New CSI Staff Publication in Journal of Informetrics

Alyssa Goldman, Client Services Consultant, recently published an article in the Journal of Informetrics entitled "Conceptualizing the interdisciplinary diffusion and evolution of emerging fields: the case of systems biology." In the article, Alyssa presents a methodological approach for considering how a new field diffuses to diverse disciplines.  Using a combination of network and cluster analyses, Alyssa suggests a means for identifying a diffusion structure and then classifying journals based on the extent to which they sustain various features of that structure.  To view the article abstract, click here. 

Group Concept Mapping Presentation at NAPCRG

Dr. Lara Carson Weinstein, Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University, recently presented at the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) Annual Meeting on her breast cancer screening research using group concept mapping.  Dr. Weinstein's presentation, titled "Exploring Barriers and Facilitators to Breast Cancer Screening in Formerly Homeless Women With Serious Mental Illness Through Concept Mapping," discussed the use of group concept mapping as a means of gathering information from this severely marginalized population. 

Participants included 27 formerly homeless women with severe mental illness, and they rated past experience with breast cancer risk factors and use of support systems as the most important factors for obtaining a mammogram, and comfort/motivation as the most feasible factor to address.  The results of this study will be used to create breast cancer screening and prevention interventions for women and their support staff.  For more information about Dr. Weinstein's presentation (Session Number CR11), click here. 

Happy Holidays from CSI

 

New CSI Publication with DAIDS, NIAID

CSI's Dr. Scott Rosas and Marie Cope co-authored a paper titled "Assessing the challenges of multi-scope clinical research sites: an example from NIH HIV/AIDS clinical trials networks," which was recently published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice (online publication November 13, 2013).  The study examined the use of multi-network clinical research sites as a means of gaining efficiency and capacity for the networks, and the associated challenges with multi- versus single-network sites.  

The paper is a result of CSI's multi-year collaborative evaluation work with the Division of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (DAIDS) at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Office of HIV/AIDS Network Coordination (HANC).  To view the full abstract, click here. 

Connect to CSI through Social Media

Did you know that CSI is on other social media platforms?  Make sure you like us on Facebook, connect with us on Linkedin, and follow us on Twitter.  And don't forget to visit our group concept mapping Wiki page.  Now there are more ways to stay in touch with us and to meet other group concept mappers.  Visit our pages and tell us about your recent experiences with group concept mapping.  We can't wait to hear from you!

COP Member Presents at NAPCRG 2013

This week a member of CSI's Centers of Practice© (COP) Program, Dr. Chris Morley, presented a group concept mapping project at the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) Annual Meeting in Ottawa.  The project, titled "Essential Public Health Competencies for Medical Trainees: Establishing a Consensus," used group concept mapping to gather input from diverse stakeholders across the country on key public health competencies for physicians-in-training.  The project was supported by the Society for Teachers of Family Medicine's Group on Public Health Education (Chair Dr. Jake Prunuske), and the results will be used to determine the most critical public health training to incorporate into undergraduate and post-graduate medical curricula. 

Dr. Morley is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Family Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University and his research focuses on health disparities.  To view Dr. Morley's latest conference highlights on Twitter, click here.

Group Concept Mapping Highlights at APHA

Want to know what's happening at the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting right now?  Here's a photo of Dr. Lynda Anderson in front of her poster presentation on the use of group concept mapping to design an integrated framework for the CDC's Healthy Aging Mobility Project. 

For the latest updates, you can follow APHA conference highlights on Twitter or Facebook (search "#apha13").  Here's what conference participants are saying about CSI: "ConceptSysInc provides a way to facilitate concept mapping online!" @LindaVoGreen and "Looks really cool!" @SEAFacil.

Getting Ready for APHA: Group Concept Mapping for Public Health and Health Care

Going to APHA next week?  CSI has compiled a comprehensive bibliography of public health and health care research applications of group concept mapping for research, advocacy and planning.  We’re posting it here, for you to have before the conference.  Additionally, click here, for more group concept mapping topical bibliographies.

Come visit us at Booth #934, for more information on group concept mapping and how it can support your own research.  See you there!  

Intro Webinar November 6 & 13

New to group concept mapping?  Want to know how it works?  The next Introduction to Group Concept Mapping two-part webinar series is quickly approaching - November 6 and 13 from 3:00-4:30 pm EST.  This two-session webinar is an interactive overview of the group concept mapping methodology and its potential uses, and participants get hands-on experience with the newly updated CS Global MAXTM software. 

