Instrument
We build the data collection instrument with you, with real-time data validation: out-of-range or inconsistent answers are flagged during the interview.
Research and statistics,
from planning to results.
Study design, data collection, statistical analysis, data curation, training and our own platforms for researchers, research groups and students.
Figure 1. Age and systolic blood pressure in 60 participants. Example data.
Chapter 1 · Study design
From research question to sampling plan.
Whether for a paper, a research project or a funding application, planning comes down to the same decisions. We define the research questions, study design, sample size and sampling plan with you, and help develop the questionnaire.
- Research questionsWhat exactly the study wants to know, with which outcomes and exposures.
- Study designCross-sectional, cohort, case-control, trial: the design that answers those questions.
- Sample sizeHow many participants are needed, allowing for losses and refusals.
- Sampling planHow participants are selected: strata, clusters, randomisation and listing.
- Protocol and fundingAll of it written up, ready for the ethics committee, the examining board or the funder.
Request a quote for your study design.
Chapter 2 · Data collection
Well-collected data saves months of analysis.
We have our own data collection team, with field supervisors and interviewers, and use computerised tools to speed up the work.
Digital format
Electronic instruments allow computerised collection even in remote locations without internet access. Data reaches the database once a connection is available.
Field team
Our own team of field supervisors and interviewers, trained on your instrument and supervised throughout data collection.
Logistics
We plan how, where and by whom data is collected, to get the most from your study within your timeline.
Own server
Data is collected on our own data collection server, which we also lease to research groups.
Does your study already have a start date for fieldwork?
Statistical analysis
From dataset to report.
- You share the dataAs they are: spreadsheet, CSV, structured or unstructured database.
- We process and document the datasetInconsistencies, missing values and coding handled, with a variable dictionary and a log of every change.
- We write the analysis planOutcomes, tests and criteria, set before looking at the results.
- We deliver the reportIn an editable format, structured as a scientific publication, in Portuguese or English, with high-resolution, editable figures.
| id | group | sex | age | sbp |
|---|
inconsistency found
standardised value
Analysis plan
- Outcome
- Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)
- Exposure
- Group: intervention or control
- Continuous
- Mean and standard deviation; Welch t test
- Categorical
- n and %; Pearson chi-square test
- Missing
- Significance
- 5%, two-sided
| Characteristic | Intervention (n = 30) | Control (n = 30) | p |
|---|
Tap a p-value to see how it was calculated, right here, from the 60 records.
From basic to advanced, always with a report and discussion.
A free 1-hour meeting with every statistical consulting project.
Support until approval of your work: thesis, dissertation, final project or paper.
- Descriptive statistics
- Tables, charts and summary measures to understand the data before testing it.
- Statistical tests
- Parametric and non-parametric, chosen based on your data and clearly interpreted.
- Modelling
- Regression and related models to test hypotheses rigorously.
- Sampling design
- Sample size and sampling type that ensure representativeness and validity.
- Reliability
- Internal consistency and reliability of questionnaires and scales.
- Machine learning
- Techniques to find complex patterns and make predictions.
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- From search strategy to synthesis: study selection, data extraction and meta-analysis, with assessment of heterogeneity.
- Risk of bias and certainty of evidence
- Applying tools such as RoB and GRADE to assess the risk of bias of studies and the certainty of the evidence.
Expert review
Ran your analysis with AI? Have it checked by an expert.
Artificial intelligence tools speed up the work, but they also make mistakes that are hard to spot without an expert. We review existing statistical analyses and results, done by you, your team or with AI assistance, and point out what needs fixing before the defence or submission.
- The right test or model for the study design and variable type
- Assumptions checked, not assumed
- Correct interpretation of p-values, intervals and effect sizes
- Tables and figures consistent with what was analysed
Chapter 4 · Training
For those who want to learn to do it.
Not everyone wants the analysis done for them. For students and groups who want to master the method, we teach, support and answer questions along the way.
- MentoringIndividual or group sessions to run your own study with confidence.
- CoursesTraining in research methods and statistics for classes and research groups.
- TalksFor events, graduate programmes and academic weeks.
- Statistical supportOngoing support for undergraduate and graduate students and research groups.
- Video tutorialsFree, on our YouTube channel (in Portuguese).
Chapter 5 · Data curation
Everything documented. Nothing lost.
Database management. We structure your study's database with a variable dictionary, coding rules and a log of every change, so anyone in the group knows where each number came from.
Clean dataset
| id | group | sex | age | sbp |
|---|
Variable dictionary
| variable | type | coding |
|---|---|---|
group | categorical | Intervention, Control |
sex | categorical | F, M |
age | integer | completed years; NA if missing |
sbp | continuous | mmHg, decimal point |
Change log
The same 60 example records from chapter 3.
Storage and sharing
Your data kept safe, and useful to other researchers.
You can simply store your data with us, securely. And when partners ask for access for research purposes, we manage that sharing: they request a set of variables and we prepare the sub-dataset.
Full dataset
Kept at causale, documented and access-controlled.requested variables
Sub-dataset
No sharing takes place. Prepared by causale with only the variables the partner requested. Prepared the same way, but it stays on our cloud server.copy sentresults only
Partner researcher
No access to the data.
Receives a copy of the sub-dataset on their own computer.
Logs in to the server, runs the analyses remotely and receives only the results.
- Where the data lives
- At causale
- The partner receives
- Nothing
- A copy of the sub-dataset
- Only the analysis results
- Copy of the data outside causale
- No
- Yes, with the partner
- No. More security for the project.
Request a quote for data curation or a remote analysis environment.
Chapter 6 · Our platforms
Software built by people who do research.
Tools we developed for our own projects and now offer to other research groups.
Online research platform
Delay discounting
Online administration of the temporal discounting test, for groups studying impulsivity and decision-making.
- 5-trial adjusting delay task validated by Koffarnus and Bickel (2014)
- Automatic calculation of the k rate and ED50
- Analysis-ready report
Management software
gestore
Financial management for research projects: the project budget tracked in one place, from the funding call to the final financial report.
Intranet
gateway
An intranet for storing research project files, so the team finds documents, protocols and versions in one place.
Infrastructure
Data collection server
Our own data collection server, used in the studies we run and leased to research groups that need data collection infrastructure.
How we work
The same path for every project, from a student thesis to a multicentre study.
- 1Enquiry
You get in touch and send a short description of what you need.
- 2Assessment
We assess the request and any supporting files to scope the work.
- 3Proposal
Within 1 business day, we send a proposal with services, timelines, budget and payment terms.
- 4Delivery of work
With all files in hand, we carry out the project as agreed.
- 5Hand-over
A report with documentation and a full description of every step taken.
- 6Support
We answer your questions after hand-over and, if needed, meet by video call.
Institutions that have trusted our services
Correspondence
Tell us what you need.
Put your message together here and send it through the channel you prefer. The proposal arrives within 1 business day.
Research and statistics consulting.
AddressAv. Dona Zilda, 100, room 716
Plex Building, Parque Una
Pelotas, RS, Brazil
Phone and WhatsApp+55 (53) 99189-9532
Opening hoursMonday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm (Brasília time)
Data collection on call 24 hours a day
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