# Social Sciences - Skills and Agents Backlog

This document defines the skills and agents required to support the Social Sciences specialization processes.

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## Skills Backlog

| ID | Skill Name | Description | Priority | Related Processes |
|----|------------|-------------|----------|-------------------|
| SK-SS-001 | Quantitative Methods | Design and execute statistical analyses including regression modeling, hypothesis testing, power analysis, and robustness checks using R, Stata, SPSS, or Python | High | Statistical Analysis Pipeline, Experimental Design, Multilevel/Hierarchical Modeling, Structural Equation Modeling |
| SK-SS-002 | Qualitative Analysis | Conduct systematic qualitative data analysis using grounded theory, thematic analysis, and content analysis with NVivo or Atlas.ti | High | Qualitative Coding and Analysis, Grounded Theory Development, In-Depth Interview Protocol |
| SK-SS-003 | Survey Design and Administration | Develop survey instruments, implement sampling strategies, optimize response rates, and manage multi-mode data collection | High | Survey Research Design, Survey Administration, Scale Development and Validation |
| SK-SS-004 | Causal Inference Methods | Apply propensity score methods, instrumental variables, difference-in-differences, and regression discontinuity designs for causal identification | High | Propensity Score Analysis, Natural Experiment Analysis, Quasi-Experimental Design |
| SK-SS-005 | Ethnographic Research | Conduct participant observation, fieldwork, immersion, and thick description documentation in diverse cultural settings | Medium | Ethnographic Fieldwork, In-Depth Interview Protocol, Focus Group Facilitation |
| SK-SS-006 | Program Evaluation | Design and implement formative, summative, and developmental evaluations using logic models and mixed methods | High | Program Evaluation, Policy Impact Assessment, Cost-Benefit Analysis |
| SK-SS-007 | Network Analysis | Map and analyze social network structures using centrality measures, community detection, and visualization tools like Gephi or UCINET | Medium | Social Network Analysis, Statistical Analysis Pipeline |
| SK-SS-008 | Systematic Review | Conduct comprehensive literature searches, quality assessments, evidence synthesis, and meta-analyses | Medium | Literature Review and Synthesis, Policy Impact Assessment |
| SK-SS-009 | Psychometric Assessment | Develop, validate, and adapt measurement instruments including factor analysis, reliability testing, and cross-cultural validation | High | Scale Development and Validation, Cross-Cultural Measurement Adaptation |
| SK-SS-010 | Mixed Methods Integration | Design and execute convergent, explanatory sequential, and exploratory sequential mixed methods research designs | Medium | Mixed Methods Research Design, Program Evaluation |
| SK-SS-011 | Academic Writing and Publication | Prepare manuscripts following APA, ASA, or discipline-specific guidelines with proper reporting standards and peer review navigation | Medium | Academic Manuscript Preparation, Research Pre-Registration |
| SK-SS-012 | Policy Communication | Translate research findings into accessible policy briefs, presentations, and stakeholder communications | Medium | Policy Brief Development, Policy Impact Assessment |
| SK-SS-013 | Interview and Facilitation | Conduct semi-structured interviews and moderate focus groups with rapport building, probing techniques, and group dynamics management | High | In-Depth Interview Protocol, Focus Group Facilitation, Ethnographic Fieldwork |
| SK-SS-014 | Research Ethics and IRB | Navigate institutional review board processes, informed consent, confidentiality, and ethical considerations in human subjects research | High | All research processes |

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## Agents Backlog

| ID | Agent Name | Role | Expertise | Related Skills |
|----|------------|------|-----------|----------------|
| AG-SS-001 | Quantitative Research Methodologist | Lead design and execution of quantitative research studies with rigorous statistical analysis | Experimental design, statistical modeling, power analysis, causal inference, econometrics | SK-SS-001, SK-SS-004, SK-SS-009 |
| AG-SS-002 | Qualitative Research Specialist | Guide qualitative data collection and analysis using ethnographic and interview-based methods | Grounded theory, thematic analysis, ethnography, interviewing, NVivo/Atlas.ti | SK-SS-002, SK-SS-005, SK-SS-013 |
| AG-SS-003 | Survey Research Director | Oversee survey design, sampling, administration, and quality control for population-based studies | Survey methodology, sampling theory, questionnaire design, response optimization | SK-SS-003, SK-SS-009 |
| AG-SS-004 | Program Evaluation Specialist | Design and conduct rigorous evaluations of social programs and policy interventions | Logic models, theory of change, mixed methods evaluation, cost-effectiveness analysis | SK-SS-006, SK-SS-010, SK-SS-012 |
| AG-SS-005 | Causal Inference Analyst | Apply advanced econometric and statistical methods for causal identification in observational data | Propensity scores, instrumental variables, difference-in-differences, regression discontinuity | SK-SS-004, SK-SS-001 |
| AG-SS-006 | Policy Research Analyst | Conduct policy analysis and translate research findings for decision-maker audiences | Policy analysis frameworks, evidence synthesis, stakeholder engagement, brief writing | SK-SS-008, SK-SS-012, SK-SS-006 |
| AG-SS-007 | Measurement and Psychometrics Expert | Develop and validate measurement instruments across cultural contexts | Scale development, factor analysis, item response theory, cross-cultural adaptation | SK-SS-009, SK-SS-003 |
| AG-SS-008 | Mixed Methods Research Coordinator | Integrate quantitative and qualitative approaches in complex research designs | Mixed methods design, data integration, triangulation, joint displays | SK-SS-010, SK-SS-001, SK-SS-002 |
| AG-SS-009 | Computational Social Scientist | Apply network analysis and computational methods to social science questions | Network analysis, text analysis, big data methods, visualization | SK-SS-007, SK-SS-001 |
| AG-SS-010 | Research Ethics Coordinator | Ensure ethical compliance and navigate IRB processes for human subjects research | IRB protocols, informed consent, data protection, research ethics | SK-SS-014 |

