Academic Support
At ROI we work closely with academic researchers in the process of designing or writing a study for various purposes including publishing in peer-reviewed journals. We understand any writing potentially could be daunting given the highest level of scientific rigour and originality that is to be met. Our services are refined and expanded to provide the most comprehensive support possible throughout the research process. We have a team of dedicated academic statistical consultants, qualitative research experts and analysts that can provide our clients with whatever support they need.
• Prospectus/Concept Paper
• Topic Development
• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Qualitative Methodology
• Quantitative Methodology
• Power Analysis
• IRB
• Dissertation Défense/Presenting
• Thesis Consulting
• Academic Editing
Grant Writing
One of the most fundamental secrets to successful grant applications is the ability to present a convincing argument relating to the data, precisely its collection and presentation to ensure meaningful conclusions are derived. In most instances, funding bodies and institutions are interested in knowing to detail, how the data will be collected interpreted during the project. At ROI, we are equipped to walk our clients through the process starting from the early stages of project design. We also ensure the provision of well-structured text to include in the funding application and help justify the client’s approach to data collection and analysis.
Discussion Section
Transcription
Beyond the collection of robust data, the undertaking of impactful and trustworthy qualitative research requires accurate transcription before completion of the qualitative analysis. To this end, even many expert qualitative methodologists recommend transcription of interviews and focus groups in verbatim a prerequisite in supporting the trustworthiness of qualitative findings.
While overtime transcription technologies have improved, they are still prone to errors that can adversely impact on the accuracy of data. The commonest of these errors are a result of the talk-to-text software misidentifying words due to muffled or unclear speech, background noise, differences in enunciation several people speaking at once or homophones.
Given the current inadequacies of current transcription technologies, it is only the human ear can reliably interpret spoken communication in its multiple forms including mispronounced words, figures of speech, sighs, laughter and slang. Manual transcription remains, therefore, the gold standard.
At ROI we are the premier research and analysis firm offering high-quality manual transcription services to our clients with a fast turnaround that works for any timeline (typically a day or two even for the largest qualitative dataset). Our team comprises of professional transcriptionists and stenographers who can capture every nuance of any interviews in meticulously detailed transcripts. These include unstructured, semi-structured and structured interview and focus group discussions. We also include in the array of this service range, meetings, journals, open-ended questionnaires or any other observational notes that may be used as a data source. We accept data files in all forms of digital media including, mp3, mp4, wma, aac, amr, and wav.
Outside but related to transcription we also assist with interpretative phenomenological analysis, constant comparative analysis, thematic analysis and content analysis. In addition to providing transcriptions to client’s data, we can upload data into qualitative analysis software program for coding and analysis, including
• Atlas.ti
• Dedoose
• MAXQDA
• NVivo
Comprehensive Exams
Journal Article Assistance
At ROI we also work with academic researchers in the process of designing or writing a paper for publication purposes in a peer-reviewed journal. Publishing in peer-reviewed journals requires one to meet the highest scientific rigour, originality and other style guidelines and formatting requirements.
We combine our unique approach, expertise and organisational size to ensure that our fees are affordable and our service provision is timely. We stand by our work - should you be accepted with additional questions, we also help these are answered and have your research approved for publication.
We assist hundreds of recent graduates of masters and doctoral programs seeking to elevate their academic careers and publish their approved research. Our support in this regards usually comes in two forms both generating and developing a publication plan or manuscript revision. Beyond this, we also work with researchers undertaking new research. We can provide comprehensive support throughout the academic research process including topic development, literature review assistance, methods, results and discussion. Whether you are undertaking quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods study, our team at ROI will be able to assist you, ensuring you can confidently submit your work for publication.
Publication Plan
The bulk of our clients are new to the area of academic publication. The majority usually approach us seeking assistance in the development of a long term plan to publish their masters and doctoral research and have their voice established in current scholarship. While some may be familiar with the journals within their disciplines, developing a concrete plan to commence publication work and target those that best suit their work can present challenges. At ROI we help our client to prepare a set of goal and target journal thus ensuring the publishing work commences. This process usually follows three steps.
