Words & Numbers Research, Inc.
Information for data-driven decisions
In 1984, Words & Numbers Research, Inc. was founded by its current president Susan Carroll, Ph.D. In 1993 it was named one of the best small businesses in Connecticut by the United States Small Business Administration.
During the 26 years of operation, Words & Numbers Research, Inc. has designed and executed hundreds of studies for a diversified clientele. The level of client satisfaction with the quality of the work has been exhibited by the high rate of referral through word-of-mouth testimonials. Oftentimes, Words & Numbers Research, Inc. will serve as our clients' research arm. This is a cost effective option for companies and organizations.
The research studies have been qualitative and quantitative as the name of the firm suggests. They include surveys, evaluations, needs assessments, focus groups and in-depth interviews.
What differentiates Words & Numbers Research, Inc. from competitors is the ability to integrate the pursuit of information (research) to address market needs (marketing). This means that we ask market segments (customers) questions and use their answers to build strategies to serve markets more fully.
The firm has considerable expertise in developing questionnaires that work well and produce substantial information. Return rates are always higher than industry standards.
The data-based services include the following:
Mail and Telephone Surveys
Comprehensive services can range from the initial design of the research - to questionnaire development - to implementation of data collection - to data tabulation - to final written reporting and oral presentation of results.
Over the 24 years that the firm has been in business, it has developed a reputation for creating excellent and effective questionnaires that produce sound data for decision-making.
In addition, some of the recent surveys have involved large-scale customer satisfaction studies, program evaluations, membership studies, employee satisfaction surveys, needs assessments, image analyses and many others.
Written reports from Words & Numbers Research, Inc. are straightforward and user friendly. Tables of data and the verbatims from respondents are presented in a way that lay audiences can make sense of the data and comprehend the findings easily. The reports always have suggestions and ideas for follow up strategic steps.
Focus Groups and In-depth Interviews
The focus groups and in-depth interviews serve as another valuable research method.
The design of the Interview Guides, the moderating of the focus groups, the expertise in interviewing skills and the compilation of results in user friendly reports have resulted in a strong demand for these qualitative methods of research from the firm.
Reports contain themes that summarize the findings, as well as many rich verbatim comments from the participants. In many cases the data are presented so clearly that information can be used immediately for action steps.
Evaluations and Needs Assessments
One of the primary services offered by the firm is program evaluation.
Multiyear, large scale evaluations have been designed and implemented by Words & Numbers Research, Inc. Current evaluation projects include those for the US Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. The designs include experimetal and control groups, tracking cohorts over multiple years and designing instrumentation and statistical procedures using SPSS.
All of the designs for evaluations and needs assessments are custom tailored, not boiler plate. They are based upon program goals and objectives with instrumentation, data collection and data management conducted in a collaborative fashion and in the spirit of improvement.
There have been numerous program evaluations both large and small - from clients in a single agency to the US Department of Education to the Javits Foundation.
Doctoral Dissertations / Faculty Research
A former professor, Dr. Carroll has assisted hundreds of doctoral students to complete Chapter Four of their dissertations.
See www.dissertation-statistics.com for more information for doctoral students.
The services include review of their initial doctoral proposal for "quality control" ---to tabulating their data and setting up tables for Chapter Four. There is confidentiality, quick turnover of work and affordability built into this needed service.
Students from California to Texas to Florida to Canada have used this service and moved their dissertation process along. The same services have been extended to many faculty members on campuses including Harvard, University of Oregon and Jackson State University.