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## Process-to-Skill/Agent Mapping

### Research Design Processes

| Process | Recommended Skills | Recommended Agents | Status |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------|--------|
| Experimental Design | SK-SS-001, SK-SS-014 | AG-SS-001, AG-SS-010 | [x] |
| Survey Research Design | SK-SS-003, SK-SS-009, SK-SS-014 | AG-SS-003, AG-SS-007, AG-SS-010 | [x] |
| Quasi-Experimental Design | SK-SS-001, SK-SS-004 | AG-SS-001, AG-SS-005 | [x] |
| Mixed Methods Research Design | SK-SS-010, SK-SS-001, SK-SS-002 | AG-SS-008, AG-SS-001, AG-SS-002 | [x] |

### Data Collection Processes

| Process | Recommended Skills | Recommended Agents | Status |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------|--------|
| In-Depth Interview Protocol | SK-SS-013, SK-SS-002, SK-SS-014 | AG-SS-002, AG-SS-010 | [x] |
| Ethnographic Fieldwork | SK-SS-005, SK-SS-002, SK-SS-014 | AG-SS-002, AG-SS-010 | [x] |
| Survey Administration | SK-SS-003, SK-SS-014 | AG-SS-003, AG-SS-010 | [x] |
| Focus Group Facilitation | SK-SS-013, SK-SS-002, SK-SS-014 | AG-SS-002, AG-SS-010 | [x] |

### Data Analysis Processes

| Process | Recommended Skills | Recommended Agents | Status |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------|--------|
| Statistical Analysis Pipeline | SK-SS-001 | AG-SS-001 | [x] |
| Qualitative Coding and Analysis | SK-SS-002 | AG-SS-002 | [x] |
| Structural Equation Modeling | SK-SS-001, SK-SS-009 | AG-SS-001, AG-SS-007 | [x] |
| Multilevel/Hierarchical Modeling | SK-SS-001 | AG-SS-001 | [x] |
| Social Network Analysis | SK-SS-007, SK-SS-001 | AG-SS-009, AG-SS-001 | [x] |

### Causal Inference Processes

| Process | Recommended Skills | Recommended Agents | Status |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------|--------|
| Propensity Score Analysis | SK-SS-004, SK-SS-001 | AG-SS-005, AG-SS-001 | [x] |
| Natural Experiment Analysis | SK-SS-004, SK-SS-001 | AG-SS-005, AG-SS-001 | [x] |

### Theory Development Processes

| Process | Recommended Skills | Recommended Agents | Status |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------|--------|
| Grounded Theory Development | SK-SS-002 | AG-SS-002 | [x] |
| Literature Review and Synthesis | SK-SS-008, SK-SS-011 | AG-SS-006, AG-SS-008 | [x] |

### Policy Analysis Processes

| Process | Recommended Skills | Recommended Agents | Status |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------|--------|
| Policy Impact Assessment | SK-SS-006, SK-SS-008, SK-SS-012 | AG-SS-004, AG-SS-006 | [x] |
| Program Evaluation | SK-SS-006, SK-SS-010 | AG-SS-004, AG-SS-008 | [x] |
| Cost-Benefit Analysis | SK-SS-006, SK-SS-001 | AG-SS-004, AG-SS-001 | [x] |

### Measurement and Scale Development Processes

| Process | Recommended Skills | Recommended Agents | Status |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------|--------|
| Scale Development and Validation | SK-SS-009, SK-SS-001 | AG-SS-007, AG-SS-001 | [x] |
| Cross-Cultural Measurement Adaptation | SK-SS-009, SK-SS-003 | AG-SS-007, AG-SS-003 | [x] |

### Publication and Dissemination Processes

| Process | Recommended Skills | Recommended Agents | Status |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------|--------|
| Academic Manuscript Preparation | SK-SS-011, SK-SS-014 | AG-SS-001, AG-SS-002 | [x] |
| Policy Brief Development | SK-SS-012 | AG-SS-006 | [x] |
| Research Pre-Registration | SK-SS-011, SK-SS-014 | AG-SS-001, AG-SS-010 | [x] |

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## Summary

**Total Skills:** 14

**Skill Categories:**
- Quantitative Methods: 4 (SK-SS-001, SK-SS-004, SK-SS-007, SK-SS-009)
- Qualitative Methods: 3 (SK-SS-002, SK-SS-005, SK-SS-013)
- Applied Research: 3 (SK-SS-006, SK-SS-008, SK-SS-010)
- Communication: 2 (SK-SS-011, SK-SS-012)
- Foundational: 2 (SK-SS-003, SK-SS-014)

**Total Agents:** 10

**Agent Categories:**
- Research Design and Methods: 4 (AG-SS-001, AG-SS-002, AG-SS-003, AG-SS-008)
- Specialized Analysis: 3 (AG-SS-005, AG-SS-007, AG-SS-009)
- Applied and Policy: 2 (AG-SS-004, AG-SS-006)
- Governance: 1 (AG-SS-010)

**Key Characteristics:**
- Skills and agents span both quantitative and qualitative research traditions
- Strong emphasis on causal inference and rigorous evaluation methods
- Cross-disciplinary applicability across psychology, sociology, political science, economics, and anthropology
- Integration of computational and traditional social science methods
- Support for both academic research and applied policy analysis
- Comprehensive coverage of the research lifecycle from design through dissemination
