Research Project Management Suggestions: Virtual & Distanced

Bureau of Educational Research

Last update: August 21, 2020

Guidance for using virtual tools for data collection, project management and data storage:

• The Office for the Protection of Research Subjects (OPRS) offers a number of important downloadable guides (in PDF format) on the OPRS COVID-19 Response Update page.

Posted guides especially informative for conduct of virtual research include:

• Virtual Resources Guidance (PDF) – Updated May 19, 2020

Guidance on research needs by sensitivity level (minimal risk research/ high risk research), activity types, and research tools (including Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, MTurk, USPS Mail, Box, REDCap, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, VSee). Also provinces external links.

• Researcher Guidance for the Use of Electronic and Verbal Consent (PDF) - Updated April 7, 2020

Identifying tools for virtual data collection, project management and data storage:

• The Research IT Portal is offered by Technology Services, and works to:
  
  • Bridge gaps between researchers and the technology that enables research
  • Partners with units, researchers, and IT Professionals to provide the best possible collaborations to assist research
  • Consultation
  • Connect people with trainings and access to high-throughput, cluster, and cloud computing, data storage solutions; software development assistance, expert consulting (e.g., statistics analysis, programming and software optimization, visualization).

Resources for Office 365, Microsoft Teams Training

• Technology Services offers online resources to help users learn Microsoft Teams, including video of Microsoft-led training events offered for the University of Illinois, a downloadable guide, a YouTube playlist of training videos, and LinkedIn training resources.
• Popular apps for research management can be integrated into Teams, including a number of non-Microsoft products. Some popular apps include:
  • Asana: work management platform: boards, timeline (https://asana.com)
  • ClickUp - task assignment with notes, reminders, goals, calendar, scheduling (https://clickup.com)
  • Event Management - create teams for event organizers, create and manage events (https://www.sharepointsapiens.com/)
  • Hive: Real-Time Chat, Table Abilities (https://hive.com)
  • Microsoft Planner - stay organized, assign tasks, keep track of progress (https://tasks.office.com)
  • Miro - collaborative whiteboard platform, this is a new favorite tool at Siebel Center for Design (https://miro.com)
  • SurveyMonkey - share, collect, and collaborate on surveys (https://www.surveymonkey.com)
    

Select YouTube videos about organizing and managing virtual research:

• Microsoft Teams: Collaborate with Any Researcher Anywhere
  • July 18, 2019 (5:05)
  • How researchers from the Heart Research Institute collaborate in real-time on documents, meet online and chat with confidence
• Switching to virtual teams in the face of COVID-19: leadership challenges and opportunities
  • Jun 5, 2020 (1:31:05)
  • Webinar organized by Stockholm University of Economics House of Innovation, in collaboration with the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Switzerland Global Enterprise.
• Conducting Clinical and Translational Research in the Time of COVID
  • Mar 26, 2020 (1:12:43)
  • This forum brought together institutional leadership, researchers, trainees, front-line research staff and clinical staff to discuss clinical and translational research challenges and opportunities during the COVID-19 crisis.  From the University of Alabama at Birmingham Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS).
• Managing a Research Group
  • Jun 22, 2015 (1:12:43)
    
  • Advancing Earth and Space Science (AG), from the earth and space science community: What does it take to lead and manage a successful, productive and cohesive research group? In this webinar, we will delve into the fundamentals of leadership and teambuilding, specifically as it relates to a research group environment. Learn how to motivate people (particularly across nationalities), organize your team, develop goals, delegate tasks, produce a strategic plan, and execute that plan with triumph.
• Academic and Research Faculty Introduction to Microsoft Teams
  • Feb 17, 2019 (57:37)
    
  • Hosted by the Microsoft Teams for Education Product Group, a getting started webinar for new users and those looking for best practices. Includes use case examples.
  • Starting at 45:10: Managing research projects with colleagues from external institutions.