Embracing Ambiguity: A Quantitative Researcher’s Journey into Qualitative Research

What happens when a quantitative researcher steps into the world of qualitative research? In this thoughtful reflection, ACER’s Dr. Hanne Goetz explores how interviews, focus groups, and embracing ambiguity have reshaped the way she thinks about evidence, decision-making, and the research process itself. A compelling look at why understanding why people make decisions can be just as important as measuring outcomes.

What Are We Reading This Month?

The Ruminant Farm Systems (RuFaS) model is a platform to support future research and actions for sustainable dairy farming

In a nutshell: How do changes in feeding, breeding, manure management, or environmental practices affect the sustainability of an entire dairy farm system? This featured article highlights RuFaS, a powerful open-source simulation model designed to help researchers test different management scenarios, better understand trade-offs, and identify new opportunities to improve sustainability across dairy production systems.

Real-World Resources

Video
Clearing Up Confounding

This month it’s a blast from the past! Confounding is one of the most important (and frequently misunderstood) concepts in epidemiological research design and interpretation. This short explainer video developed by our team offers a clear, practical explanation of confounding, why it matters in research studies, and approaches for detecting this source of bias.