Here's what a recent participant had to say about it: "It was super informative and interesting!  Thanks for the support."  For more information and to sign up, click here.

CSI at APHA November 2-6

Are you going to the next American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting in Boston from November 2-6?  If so, check out CSI's exhibit booth (#934) to find out how group concept mapping can be an effective tool for your next public health planning and evaluation project.  CSI's Brenda Pepe and Alyssa Goldman will run demos of our newly updated group concept mapping software, CS Global MAXTM.  And it's our 20th birthday!  Alyssa and Brenda will be handing out 20% off coupons for our products and services - our gift to you.  For more information about our exhibit both at the APHA Annual Meeting, click here.

Software Demos at AEA Conference

Look for CSI's tech wizard Mike Huffman, Associate Manager of Operations, at our American Evaluation Association (AEA) Conference exhibit booth this week.  Mike will run demos of our latest CS Global MaxTM group concept mapping software.  Come see the newest advances in terms of its ease of use and enhanced visuals, like graphic comparisons of different map solutions, participant reports, and simple participant input pages.  So far, two demos have been scheduled on October 18 at 11:50am and 4:15pm, immediately following presentations by CSI's Brenda Pepe and Dr. Scott Rosas.  Additional demos are available by request.  And while you're at our exhibit booth, don't forget to pick up your 20% off coupons for our products and services as part of CSI's 20th birthday celebration.    

CSI Presenting with New Knowledge at AEA

CSI's Brenda Pepe will contribute to a panel discussion on Collective Evaluation Efforts to Integrate Environmental and STEM Topics towards E-STEM Practice at the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Conference in Washington, DC on October 18 at 11am.  Dr. Rupu Gupta and Dr. John Fraser, leading researchers at New Knowledge Organization, will describe their use of group concept mapping to identify and organize emerging trends and gaps in environmental education and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) with the goal of shaping the future of E-STEM.  Ms. Pepe will highlight the techniques of applying group concept mapping to frame the results and support the collaborative evaluation.  New Knowledge Organization is a non-profit research institute that "works to expand the understanding of how knowledge is acquired and acted upon."

While you're at AEA, don't forget to visit our exhibit booth where we are giving away 20% off coupons for our products and services in celebration of our 20th anniversary. 

Idea Synthesis Webinar October 7

You've asked and we've answered.  Based on client demand, CSI has added another Idea Synthesis Webinar to its schedule--coming up soon, on October 7 from 9:30am to 11:30am EST.  If you're conducting a group concept mapping project now or in the near future, you may want to join us so that you are ahead of the game when you need to synthesize the statements in preparation for the important structuring and rating activities.  Idea synthesis is a critical component of group concept mapping, and it involves qualitative analyses to synthesize the brainstormed ideas into a manageable set of statements that "saturate" the topic of your project; sorting and rating follow. 

During this interactive, two-hour webinar, you'll learn the major steps and best practices of the idea synthesis process, and we will answer your project-specific questions.  CSI's webinar series provide a cost effective and efficient way to learn more about group concept mapping.  Click here to sign up today!

CSI Presentation to CDC's OSH

Last week CSI's President and CEO, Mary Kane, virtually "visited" the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health (OSH).  She talked with 30 program managers from all over the country about group concept mapping as a relevant and effective methodology for program planning and evaluation at their CDC-funded sites.  Sharing some close-to-home examples, Mary described the approach and the tools that support it, demonstrating the ease with which a conceptual framework developed through group concept mapping can become the foundation for an extensive evaluation.  Here's what one participant had to say about it:  "I love the concept mapping evaluation method, and plan to preview the Kane/Trochim resource."

CSI is available to talk with any group about our work and how we might support your research.  For more information about our products and services, including our online and in-person training options, click here.  

Basic and Advance Training Highlights

This week CSI welcomes trainees from all over the world for our in-person group concept mapping trainings in Ithaca, NY.  Those in attendance for this round of Basic and Advanced Trainings include practitioners, academics, and graduate students working in the fields of social work and occupational therapy.  Here's what they have to say so far about our trainings: "Excellent - great overview," "Loved the smaller size, allowed for one and one interchange," "Good - interactive sessions," "Advanced analysis presented in an understandable way."  Click here to find out which of our in-person and online training options are best for you!

