As researchers, we strive for impartiality when talking to participants, allowing them to speak openly without judgement or fear of recourse. This helps us reveal patterns of behavior or perceptions held by individuals from diverse walks of life. However, pure impartiality requires constant vigilance and personal awareness because our brains are wired to make snap judgements an ...
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Is Your Research Report Causing Harm
As discussed in Labels and Identities in Research Reports, the language that social scientists and researchers choose to use in their reports is an important first step to reducing bias. In many cases, the research produced in these reports has far-reaching implications. Using person-centric, specific language can help reduce bias and ensure the presentation of research is clea ...

No There Isn’t a Draft: Sustaining Our All-Volunteer Force
Rising tensions with Iran have been met with a number of questions (and lots and lots of memes) about the existence of the federal program that provides a rapid and robust response system in the event of a national emergency, commonly known as “the draft.” So many questions that the Selective Service System’s (SSS) website crashed as a result of heightened traffic. Add malicio ...

Labels and Identities in Research Reports
As social scientists, we have a responsibility to use our research to make positive changes in society—that’s why “Impactful Work” remains one of FMG’s core values. Our commitment to impactful work is an important part of how we conduct and report research. Even beyond promoting greater social conscientiousness and reducing bias, appropriate reporting is a matter of scientific ...

Preparing for the 2020 Election
On Tuesday, January 14, Fors Marsh Group’s (FMG) election experts will participate in the United States Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) 2020 Election Summit. The summit gathers the nation’s election community for lively discussion on key issues such as ensuring accessibility for voters with disabilities and securing the process against outside threats. As trusted advisor ...

The Impact One Toy Can Make: Furthering Diversity and Inclusion
For many people, the holiday season is synonymous with giving thanks, spreading joy, and sharing what we have with others. Charitable giving is one way that Fors Marsh Group (FMG) gives back to our local community. Our annual Thanksgiving food drive and end-of-year toy drive are both parts of a company-wide effort dating back to 2015. This year, the Diversity and Inclusion ...

How to Support Mental Health in the Workplace
Mental illness is pervasive, with one in five adults experiencing its effects in a given year. Chances are you have a friend, family member, or coworker living with a mental illness—although you may not know it. For the 46.6 million people who are impacted by mental illness, Mental Illness Awareness Month is likely not something they openly acknowledge because of the stigma tha ...

Making a Difference Through Mission-Aligned Partnerships
Fors Marsh Group (FMG) is committed to making decisions that generate growth and create impact for our employees, clients, and communities. As a Certified B Corporation, we believe we can create sustainable, positive change by partnering with local, mission-aligned organizations in many different ways. To build on this effort, FMG partnered with Year Up National Capital Region ...

Three Ways to Empower Emergency Preparedness Programs at Your Organization
September’s a busy month for the staff at Fors Marsh Group (FMG)—whether it’s helping our federal clients wrap up activities at the end of the fiscal year, putting our data scientists’ expertise to the test to line up the best fantasy football team, or getting our families back into the school-year swing of things, we’re always on the go. Amidst all of the hustle and bustle, t ...

Performance Measures: The Missing Link in Competency Models
The US Federal Government has become a leader in defining and organizing skill sets into positions and career roadmaps. Yet the struggle to design jobs that really align to organizational missions continues to be the subject of Human Capital analysis. To really understand the challenge, its important to know what is in a model and what you usually won’t find there. What is a pr ...

What’s Wrong With Your Survey?
What ever happened to President-elect Thomas E. Dewey that early readers of the Chicago Daily Tribune read about on the morning of November 3, 1948? The mood must have been festive in New York City’s Roosevelt Hotel where Dewey and his campaign gathered to await the results of the 1948 presidential election the night before. Thomas Dewey, the Governor of New York and the Republ ...

Three Ways to Make eLearning Relatable to the Learner
Several years ago I was a member of a rapidly expanding team of instructional designers. Once a month, we would get together to review either our own internal materials, or other outside learning products. My favorite were the external products, because they were either going to be extremely good, or horrifically bad. When confronted with a particularly bad example of e-learnin ...