Back to Operational Research for Humanitarians
University of Geneva

Operational Research for Humanitarians

Evidence is central to good decision-making both in the humanitarian sector and beyond. Every day, a vast amount of evidence is generated that is relevant to humanitarian actors, much of it through research by academics and practitioners. This evidence can be incredibly valuable. It can help us better understand a situation and make humanitarian action more effective and accountable. The difficulty comes with understanding what evidence is relevant to our circumstances, where to find it, and how to assess its quality. This course will provide you with the fundamental knowledge and skills to answer these questions and help you better engage with research. It has been developed with you - a humanitarian professional or junior researcher - in mind. The course moves through the core research concepts one-at-a-time and does not require any prior knowledge or experience. We encourage all of you to plan your own learning journey by using this MOOC in a way that is most useful to you. Content highlights: • How can research be used for humanitarian practice? • What are the most appropriate research methods? • How can I judge the quality of the evidence and whether it is applicable to the context I work in? • How can populations in a situation of vulnerability be protected during a study? This course - co-developed in a partnership between academic and humanitarian institutions - is strongly positioned to give you the needed skills and knowledge to build a bridge between research and practice. We hope that this course will change your perspectives and improve your knowledge and, ultimately, make humanitarian responses more evidence-based. Enjoy!

Status: Research Methodologies
Status: Needs Assessment
BeginnerCourse18 hours

Featured reviews

BE

5.0Reviewed Mar 24, 2023

An amazing course. Detailed and insightful yet practical.

RS

5.0Reviewed Feb 18, 2023

The contents, pacing and insights of the presenters in the MOOC were all great. Useful information. Recommend taking this course, if only to rephrase your existing knowledge in more formal terms.

EM

5.0Reviewed Dec 11, 2024

very informative, lots of resources and engaging quiz questions

TF

4.0Reviewed Mar 28, 2023

The course was worth taking and interesting . I have gained alt of skills in research and hope to continue.The certificate should bear my Name and other initials though

PY

5.0Reviewed Feb 19, 2024

Amazing course for anyone working in the humanitarian sector

SA

5.0Reviewed Dec 13, 2024

This is one of the most informative research MOOCs I've ever taken! well done to the team

RL

4.0Reviewed Dec 10, 2022

Good course with specific thematic topics covered, specifically in humanitarian settings. It was good to be part of this course and nicely covered the relevant topics by the field experts !

MH

5.0Reviewed Jun 10, 2024

this course was very helpfull and I learnt a lot in humanitarian research

VA

5.0Reviewed Dec 14, 2022

Excellent course. Learned plenty. Thank you for much for the team that put it together.

FC

5.0Reviewed Feb 20, 2024

All good. Some questions in the quizzes were worded in a complex way.

MB

5.0Reviewed Jun 23, 2025

Even though its was a bit tough... I enjoyed the journey

CE

4.0Reviewed May 1, 2024

Clear and simple with in-depth relevant and practical information

All reviews

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