How-to Guides

Every how-to guide on the Hub in one place: practical, step-by-step directions for research and data tasks, from randomization and power calculations to data security, tracking, and publishing to Dataverse.

How-to guides give practical directions for a task you already know you need to do. Use the filter box to find a guide, or browse the table. For background and concepts, see each topic’s section in the navigation instead.

Guide	What it covers
AEA RCT Registry	This guide explains the importance of the AEA RCT Registry for combating publication bias and ensuring transparency in social science research. It provides step-by-step instructions for creating accounts, registering trials, managing collaborators, and includes email templates for coordinating with Principal Investigators.
AI-Assisted Qualitative Coding	Practical guidance for qualitative researchers on how to use large language models as an additional review layer in the qualitative coding process. Covers embedding-based classification, inductive theme identification, behavioral cue coding, and model comparison using IPA’s open source qualitative coding toolkit.
Accompany Surveyors	This guide provides comprehensive guidelines on why, when, and how to accompany surveyors during data collection. It covers the importance of monitoring data quality, ensuring accuracy, understanding respondent reactions, and building accountability through structured observation and feedback.
Community Entry and Local Leader Engagement	This guide covers how to initiate and manage relationships with communities and local leaders during fieldwork, from the initial entry meeting through community exit at the end of data collection.
Conducting Focus Groups	Practical guidance for researchers and practitioners on how to plan and conduct focus groups for qualitative data collection in research and evaluation contexts. Covers team structure, moderator skills, logistics, script design, moderation techniques, and managing challenges in both in-person and virtual settings.
Dashboards for Decisions	How to design dashboards that drive decisions rather than merely display numbers: starting from the decision, selecting metrics that are actionable, laying out for a five-second read, and setting thresholds that indicate what to do next.
Deploying a WhatsApp Survey	Learn how to prepare, configure, and deploy WhatsApp surveys using Twilio integration with Google Sheets for data collection. This guide covers essential steps to configure your computer and tools, create a cases file, manage data collection, and launch surveys.
Designing a WhatsApp Survey	Learn how to design WhatsApp surveys using Twilio’s Content Template Builder, widgets, and functions. This guide covers creating message templates, building interactive flows, and implementing custom functionality for survey design.
Docker Containers for Research Environments	Guide to using Docker containers for creating reproducible, portable research environments that can be deployed locally or to cloud services.
Field Staff Training	Practical guide to planning and delivering enumerator training and survey manuals for in-person and phone surveys, emphasizing safety, ethics, data quality, and continuous retraining.
Guide to IPA’s Data Management System	Learn to set up and use IPA’s Data Management System for comprehensive data quality monitoring. This hands-on guide walks you through configuring high-frequency checks, tracking survey progress, and conducting back check comparisons using the ipacheck package in Stata. You’ll work with real survey data to practice identifying outliers, duplicates, and logical inconsistencies while building automated quality control workflows.
Guide to Power Calculations	Learn how to perform power calculations for randomized controlled trials using Stata’s power command. This guide covers three essential scenarios: calculating required sample size, determining minimum detectable effect, and estimating statistical power for given parameters.
Guide to Randomization	Step-by-step instructions for implementing stratified randomization in Stata, including reproducible seed setting, balance checking, and troubleshooting common issues.
High Frequency Checks	Learn about IPA’s High Frequency Checks—systematic data quality checks performed during data collection to identify and address issues early. This how-to guide covers the types of checks, implementation using the ipacheck Stata package, and best practices for ensuring reliable survey data.
How to Implement Data Security Protocols	Step-by-step guide to implement essential data security measures for research projects, including quick setup procedures, role-specific checklists, and emergency protocols.
How to Publish a Replication Package to Dataverse	This how-to guide provides step-by-step instructions for curating research materials and publishing a replication package to IPA’s Dataverse.
How to Use DataSure	A step-by-step guide to installing DataSure, setting up your first project, importing survey data, configuring quality checks, reviewing data quality reports, correcting data, and exporting a replication package. This guide is for data managers and survey coordinators implementing DataSure for field data collection.
Implementing A/B Tests	The Learning Roadmap for A/B Testing provides a structured, four-step approach to help organizations design, prioritize, and implement experiments that generate rigorous and actionable insights.
Longitudinal Tracking Strategies	Advanced tracking strategies for multi-round studies. Building on fundamental survey and respondent tracking systems, these proactive techniques maintain contact across survey rounds to minimize attrition in panel studies.
Managing Surveyor Performance	This guide covers how field managers, field supervisors, and team leaders can plan productivity targets, set monitoring schedules, manage sample assignments, and maintain data quality and team motivation throughout data collection.
Mop-Up Operations	Mop-up operations are critical for achieving target response rates and minimizing differential attrition. This guide covers systematic identification of difficult-to-reach respondents, specialized team deployment, intensive field strategies, and cost-effectiveness monitoring.
Paper Survey Data Entry	This guide covers how to manage the full data entry process for paper surveys, from deciding between in-house and outsourced operations to running double entry, reconciliation, and auditing in Stata.
Practical Guidance for A/B Testing	Effective A/B tests require focusing on strategic questions, building reliable systems, and embedding learning into organizational culture. This guide shares practical lessons from supporting organizations in adopting A/B testing.
Python Virtual Environments with uv	Comprehensive guide to creating and managing Python virtual environments using uv, a fast and modern Python package manager.
Qualitative Interviews	Practical guidance for researchers and practitioners on how to plan and conduct qualitative interviews, including team structuring, logistics planning, interview techniques, and managing common challenges.
Qualitative Observations	Practical guidance for researchers and practitioners on planning and conducting qualitative observations in instances where researcher is an active participant and instances where the researcher is an observer of research subjects.
Replacement Procedures	Replacement procedures differ fundamentally between baseline and follow-up rounds. This guide explains when replacement is permitted during baseline data collection, the critical protocols to minimize selection bias, and why replacements are never allowed in any follow-up round of panel studies.
Setting up Twilio for WhatsApp Surveys	This article provides a step-by-step guide to setting up Twilio for WhatsApp surveys, offering practical insights into its implementation and pricing considerations.
Survey Tracking	Survey tracking monitors aggregate fieldwork progress using standardized metrics and real-time reporting systems. This guide covers essential planning, monitoring, and documentation practices for tracking survey completion, team productivity, and data quality across all research studies.
WhatsApp and Data Security	This resource guides you through securing your data collected through Twilio by implementing robust encryption measures, ensuring your data’s confidentiality and integrity.

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