National Centre for Research MethodsNational Centre for Research MethodsComparative Judgement Methods - OnlineDescriptionComparative judgement methods are used by social scientists to construct reliable measurement scales that are difficult to construct using traditional methods. Such scales typically measure important but nebulous theoretical ideas such as ‘beauty’ or ‘writing quality’. Comparative judgement involves no coding schemes and no categorisation; instead judges make holistic decisions about which of two presented objects better represents the theoretical idea of interest. Comparative judgement methods have a long history but are only now gaining traction due to technological developments making them more accessible to researchers. The course will take attendees through the entire process of using comparative judgement to construct reliable measurement scales. The course covers:
By the end of the course participants will:
IMPORTANT: Please note that this course includes computer workshops. Before registering please check that you will be able to access the software noted below. Please bear in mind minimum system requirements to run software and administration restrictions imposed by your institution or employer with may block the installation of software.
Optional reading: examples of studies that used comparative judgement: Jones, I., Bisson, M., Gilmore, C., & Inglis, M. (2019). Measuring conceptual understanding in randomised controlled trials: Can comparative judgement help? British Educational Research Journal, 45(3), 662–680. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3519 Rycroft-Smith, L., & Stylianides, A. J. (2022). What makes a good educational research summary? A comparative judgement study of mathematics teachers’ and mathematics education researchers’ views. Review of Education, 10(1), e3338. Optional reading of an online how-to guide for comparative judgement: https://www.notion.so/nmm/No-More-Marking-for-researchers-70cb4eec46d547cd91c65ff2066d415f Course Times: Day 1 (08.09.22): 10am to 1pm Day 2 (09.09.22): 10am to 1pm
Digital Research Ethics (online)DescriptionWhile ethical issues are faced by all social researchers the ethical issues posed by some digital platforms, digital spaces and mediated interactions can raise distinct ethical challenges (and opportunities).
Interpretive Political ScienceDescriptionMany students in the social sciences, especially in political science, public policy and public administration who decide to undertake qualitative or interpretive research feel they are unqualified to do so. They express deep-seated confusion about the reliability and generalizability of data, results, and conclusions. They feel that interpretive approaches lack the type of specialised training that has become commonplace in quantitative political science. The aim of this course is to redress this gap. We will equip students with a toolkit that will enable them to both conceptualise and execute an interpretive project. The course covers:
By the end of the course participants will:
Introducing Qualitative Longitudinal Research: From Design to Analysis (online)DescriptionThis one-day online, interactive course will provide a practical introduction to qualitative longitudinal enquiry. The morning session will explore key design features of this methodology, including how to build time into a study, how to sample through time, how to generate temporal data, the ethics of longitudinal enquiry, and the potential to create real-time impact in policy processes. The afternoon session will focus on the intricate nature of QL analysis. The course will comprise two lectures and two interactive workshops (see below for further details). The course will be delivered by Bren Neale, a specialist in QL research and the author of two books on this methodology.
Introducing the Irish Qualitative Data Archive: Spotlight on Archiving Reproductive Health (Online)DescriptionThis half day short course will introduce delegates to the opportunities for qualitative secondary analysis (QSA) offered by the Irish Qualitative Data Archive and the Digital Repository of Ireland. It will focus on two themes:
The course will spotlight the innovative Archiving Reproductive Health collection. Funded by the Wellcome Trust, this uniquely broad collection focuses on the 2015 referendum to liberalise access to abortion in Ireland. The collection includes interviews with activists and doctors. Organisational data has been donated by some of the main groups campaigning for increased access to abortion, including a wide collection of pro-choice artists work. Other collections include a database of tweets from the referendum period, a collection of posts from the InHerShoes Facebook page and a collection of images of posters and streets in the time period leading up to the referendum. The addition of interviews conducted in twenty years leading up to the referendum and in the years after the referendum add to the longitudinal perspective of this social movement for change.
Introduction to Spatial Data & Using R as a GISDescriptionIn this one day course we will explore how to use R to import, manage and process spatial data. We will also cover the process of making choropleth maps, as well as some basic spatial analysis. Finally, we will cover the use of loops to make multiple maps quickly and easily, one of the major benefits of using a scripting language to make maps, rather than traditional graphic point-and-click interface. The course covers:
By the end of the course participants will:
This course is ideal for anyone who wishes to use spatial data in their role. This includes government & other public sector researchers who have data with some spatial information (e.g. address, postcode, etc.) which they wish to show on a map. This course is also suitable for those who wish to have an overview of what spatial data can be used for. Although no previous experience of spatial data is required it would be beneficial (eg Google Maps).
Latent Variable Models for Social Research - OnlineDescriptionLatent variable models relate a set of observed (or manifest) variables to a set of latent (or unmeasured) variables. In practice, this entails the use of models to summarise the relationship between a series of highly associated variables. It will be demonstrated that these models are specific examples of a wider family of measurement models.
