and improvement methods to support initiatives at every stage—from early feasibility and planning through implementation and scaling to long-term sustainability. We help identify what works, why it works, and how to replicate it. Based on your goals, we use the most appropriate study designs, including non-experimental, quasi-experimental, hybrid, and experimental approaches (e.g., SMART or stepped-wedge designs).
The intended outcomes of this service are to:
- Collaboratively identify the most appropriate design and methodologies based on your goals and the practicalities of your project
- Advance or improve your implementation practice while contributing to the field of implementation science
- Produce actionable insights and recommendations based on data