The Methods Centers at RAND

Research methods ensure that our analyses are as objective as possible, and that our solutions are most likely to have the desired effects. They elevate RAND research to meet our high standards of quality.

RAND uses rigorous, fact-based research and analysis to help individuals, families, and communities throughout the world be safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous.

But what does a rigorous, fact-based approach entail?

At RAND, the answer lies in our research methods. Research methods guide how we collect and analyze data, make inference from those analyses, and then use those inferences to guide our recommendations for policy and practice. They help ensure that our analyses are as objective as possible, and that our solutions are most likely to have the desired effects. Research methods are what elevate RAND research to meet our high standards of quality.

The RAND Methods Centers enhance the application of methods across RAND research by creating a community for methodologists to meet, share, and mentor. The method centers do so by sharing best practices and state-of-the-art application of methods, consulting on projects, and serving as a voice for methodologists within RAND to advocate for needed resources and solve problems.