Participants will:
Longitudinal Data and Research - OnlineDescriptionAcross the social sciences there is widespread agreement that longitudinal data (e.g. studies that repeatedly contact individuals) provides powerful research resources to examine both social change and social stability. There is now a broad portfolio of longitudinal data available to social science researchers. Many social science research questions can be adequately answered without longitudinal data; however, most research projects will benefit from the addition of longitudinal data analysis, and some research questions can only feasibly be answered using longitudinal data. This is a two day workshop on longitudinal data and research using statistical methods. The workshop is specifically designed for social scientists, and social science data and examples will be showcased throughout the workshop. The workshop will focus on the research value of longitudinal data and explore sources of longitudinal data. Participants will be introduced to the analysis of repeated cross-sectional data, duration models and models for panel data. The emphasis will be on interpreting outputs (e.g. from data analysis software packages) and understanding results (e.g. in published papers). The event is intended to be engaging and informative and there will be audience participation and practical demonstrations. This is not a practical workshop and it does not provide training in the use of data analysis software. It will however provide a strong theoretical foundation for future engagement at practical workshops that are designed to provide hands-on training in data analysis. A high level of mathematical ability is not required, but participants should ideally have undertaken an introductory statistics and data analysis course (e.g. a semester long module as part of a Masters degree) or have attended the one day workshop on Statistical Modelling (held the day before).
Researchers who are at any career-stage are welcome.
Measuring Behaviour (online)DescriptionMeasuring behaviour is a non-trivial activity. The techniques that are required to measure behaviour accurately and reliably are frequently glossed over in research methods training courses. This workshop will focus on the methods and wider considerations associated with systematically observing and recording behaviour. Many of the principles and techniques apply to non-human animals as well as humans. The workshop is orientated to researchers working in fields such as psychology, anthropology and human sciences. Course Timings: 11:00 – 16:00
Multilevel Modelling: A robust analytical method for randomised controlled trialsDescriptionThis course will focus on the conceptual understanding of multilevel modelling and its relevance for robust analysis of evidence from randomised controlled trials, with case studies from educational and clinical trials. It will focus on ‘meaning’ and application of multilevel models instead of computations. The course will run for three days with the first day focusing on the transition from linear regression models to multilevel models. Practical examples with simple exercises will be used to motivate the need for a more robust approach than t-tests or linear regressions in randomised controlled trials. The different sources of variability will be discussed as well as their implications on effect size. The course will primarily be taught in R, but we would also be able to support individual exercises in STATA. This is an intermediate course that requires good understanding of the linear regression model as a prerequisite. The course covers:
By the end of the course participants will:
This course is suitable for postgraduate students, researchers, trial statisticians and methodologists and participants should have a basic understanding of statistical methods including the linear regression model and analysis of variance. Participants require access to computer with R enabled software. It is recommended to use RStudio for coding and running R.
NCRM - Uncertainty, methods and research design - OnlineDescriptionUncertainty in research design and practice is having a continuing impact on researchers’ methodological considerations. This half day course explores uncertainty, anticipation, ignorance and surprise, and offer practical support in relation to design and methodologies.
Participatory Action Research (PAR): Equitable Partnerships and Engaged Research - OnlineDescriptionPAR aims to create a space for researcher and participants to co-produce knowledge and where relevant, action for change. PAR is considered as a research paradigm in itself, that embodies a particular set of concepts under which researchers operate (Minkler and Wallerstein 2008). These include respect for diversity, community strengths, reflection of cultural identities, power-sharing, and co-learning (Minkler 2000). In this session we will explore these principles, the cyclical approach to PAR and what this means in practice. Participants will be given the opportunity to learn terminology, understand participation in community engaged research, explore how power and positionality can change health outcomes in PAR, and learn about a variety of participatory methods and how they have been applied in different contexts, globally and within the UK. Participants will also be provided with the space to explore challenges they are facing in designing or implementing community engaged collaborative research within a discussion clinic forum.
Radical Research EthicsDescriptionEthical research is better quality research. This online course (one day, taught over two mornings) is designed to raise your awareness of why and how you need to think and act ethically in practice throughout your research work. The current system of ethical review by committee can lead to the misleading sense of having ‘done ethics’. This course shows you how to conduct research which is truly ethical. It also provides the opportunity for discussion of your own ethical dilemmas, if you wish. The course covers:
By the end of the course participants will:
This course is aimed at Doctoral students, early career researchers (any discipline). Also practice-based/applied researchers. Possibly government researchers too, and independent researchers.
Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) for quantitative social researchers - onlineDescriptionRandomised controlled trials (RCTs) are heralded as the gold standard of research design in the social sciences. RCT principles are used in research at all levels of complexity from evaluating national social policies to experimenting with the impact of website designs (there often known as A/B testing). This course is for social researchers who have a firm grasp of the foundations of quantitative research methods (e.g., linear regression and confidence intervals) and would like to learn how to design and analyse randomised controlled trials. The course incorporates a blend of presentations and participatory sessions, using examples from the social sciences. Dr Andi Fugard (they/them) is a Research Director in NatCen Evaluation. They have experience designing, project managing, and analysing data from randomised controlled trials in mental health and education. Before joining NatCen, Andi was a Senior Lecturer in Social Science Research Methods at Birkbeck, University of London, where they directed postgraduate programmes in Social Research, and Lecturer in Educational Psychology Research Methods at University College London.
