Survey Process

Survey Implementation Procedures

Initial Preparations and Institutional Engagement

The implementation team secures a signed license agreement between NCPRE/Illinois and the partnering institution. We set up a shared Box folder for document storage and project tracking, and we review the partnering institution’s organizational structure, accounting for relevant leadership roles, schools, and disciplinary divisions.

Our first meeting (typically via Zoom) with institutional representatives establishes the project team and lays out expectations for ongoing communication. We confirm:

  • meeting schedule (typically half an hour every week for approximately 12 weeks)

  • preferred platforms for information exchange and storage of agendas (e.g., email, shared Box folder)

  • implementation checklist details, including the survey timeline, participant estimates, survey instruments, and additional services and costs (if applicable).

The institution is responsible for obtaining IRB approval (referencing the University of Illinois protocol IRB24-0280). If leaders wish to include additional open-ended questions or other modifications, we discuss potential impacts on the timeline.

NCPRE creates an Institutional Manager account (typically for the leader at the partnering institution) in the Results Analysis Engine (RAE) and provide access to a demonstration dataset so stakeholders can explore its functionality. We provide IRB-approved recruitment messaging that highlights key elements of the survey and its purpose. We encourage institutions to develop internal socialization materials in advance (e.g., email correspondence from leaders, website text to promote awareness of the survey), and we are happy to provide examples from other institutions or review other institution-specific socialization materials upon request.

We provide promotional materials, such as flyers and copies of survey instruments, to help institutions communicate about the survey internally and secure approval from the institution’s administration. If needed, we review sample results and introduce leaders to the CGS taxonomy used within the RAE, allowing us to set up appropriate comparisons to our database. Institutional representatives identify key questions they hope the survey will answer—typically these questions include:
  • What is the institution’s research climate like?
  • What characterizes the institution’s work climate?
  • What areas in the institution need improvement?
  • What areas are outperforming others? (Why might this be?)
  • What steps should follow the survey implementation?
We clarify how the engine works, including that results will not and cannot be used to identify individuals. To protect confidentiality, we review the ethical protections built into our process: smaller units with fewer than five respondents won’t have independent results displayed, with their data rolled into the next highest organizational level (typically a college or school).

Good results depends on an accurate, verified list of those to be surveyed. Institutions play a critical role in compiling and verifying pre-survey participant information, which includes:

1) the participant list, including faculty, postdocs, graduate students, staff, and undergraduates, with names, email addresses, and unit affiliations provided in an Excel sheet and

2) a comprehensive list of organizational units and affiliated disciplines. Eligible participants must be enrolled or employed at the institution and sufficiently knowledgeable about research climates (for SOURCE) or workplace climates (for CARES).)If administering the Survey of Organizational Research Climate (SOURCE), the list is refined to include only those engaged in research. The survey system automatically excludes individuals under 18.

Before the survey launch, NCPRE confirms compliance with institutional policies on mass mailing. We review and finalize wording (e.g., institution name, leadership titles, regulatory boards, unit names), classification questions (e.g., demographic data), and any institution-specific survey modifications. We send a test email from the designated ethics center address to assure safelisting is successful. We archive a finalized PDF of the consent form, recruitment communication, and survey instrument before activation.

Three days before launch, we verify that the institution has sent the informational email to all participants. The survey system automatically activates on the scheduled start date, sending the initial invitation email. The survey remains open for 20 days, during which institutional leaders may monitor response rates in real time.

Throughout the fielding period, NCPRE handles email bounces, participant inquiries, and any technical issues. If complaints arise (which is rare), we escalate them to the institution and the UIUC IRB. Institutions may send reminder emails at key intervals to encourage participation. We provide periodic participation rate updates to institutional leaders.

Once the survey closes, we verify that data collection has concluded and notify the institution that results are available. Due to security protocols, results are shared exclusively via a secure spreadsheet extract sent through email (not stored in Box).

We schedule a follow-up meeting to review findings and guide institutional leaders through interpreting their results in the RAE. Leaders are assigned appropriate access credentials to ensure controlled review of the data.

To maximize impact, we encourage institutions to use survey insights to develop strategic plans for improving their research climates. Our goal is to help institutions make sense of the data and take informed action toward lasting improvements.

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