Open Access Training

In this section
Open Access Training

Visual of the four training phases

Our training programme has four distinct phases, visualised below. We will be sharing all our training outputs open access.

View the training and resources specifically associated with developing and delivering a whole-school mindfulness intervention in Rwanda and Ethiopia here.

All training resources are © 2023 University of Aberdeen unless otherwise specified. All training resources are licensed under the CC-BY 4.0 license.

Foundation

The foundation training phase comprises all mandatory training around ethics, safeguarding and data management, and an optional module in our inquiry paradigm, critical realism.

Research Ethics

The training video was accompanied by a 10-question multiple-choice test. The questions are available here. Please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk for the answer key.

Safeguarding: Preventing Harm in Research

The training video was accompanied by a ten-question multiple-choice test. The questions are available here. Please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk for the answer key.

Research Integrity and Data Management

The training video was accompanied by a ten-question multiple-choice test. The questions are available here. Please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk for the answer key.

An Introduction to Mindfulness

The training video was accompanied by a 10-question multiple-choice test. The questions are available here. Please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk for the answer key.

Critical Realism

The training video was accompanied by a 10-question multiple-choice test. The questions are available here. Please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk for the answer key.

Additional recommended resources for this training are:

  1. Brunson, L., Lauzier-Jobin, F., Olson, B. and Côté, L. P. (2022) Seven key insights from critical realism and their implications for ecological thinking and action in community psychology, Journal of Community Psychology, 1-21. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23054 (Accessed 14th February 2024).
  2. Critical Realism Network (2020) Critical Realist Philosophy of Social Science [Video]. Available at: Critical Realist Philosophy of Social Science - YouTube (Accessed 14th February 2024).
  3. Singleton, H., Porter, S., Beavis, J., Falconer, L., Priego Hernandez, J., and Holley, D. (2023) Accounting for complexity in critical realist trials: the promise of PLS-SEM, Journal of Critical Realism, 22:3, 384-403. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2023.2217652 (Accessed 14th February 2024).
  4. Critical Realism Network (2021) Critical Realism Philosophy of Social Science [Online]. Available at: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8uTsTFMwRFE80CZSVxeVoXpcxX29UESV (Accessed 19th April 2024).
  5. Koopmans, E., and Schiller, C. (2022) Understanding Causation in Healthcare: An Introduction to Critical Realism, Qualitative Health Research, vol.32(8-9), pp. 1207-1214. Available at: doi.org/10.1177/1049732322110573 7 (Accessed 19th April 2024).
Child Protection

This training video was accompanied by a 10-question multiple-choice test. The questions are available here. Please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk for the answer key.

Political Economy Analysis (PEA)

This training video was accompanied by a 10-question multiple-choice test. The questions are available here. Please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk for the answer key.

Additional recommended resources for this training are:

Balane, M. A., Palafox, B., Palileo-Villanueva, L. M., McKee, M., Balabanova, D. (2020). Enhancing the use of stakeholder analysis for policy implementation research: towards a novel framing and operationalised measures. BMJ Global Health, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002661 (Accessed 14th February 2024).

Framework Analysis

This video was accompanied by a 10-question multiple-choice test. The questions are available here. Please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk for the answer key.

Further discussion on Framework Analysis took place at a team workshop in Addis Ababa in January 2024. The slides titled 'Framework analysis according to Gale et al. 2013*' are available here. (Dr Rachel Shanks).

Doing a Literature Review

Doing Academic Literature Reviews - Scoping Reviews Part 1: Writing the Protocol

Scoping Reviews Part 2: Conducting the Review & Writing Up for Publication

Mindfulness practise: an experience and perspective from an Ethiopian Clinical Psychologist

Child & Adolescent Mental Health Disorders

This training video was accompanied by a 10-question multiple-choice test. The questions are available here. Please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk for the answer key.

Theory of Change

The accompanying multiple choice questions quiz is available here . For the answer key, please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk

Data Collection

Quality Control in Survey Research

The accompanying multiple-choice quiz is available here . For the answer key, please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk

Process Evaluation

The accompanying multiple-choice quiz is available to view or download at the following link: Process Evaluation MCQ_NIHR Project. For the answer key, please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk 

Opening Up The Black Box in Impact Evaluation of Health & Social Interventions: Introduction

The accompanying multiple-choice quiz is available to view and download at the following link: Opening Up The Black Box MCQS NIHR CAMW Project. For the answer key, please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk 

Preparing Transcripts for Data Analysis & Depositing in a Repository

The accompanying multiple-choice quiz is available to view and download at the following link: Preparing Transcripts MCQs NIHR CAMW Project For the answer key, please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk 

Critical Realist Interviewing (Introduction)

The accompanying multiple-choice quiz is available to view and download at the following link: Critical Realist Interviewing MCQs NIHR CAMW Project

For the answer key, please email nihrcmw@abdn.ac.uk

Further resources on this topic will follow in spring 2025.

