Social Work Research in the Era of Big Data: Quantitative Methods for Systems Thinkers

Research, including that funded by the NIH, is becoming increasingly more interdisciplinary and team based.  Moreover, there is an ever increasing need to apply such interdisciplinary, team-based approaches to the explosion in data, aka, “Big Data.” This session will begin to address this gap by: 1) presenting a brief introduction to systems science methodologies – what they are, why we need them and what they can do; 2) show examples of how systems science methods have been applied to topics relevant to social work research; 3) highlight NIH funding opportunities in relevant areas; and 4) provide an array of resources for learning more. Many of the featured examples will draw from work by members of the Network on Inequality, Complexity, and Health (NICH). NICH is an OBSSR-funded research network whose aim is to establish the feasibility, utility, and importance of applying complex systems approaches to health disparities and related aspects of population health.