Stetson Institute for Social Research

Director: Dr. Steven Smallpage

The Stetson Institute for Social Research (SISR), founded in 1993 under the auspices of the College of Arts and Sciences, serves as a resource for Stetson students, faculty, and administrators and for the surrounding community. SISR’s principal activities are education, research, consultation, and evaluation. SISR’s main roles are:

1. to provide consultation, research, and evaluation services to community organizations, businesses, government organizations, schools, and public and private agencies;
2. to design, implement, manage, and report the results of basic and applied research projects (e.g., surveys, polls) with the goal of educating students about the various facets of social science research;
3. to act as a clearinghouse for information regarding internal University and external community research and consulting opportunities for Stetson faculty and students; and
4. to serve as a liaison between those seeking research services and faculty affiliates and student research assistants.

SISR is committed to enhancing students’ education by guiding them in meaningful social research and instilling in them a strong sense of the social value of theoretically, methodologically, and ethically sound social research. Hence, SISR aims to prepare students to be knowledgeable research users, evaluators, and participants; to anticipate the uses of social research in their careers in public service, education, and the private sector; and to interact appropriately with research professionals and their clients. Students are trained through coursework and sessions specifically designed for various research projects and hired as student employees for various short-term intermittent research projects.