Situation Analysis: Wittgenstein & Interactive Research for Social ScientistsDescriptionLudwig Wittgenstein is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential philosophers of the 20th century who in his later work produced a radical and distinctive approach to philosophical analysis, which had far-reaching ramifications for research in the social and human sciences. What does Wittgenstein and Witgensteinian philosophy have to say to Social Scientists and Psychologists in the 21st century? Wittgenstein’s impact on the social sciences can be divided into a number of phases, some of which (2 & 3) spawned distinctive research programmes: 1. Via reception of the work of the Wittgensteinian philosopher Peter Winch and his influential book The Idea of a Social Science and its Relation to Philosophy, published in the mid-20th Century. 2. The combining of Wittgensteinian insights with Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis (EMCA) beginning in the early 1970s and found in the work of the ‘Manchester School’ of Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis in the work of authors such as Wes Sharrock, Rod Watson and Bob Anderson in addition to associated figures such as Mike Lynch (Cornell) and Jeff Coulter (Boston). 3. The combining of Wittgensteinian insights with Michael Billig’s Rhetorical Analysis, Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis to form Discursive Psychology, initiated by Johnathan Potter, Derek Edwards and Margaret Wetherell, beginning in the 1980s at Loughborough University and being developed by others in the decades that have followed. Run across two afternoons, this course will revisit the philosophical sources that inform a Wittgensteinian approach to questions in the social and human sciences and explore these alongside the approach to interaction found in Ethnomethodology.
Statistical Modelling in Stata (Practical Workshop) - OnlineDescriptionThe social world is complex and messy. Statistical models provide a formal approach to evaluate data, test ideas and investigate research questions.
• Be able to interpret statistical modelling results
Statistical Modelling onlineDescriptionThe social world is complex and messy. Statistical models provide a formal approach to evaluate data, test ideas and investigate research questions. This is a one day workshop on statistical models for social science data analysis. It will introduce the underlying concepts associated with multivariate analysis using statistical models. The workshop will concentrate on models within the generalized linear modelling framework. It will cover linear regression, and models for binary, categorical, ordered categorical and count data. The focus of the workshop will on social science applications, and social science data and research questions will be showcased throughout. The emphasis will be on interpreting outputs (e.g. from data analysis software packages) and understanding published results. The event is intended to be engaging and informative and there will be audience participation and practical demonstrations. This is not a practical workshop and it does not provide training in the use of data analysis software. It will however provide a strong theoretical foundation for future engagement at practical workshops that are designed to provide hands-on training in data analysis. A high level of mathematical ability is not required, but participants should ideally have undertaken an introductory statistics and data analysis course (e.g. a semester long module as part of a Masters degree).
Researchers who are at any career-stage are welcome. A high level of mathematical ability is not required, but participants should ideally have undertaken an introductory statistics and data analysis course (e.g. a semester long module as part of a Masters degree).
The Timescapes 10 FestivalDescription
We are pleased to announce that registrations are now open for the Timescapes 10 Festival, a major celebration of progress and advance in qualitative longitudinal methods. Jointly run through the Timescapes Archive and the National Centre for Research Methods, the Timescapes 10 Festival celebrates ten years since the conclusion of the original Timescapes Programme of research. A key aim of Timescapes was to facilitate advances in Qualitative Longitudinal (QL) research, archiving and the re-use of QL data. Through a mixture of international symposia, panel sessions, video provocations, sandpits, and demonstrator events, this online only festival showcases the huge amount of progress in these methodological fields, as well as international advances in:
Using Investigative Methods to Account for Climate ChangeDescriptionParticipants on this one-day training course will learn how to conduct research aimed at improving accountability for climate change. The course will show participants how to generate data that is focussed on key actors in a particular geographic/industrial/economic context, and build a case study that they can use in their research project, or in a stand alone project. The course will teach participants to navigate specialist secondary sources and apply investigative methods to produce unique analysis of responsible actors, the role they play in climate change and the benefits they gain from environmentally harmful practices.
Working with large amounts of qualitative data: an introduction to the Breadth-and-Depth MethodDescriptionJoin us for an exciting and flexible online course that will develop your knowledge and skills for working with qualitative data at scale: ‘big qual’. Discover cutting-edge analytic methods with applications across archival research, social media research, secondary analytic practice and other research arenas in which large amounts of diverse qualitative data, including longitudinal, are brought together and analysed. This course amounts to around 7 hours study over a 3-day period. It is tailored so that you can dip-in-and-out of resources and activities, self-directing your study to fit in with your work and life commitments. Live online sessions are also scheduled once a day with the course tutors for tailored support. Gain guided experience of the unique four-step Breadth and Depth Method to enable you to combine extensive coverage with intensive illumination, moving between the span of big qual analysis and the detail of qualitative engagement. In this course you will:
The course is suitable for early career as well as more experienced researchers. The course is accessible for researchers with quantitative, as well as those with qualitative skills, but you will need to be familiar with the purpose and process of qualitative research.
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