January 23 - February 5, 2024 |
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Timothy Elder’s Introduction to Plaintext for Research and Writing
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It was during the spring of 2022, amidst self-admitted procrastination, that Timothy Elder, a doctoral candidate in Sociology at the University of Chicago, conceived of his book, entitled Introduction to Plaintext for Research and Writing.
While his dissertation research delves into the intricate dynamics among physicians, nurses, and medical experts in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, he found a productive way to translate his passion for plaintext into a new project. Elder held a series of workshops co-sponsored by CISSR which formed the framework for his new book.
Designed as a valuable resource for both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in computation, statistics, or general social science methods courses, the book facilitates the adoption of open-source plaintext software for research investigations and writing.
Introduction to Plaintext for Research and Writing builds the case for why scientists of all methodologies should consider adopting the tool; not only is it free and increases accessibility, but Elder argues that utilizing plaintext may also promote good habits in data management. Elder was motivated to create this guide by the growing demand for transparency in scientific processes, and evidenced by failures to replicate influential findings showcases the need for open and well-documented research methods.
While powerful open-source and plain text software tools have emerged to address this need, the book acknowledges the challenges researchers face due to the perceived upfront costs and the convenience of mainstream programs like Microsoft Word and Google Docs, and attempts to surmount them. Elder offers a practical introduction that assumes minimal prior knowledge, making Introduction to Plain Text Software for Research and Writing suitable for beginners and above. The book also covers latex and RMarkdown, the creation of compelling tables and figures, and the fundamentals of interacting with plaintext software through the terminal.
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SISRM offers UChicago undergraduate students and a select number of visiting students from Chicago State University and the Insper Institute of Education and Research (São Paulo, Brazil) training in advanced research methods through coursework, workshops, and these paid research assistantships. In Summer 2024 we will offer hybrid programming and invite you to decide whether you would prefer to offer a remote, in-person, or hybrid RA experience.
Our Summer program begins June 10 and runs through the end of August. Students participating in the RA program receive $5,000 from SISRM in exchange for approximately 160 hours of work for you on their RA projects. If you are familiar with an undergraduate student who would make a strong candidate for this opportunity, we welcome you to apply to work with that student specifically. Complete information about the Summer 2024 workshop schedule and course offerings is available on the SISRM website.
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January 24
Forum for Free Enquiry and Expression
5:30 - 7:30pm, Virtual
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Chicago Center for Democracy
5 - 6:30pm, Pick 505
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Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality
5pm, 5733 S. University Ave, Room 105
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January 26
The Center for Latin American Studies
10-11am, Pick Hall Room 118
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The Open Practice Committee
6pm, Logan Center Penthouse
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January 30
Katz Center for Mexican Studies
10am-11am, Pick Hall Room 118
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Chicago Center on Democracy and the Parrhesia Program on Public Discourse
4:30 pm, Social Science Research Building, Tea Room, Room 201
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The Pearson Institute
5:45 PM - 7:00 PM, Keller Center Sky Suite
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January 31
Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity
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February 5
Social Science Research Center
2 - 3pm, Harper Center Room 219
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Around Town and Down the Road |
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January 26
Northwestern University
12:00 PM - 1:45 PM, Scott Hall, Room 201 in Evanston
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January 30
UIC Sociology
6pm, Seminary Co-op Bookstore
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4:00pm-5:30pm at John Hope Franklin room in SSRB
January 25: Dr. Rachel Silberstein, “The Seventy-Two Kinds”: The Cloth Classic and the Jiangnan Cotton Finishing Sector
Discussant: Yin Cai, PhD candidate in History
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Mondays 12:00 - 2:00pm in Pick 105
January 29: "'As the trade in time of war is connived at, and not capitulated for': Anglo-Iberian Commerce and the Spanish Succession" Claire Jones University of Chicago, Department of History
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The Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, room 103 on alternate Tuesdays from 5:00 to 6:00pm CT
January 30: Mahtab Mahmoudi, MA Divinity School, Mothering the Nation: Women’s Participation in
Shi’i Seminaries in Post-Revolutionary Iran
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Various Wednesdays 4:30 - 6pm in Pick 105