Comprehensive analysis of dissertation - this stage is concerned with the identification of threads running through different parts of the dissertation especially the problem statement, research questions, hypotheses, literature review, methods, results and discussion.
Identification of sources - in this phase we take an analysis of your dissertation and develop a range of sources where your work potentially could be published. We also take cognisance of the possible future direction of your research, and the major journal that potentially could be explored.
Rhetorical analyses of exemplar articles
The final step comprises a careful examination of the archives of each of the preliminarily identified journal, identifying the one that fits neatly your proposed topic and methodological approach. In addition to this, we ensure we identify a range of articles from the most recent journal volumes and issues. Following this process, we perform a thorough rhetorical analysis of each making sure we examine purpose and audience, knowledge to be assumed of the reader and that which must be explained.
Our search usually results in the identification of several ideal publications or those with a promising fit for the clients' research, At the end of the search we, therefore, present the clients with our finding to determine how you would like us to proceed. Based on our agreement we may then proceed with turning your study into a paper for publication
Manuscript Revision
For our clients with a publication plan or target journal already in mind, we also have a plan for you. We can assist you in shaping your dissertation into a manuscript ready for submission. If you have worked within the development of this plan, even better. We are ideally suited to efficiently provide a comprehensive revision and update to your dissertation research.
Identifying Journal Aim - Once we agree on the identified journal, then the next phase will be ensuring we frame your dissertation/sections according to the journal's online submission criteria.
Revising for specific journal criteria - Journal and dissertations have differences with regards to several issues including front matter, sections, word count, and formatting. Ensuring that the manuscript meets the journal requirements requires substantive editing and trimming. The trimming of a dissertation to meet format requirement of the journal is never a haphazard process. There is a need for identification of key information including in the sections of the research that tend to be very long in the dissertation such as literature review.
Emphasising current/relevant scholarships - the process of trimming and focusing the study requires also the identification of the most recent and pertinent sources. This then requires extensive reworking of the references list to match the source cited in the manuscript. Ultimately our client will have a fully drafted article manuscript matching the submission criteria of the identified journal.
Research & Analysis for New Studies
We also service a broad spectrum of clients aiming to undertake new research, or established academics seeking to generate new publications to meet their personal and professional goals. ROI dissertation consultants can assist you across a range of discipline to conduct the study and publication-ready study in your field
Topic Development & Literature Search - Using our full-text access and scholarly journals from a range of databases such as JSTOR, Science Direct, EBSCOhost, ProQuest and Blackwell Synergy we help our client in the initial stages of topic development. Our criteria for topic development are comprehensive and reflective. At this stage, we also identify work for inclusion in your literature review and also provide annotated biography of these studies and an outline that allows for verification of the process, in particular, if the information sought confirms to the needs of your topic. By conforming to this standardised and verified process, you can be assured that the topic receives the most comprehensive review available.
Methodology Support - Once we have an idea of the focus of the study and insight on the current literature, we can provide expert methodological consulting. The process of methodological consultation involves amongst other key components phrasing of the research questions and hypotheses, research instruments, data collection plan and the identification of correct methods to analyse data. In addition to standard and complex quantitative methodologies, we are also experts in experimental designs and clinical trials.
Analysis & Results Discussion - Once data collection is finalised, our team at ROI can conduct your data analysis following your methodological plan - using the statistical or qualitative software package of your choice. In the past, we have offered analysis using statistical packages such as SPSS, AMOS, STATA, R, SAS, LISREL, NVIVO, EQS, MATLAB Atlas and MAXQDA. Based on the analysis of the results, hypotheses generated from a review of literature, we assist our clients in the crafting of detailed and critical interpretations of their research findings. Having published 100 of studies in several fields, our team are equipped with knowledge of what it takes to generate intriguing discussions and exceptional interpretations for both qualitative and statistical research.
Final Editing & Manuscript Review - At ROI we are committed to working with our clients throughout the research process. Adhering to this promise, our offerings are summed up with some high-level editing tailored to meet the requirements of the target journal. We provide a unique level of academic rigour to your research ensuring, therefore, the likelihood its acceptance by reviewers is maximised.
