RDC News: February 2018

Upcoming Hours

Please note the upcoming changes to the usual centre operating hours this month:

• CLOSED on Monday February 19th for Family Day

Office space available via CRESS

The Centre for Research in Empirical Social Sciences (CRESS), which supports empirical research and affiliated research labs in the Faculty of Social Sciences, is offering access to shared office space in room #5021 of the Wilson Building (down the hall from the RDC).

Shared desk space is available for regular RDC researchers with active contracts who have completed all the requirements for their PhD except the thesis (i.e. ABD or "all but dissertation"). This is a collaborative space in a shared area. If you are interested in having this space available to you, please email Peter Kitchen (rdc@mcmaster.ca) a copy of your confirmation of enrollment in SGS 700 for the current term to verify eligibility and apply for access to the space.

New data sets at the RDC

In the upcoming weeks we will be receiving new data sets and surveys at the McMaster Research Data Centre. Please see the information below. Researchers interested in accessing these data sets are encouraged to submit proposals!

2014 Ontario Child Health Study (OCHS)

The 2014 Ontario Child Health Study (OCHS) data is now available. This survey was conducted by Statistics Canada on behalf of Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University. The purpose of the OCHS was to collect up-to-date information about children and youth's mental health in Ontario. The objectives included:

• estimating the prevalence of child mental disorders;
• quantifying the association between child mental disorders, chronic health conditions, and social and academic functioning;
• determining if there has been an increase in the prevalence of child mental disorders between 1983 (when the first OCHS was conducted) and 2014, or changes in social gradients for child disorders;
• examining the extent to which families with children exhibiting mental health needs receive mental health services, express satisfaction with them or experience service barriers; and
• modelling contextual influences (e.g. family, neighbourhood, school) on risk for developing a mental disorder.

This survey used a cross-sectional design and three-stage sampling plan (neighbourhoods, census tracts and dissemination areas, and dwellings where children aged 4 to 17 lived). Data was linked to administrative information from the Ontario Ministry of Education (for information on educational achievement and academic performance), McMaster's 2014 School Mental Health Surveys, and with permission, to data from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (for information on service use).

This data set would be of interest to researchers interested in child mental health and well-being. Further information on this data set can be found at http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey&SDDS=3824&dis=1

The McMaster RDC is now accepting proposals for work with this data. For information on the application process, please visit: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/rdc/process

Research in Focus Series 2018

A series of lunchtime conversations for students, faculty members & staff focused on community-based research, knowledge mobilization, and research data & its management, organized by the Centre for Research in Empirical Social Sciences. Bring your lunch & CRESS will provide drinks & dessert. 
All lunchtime talks will meet in L.R. Wilson Hall 5001 on either Tuesdays or Wednesdays (see below). All students, faculty members, and staff are welcome. The Centre for Research in Empirical Social Sciences (cress.mcmaster.ca) will provide drinks and desserts. Questions about CRESS or the Research in Focus series can be directed to Dr. Michelle Dion at dionm@mcmaster.ca.

Upcoming CRESS Research in Focus series talks:

• The need-to-knows of Research Data Management: Pending Tri-Agency policies and resources to manage your research materials, with Jay Brodeur, Library, February 6, 12:00pm-1:30pm
• Using MacDrive for collaborative research, with Courtney Sheppard, Social Sciences, McMaster, February 7, 11:30am-1:00pm
• Introduction to McMaster’s Limesurvey tool for Online Research Surveys, with Michael Wilson, MREB, with Ginet Segui Lines, RHPCS, McMaster; Nick Marquis, Social Sciences, McMaster; February 14, 11:30am-1:00pm

Full listing at https://cress.mcmaster.ca/news-events/research-in-focus-series-2018