Data Analysis

NVivo Introduction

Reading and NVivo Sources of Help created by Dr Rachel Shanks, University of Aberdeen

Last updated: 04th March 2025

Recommended Reading

  • Bazeley, P. and Jackson, K. (2019) Qualitative Data Analysis with NVivo, 3rd edition, SAGE: London.
  • Bazeley, P. (2020) Qualitative Data Analysis. Practical Strategies, 2nd edition, SAGE: London.
  • Saldana, J. (2021) The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers, 4th edition, SAGE: London.

Further Reading

  • Edhlund, B. and McDougal, A. (2019) NVivo 12 for Mac Essentials, Form & Kunskap AB. (Recommended by PhD student).
  • García-Horta, J.B. and Guerra-Ramos,T. (2009) The use of CAQDAS in educational research: some advantages, limitations and potential risks, International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 32(2) pp.151-165. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437270902946686
  • Harding, J. (2018). Qualitative Data Analysis. From Start to Finish, 2nd SAGE: London.
  • Houghton, C., Murphy, K., Meehan, B., Thomas, J., Brooker, D. and Casey, D. (2016) From screening to synthesis: using NVIVO to enhance transparency in qualitative evidence synthesis. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26, pp.873–881, https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13443
  • Leech, N.L. and Onwuegbuzie, A.J. (2011) Beyond Constant Comparison Qualitative Data Analysis: Using NVivo. School Psychology Quarterly. 26(1) pp.70–84. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022711
  • Paulus, T.M., Lester, J.N. and Dempster, P.G. (2014) Digital Tools for Qualitative Research. SAGE: London.
  • Welsh, E. (2002). Dealing with Data: Using NVivo in the Qualitative Data Analysis Process [12 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 3(2), Art. 26, http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0202260

Sources of help

 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nvivosoftware

Twitter/X accounts @NVivoSoftware and @NVivoSup and also hashtags #nvivo and #nvivotips

Capacity Building & Exchange

Quantitative Fieldwork Workshops - Summer 2024

Colleagues met to prepare for quantitative fieldwork between 22nd and 25th July 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda, and 05th to 08th August 2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The following resources were produced and used for the workshops.

Introduction to Quantitative Fieldwork Workshops (Kigali) PowerPoint Introduction to Quantitative Workshop PowerPoint (Rwanda) NIHR CAMW (Professor Paul McNamee)

Rwanda Household Survey Fieldwork Organization PowerPoint Fieldwork Organisation for Rwanda Household Survey PowerPoint NIHR CAMW (Roger Mugisha, EASA Ltd)

Introduction to Quantitative Fieldwork Workshops (Addis Ababa) PowerPoint Introduction to Quantitative Workshop PowerPoint (Ethiopia) NIHR CAMW (Professor Paul McNamee)

In addition, the training videos in Safeguarding: Preventing Harm in Research, and Quality Control in Survey Research were recapped. Click here to be taken to the Foundation training section to access the Safeguarding video and click here to be taken to the Data Collection training section to access the Quality Control in Survey Research video.

Qualitative Fieldwork Workshops - Summer 2024

Colleagues met to prepare for qualitative baseline fieldwork between 17th to 20th July 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda, and 12th to 16th August 2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The following resources were produced and used during these workshops.

Introduction to Qualitative Workshop PowerPoint slides: Introduction to Qualitative Workshop Jul 24 NIHR CAMW

Qualitative Interviews PowerPoint slides: Qualitative Interviews PowerPoint NIHR CAMW Project (Dr Rachel Shanks)

Focus Group Discussions PowerPoint slides: Focus Group Discussions PowerPoint NIHR CAMW (Dr Rachel Shanks)

Interviewing Children PowerPoint slides: Interviewing Children PowerPoint NIHR CAMW (Dr Rachel Shanks)

Thematic Analysis PowerPoint slides: Thematic Analysis PowerPoint NIHR CAMW (Dr Rachel Shanks)

 

In addition, our training videos in Child Protection, Research Ethics and Safeguarding: Preventing Harm in Research were recapped. Click here to be taken to the training videos further up this page.

