Enhancing Research Capacity: NISER Hosts Training on R Software for Researchers

The Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) took a significant step forward in enhancing its research capabilities this week. From May 27-28, the Research Management Department organized an intensive 2-day training workshop focused on R Software applications for data analysis.

This strategic training initiative emerged from NISER’s commitment to maintaining cutting-edge research standards. The workshop addressed three critical needs within the research community:

Evolving Research Landscape: As research methodologies continue to advance, particularly in big data analytics, traditional software tools like SPSS, E-Views, and Stata sometimes fall short of handling complex, multi-dimensional datasets that modern policy research demands.

Growing Industry Adoption: The social sciences have witnessed an increasing trend toward R Software adoption, with researchers achieving more sophisticated analyses and deeper insights from their data. NISER recognized the importance of aligning with this global shift.

Institutional Learning: Building on the success of the April 2024 research methodology training and insights from the 2024 Team Research Projects (TRPs) and Individual Research Projects (IRPs), the institute identified a clear need to strengthen its researchers’ technical capabilities.

The workshop was expertly facilitated by Dr. Peter Ogundunmade from the Department of Statistics at the University of Ibadan. Drawing from his extensive experience with R Software and RStudio, Dr. Ogundunmade guided NISER researchers through:

• Data Manipulation Techniques: Essential skills for preparing and organizing research data
• Exploratory Data Analysis: Methods for understanding data patterns and relationships
• Univariate Analysis: Statistical techniques for single-variable examination
• Advanced Statistical Methods: Comprehensive approaches to complex data analysis

The training emphasized practical application through hands-on exercises, ensuring researchers could immediately apply their new skills. Participants gained firsthand experience with R’s versatile applications and learned to integrate these powerful tools into their ongoing research projects.

This investment in technical training reflects NISER’s dedication to producing high-quality, methodologically sound research that can inform Nigeria’s development policies. By equipping researchers with advanced analytical tools, the institute  seeks to strengthen its capacity to tackle complex socio-economic challenges and contribute meaningful insights to national development discourse.

The workshop represents another milestone in NISER’s continuous effort to blend traditional research excellence with modern technological capabilities, ensuring its research remains relevant, rigorous, and impactful in today’s data-driven world.