General FAQs

  • What is Research Accelerator?

    Research Accelerator is a self-paced video training programme offered by Academic Consulting. It focuses on the skills required to analyse and write-up qualitative and quantitative data. There are currently two main offerings as part of Research Accelerator – a membership and an annual virtual event. The membership is offered year-round and the virtual event is hosted in December each year. If you're interested in just a small number of our offerings, it's possible to purchase a 'collection' of courses – use the menu options above to learn more.

  • Who developed Research Accelerator?

    Research Accelerator has been developed by Academic Consulting. They're a New Zealand based company that have been teaching research methods and data analysis for over 20 years. If you're interested, you can read more about them on their website.

Membership FAQs

  • What exactly do I receive as part of the membership?

    You'll receive all the support and resources you need to move your research forward. This includes access to the course library and downloadable PDF resources – new resources are added to the site monthly. You'll also be able to attend the live sessions we host each month – these are a great way to deal with any questions you have and connect with other researchers. If you can't make the live sessions, you can submit a question ahead of time or you can ask questions directly on the videos themselves.

  • Can I get specific help for my research project as part of this membership?

    We’re more than happy to answer quick questions you have about your research. We can’t provide more detailed assistance however e.g., the best NVivo set-up for your particular project or what statistical tests are appropriate for your research question. You’re more than welcome to book an individual consultation with one of our team if you need specific assistance – the cost of this is NZ$190 per hour. Contact us if you’d like to arrange this.

  • How many live sessions are offered each month?

    This will be dependent on demand. At present, there is one 'Live Group Q&A' and six 'Shut Up and Research' sessions per month. If there is interest in more frequent live sessions, we'll adjust the number accordingly.

Research Accelerator Virtual Event FAQs

  • Where do I find the schedule and event details?

    These will be available on this website nearer to the event date. This year's event will be held on December 1–7, 2022.

  • How is the Research Accelerator virtual event different to the membership?

    The short answer is that they’re the same but different. The longer answer is that the event and the membership are the same in relation to the video sessions – all of the on demand videos that are offered on the event schedule are either currently available in the membership, or will available be over the next few months. The Research Accelerator membership has some extra features that the event doesn’t – there are regular Shut Up & Research sessions and individual drop-ins where you can get individualised support. The membership also has new video content added each month, so you get early access to any new courses. Which one should you sign up for? The membership is a great option if you want ongoing support for your research and if you are the kind of learner that is quite self-disciplined i.e. you know that you’ll work through the videos in your own time. The event is a better option if you’ll work better having dates scheduled in your diary to watch the videos, and if you want the experience of attending an event i.e. working through the material at the same time as a wider group of learners. If both of these options suit you, we offer a ‘Membership Pass’ which gives you access to both the event and the membership (for 12 months).

  • I don’t live in New Zealand – can I still attend?

    Absolutely – we’d love for you to join us! Live sessions are scheduled at times that we hope will suit a variety of time zones. All live sessions will also be recorded and can be watched at a time convenient for you. If you have questions about the content, you can post these at any time of day (we’ll get back to you first thing New Zealand time) and if you have a question you’d like addressed at one of the live Q&A sessions, you can email it to us beforehand if you’re unable to attend in-person.

  • How do I access session content and other materials?

    All content will be provided in a single online platform – you’ll receive your login for this when you register. Links to live sessions, video content, training notes, exercise files, slides and quizzes can all be found here. You can also ask questions and interact with other attendees in the online platform if you’d like to.

  • Can I just pay to attend a single session/day?

    We’re sorry, but no. Our event is exceptionally good value for money though!

  • Do I need to attend all the sessions?

    Definitely not! Attend as many or as few sessions as you would like – the programme is designed for a range of interests and experience levels, so the sessions won’t all be relevant to you.

  • I can't make the event dates – will you be running this again early next year?

    At the moment this is an annual event. If you're interested in the content but can't make the dates, sign-up anyway and you can watch the content on demand when it's convenient.

Payment and purchasing FAQs

  • I’d like my university/organisation to pay for this – can you send me an invoice I can give them?

    We'd prefer not to if possible, primarily because this will delay your access to the materials. We can issue you a manual invoice, but this would then need to make its way through your organisation's finance systems which can take some time. The best option would be to pay for the membership (or event) yourself and seek reimbursement. If seeking reimbursement isn't possible then contact us to arrange an invoice – note that we cannot invoice for the monthly recurring subscription but can invoice for a single month or year. If you have a discount/coupon code, this cannot be used if you are paying by invoice.

  • Can I get a GST receipt/invoice to seek reimbursement from my employer/organisation?

    Absolutely – contact us to arrange this.

Software FAQs

  • What version of NVivo/SPSS/Word/Excel are the videos presented with?

    All Research Accelerator videos are presented with Windows, but our training notes include instructions for Mac versions of the software we teach. We’ll be using the new version of NVivo, but alternative instructions will be provided if you’re still using NVivo 12. The SPSS sessions are taught with version 27, and Office 365 is used for the sessions that cover Word and Excel.

  • What is the version number of the most recent version of NVivo?

    The most recent version of NVivo does not have a version number, it’s just known as “NVivo” – technically speaking it is NVivo R1 (Release 1) and some organisations are referring to it as NVivo 2020, NVivo 2021 or New NVivo.

  • How do I know which version of NVivo I have?

    On the Mac, the version number shows on the first screen that appears when you launch the software. On Windows, the shortcuts to the software (and the options from the start menu) will appear as either ‘NVivo’ or ‘NVivo 12’.

  • Where can I purchase SPSS/NVivo?

    These can be directly purchased through the software vendors IBM SPSS Software and QSR International. We recommend checking with your university/workplace first as you may be able to access an organisational license.