Research
Research
My current research applies exploratory quantitative techniques to structure and facilitate qualitative inquiry. This work is based on data from the Transnational NGO (TNGO) Project, which consists of in-depth, open-ended interviews with 152 leaders of TNGOs rated by Charity Navigator. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded, generating corresponding qualitative and quantitative datasets. I employ latent class, discrete factor and cluster analysis to identify patterns of conceptual association in the quantitative data and subsequently recover the underlying qualitative information through structured retrieval, facilitating interpretation. This method is used to identify socially distributed conceptualizations of constructs like organizational mission and effectiveness.
I’m also interested in international economics and finance, including the philosophy of international trade theory and the strategic use of international project finance to promote development in fragile states.
In the future, I hope to apply innovative exploratory analytical techniques to improve our understanding of the American electorate, world cultures and economic beliefs. Click on the ‘links’ tab below for more information about my research programs.
George E. Mitchell is a PhD candidate in political science at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. He holds MAs in economics and political science from Syracuse University and a BS in economics from West Virginia University. He is a graduate of the 2008 Summer Institute in Political Psychology at Stanford University and is a 2009/2010 Goekjian Scholar. He has been a research assistant with the Transnational NGO Initiative at the Moynihan Institute in Syracuse, NY, a consultant in Washington, DC and a research analyst in the Middle East. He has written about transnational NGOs, nonprofit evaluation, project finance, e-governance and other topics. His current research employs exploratory statistics to understand how TNGO leaders conceptualize organizational mission, effectiveness and other constructs.
