Using Research for Evidence-Informed Career Development Practice

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Overview: 

Evidence-informed approaches can help career development practitioners (CDPs) adjust client practices to achieve superior outcomes, increase credibility in efforts to influence policy, and assist in obtaining or maintaining funding. But in our contemporary world of information overload, it can be challenging to distinguish relevant, trustworthy information from irrelevant and/or untrustworthy information. CDPs can also not know where to start to find academic or other research partners, if they are interested in undertaking their own research. How can CDPs use research and evidence, and do so responsibly and effectively?

This three-part CERIC webinar series introduces CDPs to the fundamentals of research. Attendees will learn foundational knowledge for engaging with research responsibly. From this, they will develop strategies to effectively navigate the world of research, evidence and information in ways that help them do their career development work better.

Why Career Practitioners Should Attend: 

Research is not limited to professors or students; career practitioners are already doing research in their day-to-day practices. This webinar series will help you adopt an evidence-informed approach by understanding the foundational knowledge and research basics. With this in place, you can build to understanding of how to distinguish between and read research studies, and how to make use of research in your own work. 

Recordings

Webinar #1: Research 101 for Career Practitioners
By the end of this webinar, you should be able to:

• Explain what evidence is and how evidence is used to inform decisions;
• Describe the core features of the scientific approach;
• Differentiate between quantitative and qualitative research approaches to collect evidence;
• Discuss how approaches to data collection, measurement and sampling influence research outcomes; and
• Explain the Evidence Continuum and why it matters.

Webinar #2: Using Existing Research in Your Career Development Practice
By the end of this webinar, you should be able to:

• Explain how knowledge of evidence and research relates to your work as a career development practitioner;
• Identify strategies to locate research studies relevant to your work;
• Explain the difference between peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed research;
• Identify the core components of a research report;
• Read research reports critically using the “Two-Pass” Approach;
• Describe how cognitive biases can influence how we read and interpret research, and consider approaches to challenge these biases; and,
• Develop strategies to assess the trustworthiness of research.

Webinar #3: Conducting Research in Your Career Development Practice
By the end of this webinar, you should be able to:

• Identify strategies to locate existing data sources relevant to your work;
• Discuss the challenges career development practitioners can face in conducting original research and possible approaches to address these challenges;
• Understand opportunities to bridge the researcher-practitioner gap;
• Plan ahead to share your research findings with others; and
• Reflect on the opportunities to advance evidence-informed approaches in your own work.

Loleen Berdahl, PhD is an award-winning university instructor, the Executive Director of the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina), and Professor and former Head of Political Studies, University of Saskatchewan. Loleen writes a careers column for University Affairs (The Skills Agenda), and a career Substack newsletter for academics, Academia Made Easier. Loleen is also the co-author of a careers book for doctoral students, Work Your Career: Get What You Want from Your Social Sciences or Humanities PhD.  

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