We develop research questions, study designs, and data collection tools suited to the issue under investigation. This includes selecting qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods approaches; developing sampling strategies; and preparing interview guides, discussion guides, and survey questionnaires. We consider whose experiences the study needs to capture and what the evidence can reasonably establish.

We plan and facilitate focus groups and interviews with community members, professionals, and other participants. Our work includes developing discussion guides, moderating conversations, and analyzing participants’ accounts. We attend to differences in experience, conflicting perspectives, and the institutional contexts in which those experiences arise.

We design surveys and analyze quantitative and qualitative data. We develop questionnaires, examine patterns and relationships in survey responses, and systematically code interview and focus group material. Our reports explain the findings, their limitations, and their implications for the research question.

We examine the ways in which organizational policies, practices, and services affect people across social positions. Through research, consultation, policy review, and benchmarking, we identify barriers to participation and access and develop recommendations to address them. Intersectional analysis informs how we understand the relationships between race, gender, class, migration status, and other dimensions of inequality.

We review academic research, policy documents, and other relevant evidence to establish what is known, where findings differ, and which questions remain unresolved. Our policy analysis examines the assumptions, design, and implications of existing or proposed policies, including their consequences for different populations.

We prepare research reports, policy briefs, evidence summaries, and presentations for specialist and public audiences. We explain methods and findings clearly, distinguish conclusions from uncertainties, and develop evidence-based recommendations.