Research & Mindfulness Workshops - January 2024

Research Strand

The workshop objectives (research) were:

  1. Participate in work package and whole-project meetings to advance activities and participate in team-building activities.
  2. For members of the Work Package 3 Applied Health Research to advance planning activities related to the trial.

The research workshop agenda is available here .

Slide decks and other resources

Monday AM - NIHR Project Overview and Programme Theory (Professor Pamela Abbott)

Tuesday AM onwards - Qualitative Research - Asking Questions in Critical Realist Research (Professor Pamela Abbott)

Thursday AM - PEA (Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso)

Thursday PM - Framework analysis according to Gale et al., 2013* (Dr Rachel Shanks)

Dissemination Slides (Professor Pamela Abbott)

Research & Mindfulness Workshops - September 2023

From 11th to 15th September 2023 colleagues from Rwanda, Ethiopia and the UK met at the University of Rwanda College of Medicene and Health Sciences, Kigali, to fulfil the below objectives.

Objectives

  1. Build the team: develop relationships, explore equitable research partnerships, and deliver training for current and upcoming WPs.
  2. Launch the project: engage Rwandan policy actors in a project launch and overview.
  3. Train the Teacher Educator team in teaching mindfulness, train the Mindfulness Champions in mindfulness, and begin developing the intervention.

The workshop was divided into three seperate strands, or "themes". Theme 1 was Research, Theme 2 was Mindfulness and Theme 3 was Admin.

Workshop Timetable

Slide decks - Research

Monday AM Slot 2 - Run through of the research project (Professor Pamela Abbott)

Supporting Materials: Research Protocol (opens on new site)

Monday PM Slot 1 - Work Package 1 Introduction to sessions (Dr Lucia D'Ambruoso)

Monday PM Slot 1 - PEA in Ethiopia (Dr Kibur Engdawork)

Monday PM Slot 2 - PEA Preliminary Findings - Rwanda (Professor Laetitia Nyirazinyoye)

Tuesday AM Slot 1 - Reviewing literature / an overview of systematic literature reviews (Professor Pamela Abbott)

Tuesday AM Slot 2 - What is wellbeing and how to measure it? (Professor Pamela Abbott)

Thursday AM Slot 1 (altered from agenda) - Health Economics Training (Professor Paul McNamee)

Thursday AM Slot 2 (altered from agenda) - Overview of WP3 Tasks and Timelines (Professor Paul McNamee)

Friday AM Slots 1 & 2 - NVivo (Dr Rachel Shanks)

NVivo to analyse qualitative data

NVivo to analyse qualitative data - projects and files

NVivo to analyse qualitative data - coding

12 myths to dispel about NVivo

 

Presentations and resources from the Inaugural Policy Actor Event (Rwanda) can be found on our Publications page, here .

 

 

Participatory Action Research (PAR)

“As a result of the training, my confidence to organise and progress a participatory action research (PAR) process has significantly changed ….Besides, I had no idea about power distribution between researchers and participants in the whole process of PAR and how to facilitate the PAR activities in a workshop before the training. It was during and after the training that I came up with enough knowledge, skills, and attitudes to organise a PAR process.” - Quote from participant.

Materials from Training Exchange on Participatory Action Research (PAR) as part of Work Package 1, which took place in-person in Kigali, April 2023.

PAR Training Exchange - Welcome

PAR Training Exchange - What is PAR?

PAR Training Exchange - Participant selection, recruitment and ethical considerations

PAR Training Exchange - Rwanda PAR - Participant selection, recruitment, ethical considerations

PAR Training Exchange - Data collection, analysis, ethical considerations

PAR Training Exchange - PAR in context, mindfulness in schools (and day 2 orientation)

PAR Training Exchange - PAR in context (partner lead perspectives)

PAR Training Exchange - Mindfulness in schools

PAR Training Exchange - Roleplays

PAR Training Exchange - Final reflection and exchange

PAR Training Exchange Summary Report

Our Intervention & Inquiry Paradigm

Find out more about the culturally appropriate mindfulness intervention we're developing, our inquiry paradigm, Critical Realism, and other content that has informed our work. 

This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0