Karen Hines

Research matters! And it’s fun! As a social sciences researcher, I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen what was believed to be a basic tenet turned on its head by research.An advertising executive might be certain about which of several advertising concepts will drive sales, a web designer might believe they know which design will make a website easy to use, or a retail executive might feel strongly about which items customers prefer. And they may be right…but research may also suggest otherwise.I’m currently employed as a researcher at Illuminology, a research firm that explores questions across a wide array of disciplines, using a variety of research methods. We perform every step of the research process- plan the method, design the materials, manage the fieldwork, analyze the data, and provide actionable insights. We conduct quantitative research (surveys), qualitative research (e.g., focus groups; one-on-one or small group interviews; contextual inquiries), and strategic planning sessions. Some of our common clients are for-profit organizations (often for market research or UX research) and local governments, health departments, mental health and recovery services boards, and health systems (for community-based research and strategic planning).When I’m not contemplating the ideal wording to design a questionnaire that captures the heart of the information we seek, or presenting data in a format that’s easily understood but compelling and actionable, you can find me spending time with my wonderful family, running, cooking, working on crossword puzzles, or doing arts and crafts.