CSI at AEA Conference October 16-19

CSI's team will be in full force at the American Evaluation Association (AEA) Conference in Washington, DC from October 16-19 to share uses of group concept mapping in planning and evaluation initiatives.  CSI's Dr. Scott Rosas will enliven the panel "Concept Mapping at 25: Development, Application, and Future Directions" on October 18 at 2:40pm.  And CSI's Brenda Pepe will participate in the panel "Collaborative Evaluation Efforts to Integrate Environmental and STEM Topics towards E-STEM Practice" on October 18 at 11am.  Plus don't forget to check out our exhibit booth where we are offering 20% off discounts on products and services in celebration of our 20th anniversary.  For more information on the AEA Conference and to find other posters and presentations featuring group concept mapping, click here. 

CSI Turns 20 Years Old

Happy Birthday to CSI – we are 20 years old today!  On September 3, 1993, Mary Kane and Bill Trochim started CSI to put their group concept mapping methodology and proprietary software, The Concept System®, into the hands of academics, researchers, and community members.  Starting with one staff member in a small closet office, CSI has grown in talent and capacity.  The CSI team now includes expert methodologists, consultants, facilitators, and technologists, all under one roof.  CSI is now respected as the central resource for group concept mapping, but that's not all!  Our clients rely on us for in-depth research and evaluation consulting services, and the methodology has evolved as the field matures and technology continues to empower innovation in our software.

As a birthday present, attendees at the upcoming American Evaluation Association (AEA) Annual Meeting and American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting will receive 20% off coupons on select products and services.  Find us at one of our exhibits and pick up your coupon.  And if you say "Happy birthday to CSI", you will receive an extra gift!

CDC’s Report Features Concept Mapping Projects

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report on The State of Aging and Health in America 2013.  The report provides the most current data on the health status of older adults in the U.S., and its purpose is to be a resource for States and communities to meet the unmet health needs of older adults.  CSI has been involved with two of the key initiatives highlighted in the report, The Healthy Brian Initiative and A Framework for Mobility to Support Older Adults.  For both projects, CSI helped to facilitate input from hundreds of stakeholders through concept mapping in order to create a framework to guide a coordinated public health response for healthy aging.  Both projects will also be presented at the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting & Expo in Boston from November 2-6. 

September Basic and Advanced Trainings

Come to Ithaca this September for our in-person group concept mapping trainings!  Attendees usually come from government agencies, academic institutions, national associations, not-for-profit and community-based organizations, and private businesses from across the globe.  Our Basic Training, CS Facilitator Training for CS Global Max Applications, is a three-day comprehensive introduction to the group concept mapping methodology and software.  Our Advanced Training, Data to Meaning: Refining and Enhancing the Concept Mapping Analysis, is a two-day intensive training focused on the methods and techniques to enhance the effectiveness of CSI's tools.  Basic Training is from September 23-25 and Advanced Training is from September 26-27. 

Concept Mapping Featured in Social Work Today

CSI's Associate Manager of Operations, Mike Huffman, was interviewed for an article in Social Work Today called Group Concept Mapping Software - Organizer, Equalizer.  In the article, Kate Jackson describes CSI's group concept mapping software as a means of engaging people in research and planning processes, including for addressing complex social issues.  Jackson also interviewed group concept mapping users in the field of social work, including Tamara Davis, PhD, MSSW, Associate Professor at Ohio State University's College of Social Work and Johnny Kim, PhD, LICSW, Associate Professor at University of Denver's Graduate School of Social Work.  Spread the word!

Available Online Webinars

Based on client demand, CSI expanded its group concept mapping training options to include online webinars on frequently requested topics.  This is in addition to our in-person training options on-site or at our Ithaca location.  Available online webinars include Introduction to Concept Mapping for Planning and Evaluation, a two-part webinar series that is an interactive overview of the group concept mapping methodology and its potential uses.  We also offer more specialized webinars on the group concept mapping methodology, including Idea Synthesis for Concept Mapping, Concept Systems Analysis, and Project Management.  Other technical webinars focused on the group concept mapping software include CS Global Max Project Administration Webinars, a two-part webinar series that provides the technical "how-to" aspects of using CS Global Max^TM. 

Concept Mapping Book

CSI's President and CEO, Mary Kane, co-authored a comprehensive book on group concept mapping called Concept Mapping for Planning and Evaluation. It is based on her 20+ years of refining CSI's concept mapping process.  We recommend it as a useful, step by step guide to group concept mapping, complete with exercises, sample questionnaires and checklists, and countless examples.  Be sure to get your own copy today!