In a recent interview with my colleague, Ifeyinwa Anugom Ph.D., LMSW, she discussed her experiences navigating the many ways in which her American research training failed to prepare her for conducting research in countries with different cultural norms.

She mentioned constructs that I had never even heard of as an American researcher who has primarily collaborated within European university structures. Dr. Anugom spoke of the need for social brokers that made the necessary introductions to even begin her collaboration; private drivers to navigate safely between locations; and the differences in tracking necessary expenses.

We spoke too of the differences that occur in conducting the research itself. In some cultures, incentivizing participation may be off-putting or negatively impact the validity of results. In more remote areas, you may have to translate to specific dialects or other languages rather than the national language.

The conversation followed many threads:

If students in California and Michigan perform differently on questions about ice, will students in Kenya or Spain learn as well when taught about apples rather than mangoes or tomatoes?
Will participants in Nigeria understand a european demographic survey?
Should you incentivize a survey?
How do you track expenses if receipts are not customary?

And NWD Constulting Network was born.

We wanted to create an international network of research scientists, educators, and business consultants that can help navigate the ins and outs of cultural differences before they become a problem. Each of us brings a unique skillset from our background and training, while also sharing extensive knowledge of at least two cultures to understand the differences that you might encounter along the way.