Research

Role of Research

Among other things, research helps to set policy priorities by providing decision-makers with tools for identifying emerging public issues and trends. Accordingly, the Official Languages Branch (OLB) seeks to enhance the role research plays in policy development within the Government of Canada as well as with our main partners, including the provinces and community associations.

Within a governmental and policy context, research helps to assess each situation and the weight of the factors influencing it, identify the needs of populations and in the long term, anticipate the impact of established programs. Research helps to develop strategic policies based on empirical data. It improves the quality of strategic advice and supports as well as informs public policy-making. Ideally, research helps establish a shared basis of knowledge around which issues can be debated and decisions taken.

Role of the Official Languages Branch in Research

The role of the Official Languages Branch (IGA/PCO) in research is essentially to:

• encourage sharing of research, data and evaluation tools by departments;

• lead in the preparation, with Statistics Canada and other federal partners, of a post-census survey on the vitality of Anglophone and Francophone minority communities;

• support a coordinated implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages;

• participate in the development of common parameters for the evaluation of the overall Action Plan;

• strengthen horizontal coordination of research, in the field of official languages and minority Anglophone and Francophone communities;

• chair the Coordinating Committee on Official Languages Research;

• monitor public opinion on official languages; and,

• undertake research and analysis and monitor research in order to support the activities of the Minister responsible for Official Languages and the Committee of Deputy Ministers on Official Languages.

Coordinating Committee on Official Languages Research (CCOLR)

Objectives of the CCOLR:

• Increase research and information sharing among federal departments.

• Enhance coordination among researchers and research projects.

• Identify and address major research needs.

• Enhance information-sharing mechanisms among government, community and academic research units.

• Meetings are held every six weeks.

• CCOLR responds to the needs of the Committee of Deputy Ministers on Official Languages (CDMOL);

• Meetings are a source of crucial information for federal institutions seeking to address well-documented problems.

• Prepare and conduct a post-census survey.

• Analyze the survey data on official languages issues.

• Monitor and analyze community and academic research in order to support policy-making.

• Inform the Minister and CDMOL of key research results and their policy implications.

Canadian Heritage (PCH)

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)

Health Canada (HSC)

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)

Industry Canada (IC)

Justice Canada

Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL)

Privy Council Office (PCO)

Public Service Human Resources Management Agency (PSHRMA)

Social Development Canada (SDC)

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Statistics Canada

Treasury Board Secretariat

Important Links

Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities: 
www.umoncton.ca/icrml/eng/bienvenue.html

Interdisciplinary Research Center on Citizenship and Minorities (University of Ottawa): 
www.circem.uottawa.ca/index_e.asp

Institut franco-ontarien (Université Laurentienne) : 
laurentian.ca/admn/GRAD_STUDY/RESEARCH/IFOF.HTML

Modern Language Centre at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE): 
www.oise.utoronto.ca/MLC/

Diversité : Revue et forums interdisciplinaires sur la dynamique des langues : 
www.teluq.uquebec.ca/diverscite/entree.htm

Centre interdisciplinaire de recherches sur les activités langagières : 
www.ciral.ulaval.ca
We are sorry - this page is not available in English.

Missisquoi Institute: 
www.chssn.org/en/missisquoi.html

Canadian Parents for French : 
www.cpf.ca/english/index.html

Canadian Modern Language Review : 
www.utpjournals.com/cmlr/cmlr.html

Specific Study

Centre for Research and Information on Canada (CRIC): Bilingualism : Part of Our Past or Part of Our Future?
www.cric.ca/pdf/cahiers/cricpapers_march2004.pdf