The Statistics Canada Research Data Centre (RDC) provides students in the M.A. in Sociology – Applied Social Research degree with access to micro-level data of Canadian census and surveys on population, work and education, health, economic, ethnicity and migration, crime, Indigenous population, family, youth and children, and other topics in order to conduct specialized northern and rural focused research, while at the same time bringing together other faculty and community members from across northeastern Ontario and elsewhere in Canada and abroad to share expertise and needs for information and research. The Nipissing University RDC is the only such facility in northern Ontario that will be a focal point for faculty and graduate students investigating the problems of northern and rural communities and comparing these with social issues and problems elsewhere in Canada and abroad. For additional information, visit: https://crdcn.org/toronto-rdc-nipissing-branch
Avery Beall, RDC Statistical Assistant explains the steps involved to access the RDC data, and highlights some of the new COVID-19 data sets available for researchers in the RDC.
Further information about other RDC data sets available and application procedures can also be found on the Nipissing RDC website.
Sociology Lab
The Sociology Lab with more than 40 personal computers provides Sociology students with various statistical and data management software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, SAS, and NVivo) to analyze public-use microdata survey and census data and organize qualitative data for their research projects and thesis. The Lab is also used for training students how to employ the software and analyze and organize the data.
Institute for Applied Social Research (IASR)
The Institute for Applied Social Research (IASR) is a fully self-funded institute of researchers conducting applied research and evaluation projects in policing, corrections, mental health and education/employment training. Students in the M.A. in Sociology – Applied Social Research will be employed to assist faculty in the IASR with in-field research projects.
Graduate Student Centre
The Graduate Student Centre is a modern, shared facilities for all graduate students on campus, with individual study carrels available for graduate student use, along with telephone, hardwired and wireless internet, and shared printing/copying facilities.
Harris Learning Library
The Harris Learning Library is a modern, award-winning library facility with comprehensive electronic database access to academic and research books, articles, theses and monographs, in combination with on-site library holdings. Casual and quiet study areas, on-site computer and photocopying/printing facilities, and group study and meeting rooms make the Harris Learning Library a focal point of the Nipissing University campus for undergraduate and graduate students alike.
Equipment and Software
Graduate students have access to a wide variety of software, include Microsoft and Apple products, and analytic software include SAS, STATA, SPSS and QSR. Both Apple and Microsoft computing platforms are supported, and there is wireless access throughout the university facilities. University technology Services (UTS) provides support for all software and hardware used at Nipissing University, and is a certified Apple computer repair centre.
On-Campus and in the Community
Nipissing University has a number of cafeteria facilities on campus, three Tim Horton’s service counters, and ‘Good-to-Go’, a healthy, fast-food service counter located in the Surtees Athletic Centre. In addition, restaurants, grocery stories, other facilities, including One Kids Place and the North Bay Regional Health Centre are located close to the university.
