A new center has been set up to help researchers, particularly those who need help in analyzing their data.
Jennifer Hinlo, University of Southeastern Philippines Applied School of Economics acting dean, said the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST – PCAARRD) has funded the setting up of the Socio-Economic Research and Data Analysis Center (SERDAC) at the university by providing a budget of P4.89 million.
Hinlo said that about half of the money was used in buying authentic software that researchers can use as “most of the researchers use pirated or cracked versions of the software” as among those bought are software on statistics, the one that can detect plagiarism as well as the one that can correct grammar.
With the establishment of the center, which will also serve as repository of the so-called big data, policymakers can use researches in coming up with programs for their constituents.
“It (a policy) should be based on numbers, based on evidence. We are advocating (for) evidence-based policies. Research is very essential for planning and implementation,” said Hinlo.
The state university is among the only three institutions that were granted with the assistance as there is the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Luzon and the Visayas State University (VSU) in the Visayas.
The center offers socioeconomic services where researches can go to the office if their have data to be analyzed; trainings, capability buildings on researchers, and database management for those who wants to conduct a research with vague data source.
“We started with PCAARD commodity-based projects like information on banana farmers,” she said.
On August 17, the PCAARRD and the USEP–SAEC will conduct a seminar on Socio-Economic Researches in Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources at the Social Hall of the university which will gather the academe, government offices, local government units, private sector, and others.