January 24: Luxury and Consumer Society - Nicholas O'Neill, Teaching Fellow in the Social Sciences
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Thursdays 4:30 - 6pm in Pick 118
January 25: Camilo Ruiz Tassinari
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Thursdays 4:00 - 5:30pm in Social Science Research Building 302
January 25: Sketches of al-Jāhiliyya: al-Taḥannuth and Abbasid Conceptualizations of the Pre-Islamic Period Adam DeSchriver —UChicago Divinity School
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Mondays 12 - 1:20pm in Pick 506
February 5: “Integral Association: Recovering the Plebeian Internationalism of Antônio Pedro de Figueiredo” - Niklas Plaetzer
PhD candidate
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Political Science Quantitative Methods Workshop
Wednesdays 12:30 - 1:50pm in Pick 506
January 24th: Kristan Lum, University of Chicago
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Thursdays 3:30 - 5pm in Pick Hall 506 & Zoom
January 25: "Nuclear Thwarting in the International System", Randall Conway, University of Chicago
January 18: "Rape after Civil Conflict: How United Nations Peacekeepers Action's Shape Prevalence" Sabrina Karim, Cornell University
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Thursdays 4:30 - 6pm in Pick 118
February 1: Lorna Hadlock
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Jeanne Sorin, 23-24 Rudolph Fellow, and co-authors examine effects of environment and pollution on business operations in Uganda |
A paper on the bargain between business visibility and competition and employee health has been published by Columbia Business School. Among the authors, is Jeanne Sorin, a PhD student at the Department of Economics at UChicago and a CISSR 23-24 Rudolph Fellow. The paper assesses geolocational data on traffic and busy city districts and pollution levels and finds that there is strong correlation between traffic congestion, or transitory population density, and air pollution in Ugandan cities. By analyzing firm revenues in those areas, the researchers find that operating in urban districts with a heavy traffic flow earns each firm $195 on average, and a random distribution of businesses adds two months to the life expectancy of each employee. Then, the study turns its attention to developing economies and posits that although maximum profitability and cost reduction are more vital concerns for businesses, especially small businesses, operating in this context, minding social welfare and health factors will add to the operational efficiency of businesses. Read the full article at SSRN here.
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Sarah Newman Writes in The Syndicate about the Inefficiency of Waste to Energy Systems and Waste Management Struggles
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Asst. Professor Sarah Newman, an archaeological anthropologist and a faculty member at the Department of Anthropology and previous CISSR Faculty Research Fellow wrote about waste management in the context of the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai. She wrote her observations for the Project Syndicate which focuses on what could be called a methodological glitch. In her piece, Dr. Newman argues that despite having received high praise within the wider sustainability literature, waste to energy systems are inefficient and come with their own energy needs, and yield modest returns in terms of energy generation. Hence, Prof. Newman states, a change towards waste production rather than reprocessing should be the focal point of the efforts concerning waste management from now on. Implying that waste to energy systems lessen the waste production with a promise of amelioration and unintentionally safeguard the old practices within industries, Prof. Newman points out the necessity of more concentrated and innovative efforts in the realm of waste management to ensure the sustainability of method that will ensure the sustainability of practices. Read Prof. Newman’s observations and analysis in full here.
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Assistant Professor of Comparative Human Development and a CISSR 22-23 Book Fellow, Eman Abdelhadi Discusses Reproductive Politics and Storytelling |
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Assistant Professor of Comparative Human Development and a CISSR 22-23 Book Fellow, Eman Abdelhadi was recently featured in the Religion and Reproductive Politics audio series produced by the Martin Marty Center. The series aims to explore the relationship between religion and biological reproduction, shedding light on the role of scholars of religion in this contentious public discussion.The audio clips presented were extracted from the event held in April, which are released biweekly in themed segments. Each panel featured informal presentations by panelists, followed by interactive discussions between the panelists and the audience, now transformed into audio clips. This edition of the of panel content focused on the theme of storytelling. Prof. Abdelhadi is a mixed-methods scholar engaged in both qualitative and quantitative research, with a specific interest in Muslim Americans. Additionally, she is a writer and organizer. Abdelhadi shared the panel with novelist Jennifer Haigh, playwright and reporter Natalie Moore, and journalist and documentarian Sarah Ventre. Bringing a sociological perspective to the discussion, Abdelhadi elaborated on the association of shame and sin. She also discussed her upcoming book, which narrates the stories of women marginalized within Muslim communities due to the challenges of representing the faith and the community.
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