Sgoil Cheumnaichean Saidheans Sòisealta na h-Alba
With a wide variety of interesting and useful workshops over three days, plus opportunities to socialise, join a pub quiz and learn about social science research happening throughout Scotland, our SGSSS Summer School is an exciting way to learn advanced skills, meet other PhD students, and be inspired by ideas and stories.
Queen Margaret University has a modern, beautiful and eco-friendly campus just outside Edinburgh, with its own bus stop, and is right beside Musselburgh Railway Station which is just a few minutes’ journey from Waverley. Musselburgh itself is a historic fishing town with a still-active harbour and two sandy beaches – look out for the silver mussel sculpture!
led by the SGSSS Challenge Pathways Team
This symposium, comprised of four parallel sessions, provides an opportunity to hear research and network with PhD students who are doing research on any of the following four 'wicked problems':
Wicked problems are problems that resist any consensus on solution because they are hard to define and because any solutions change the nature of the problem itself and bring the potential for unintended negative consequences in other areas.
Developing an awareness of interdisciplinary perspectives on wicked problems is important to improve social science contributions to understanding and evaluating potential solutions. The purpose of this symposium is to help to broaden research horizons and to foster new interdisciplinary connections, ideas and contacts.
We expect that this session will be of particular interest to students who align to our Challenge Pathways, but the symposium is open to all students and not just those funded by SGSSS. For those interested in presenting at the symposium or having a poster, please submit your abstract to our abstract submission form. A formal call for abstracts will also be circulated in the SGSSS Friday Digest. We welcome submissions from students at all stages of the PhD - those in earlier stages can focus on their research plans while those in later stages can focus on their preliminary findings.
led by Dr Victoria McQuillan, SGSSS Research Impact and Partnerships Manager, and Dr Ian Macneill, Scottish Government
Join the SGSSS Research Impact and Partnerships team and guest intership hosts and interns to find out more about the opportunities of the SGSSS internship scheme. This session will draw on the real-world experiences of hosts and former interns to share insights into completing an internship as a PhD student. The session will include tips on preparing for an internship, getting the most out of your time on an internship, and using the experience to enhance your career planning post-placement. This will be a participatory session with many opportunities to ask questions. More details and bios of the hosts and former interns attending on the day will follow closer to the time.
led by Dr Katherine Keenan, SGSSS Deputy Director - Training, and Dr Roxanne Connelly and Dr Yasaman Sarabi, SGSSS Associate Directors for Training
This session will introduce you to some strategies and techniques for managing your research project, which will ultimately support your wellbeing. There will be plenty of time for discussion with fellow students. The session will cover the relationship with the supervisory team, time management, and how to keep motivated, all of which will help you stay organised and be productive.
There are no prerequisites for this event.
led by Dr Stephanie Zihms, University of Edinburgh
Editing your own writing is one of the most challenging skills a researcher can develop. This practical, interactive session will give you a structured framework for reviewing and improving your academic writing, and explore how AI tools can support — and sometimes complicate — that process.
Prior learning required: None. It would be helpful, but not essential, to bring a short piece of your own writing (500–1000 words) to use during the activities.
What you will learn: By the end of this session you will be able to distinguish between different types of editing and know when to apply each; identify common weaknesses in academic writing using established frameworks; and evaluate AI editing tools responsibly, understanding both their potential and their limitations within research integrity guidelines.
Activities: This session is hands-on throughout. You will reflect on your current editing habits and challenges; apply the Writer's Diet framework to analyse academic text for clarity, flow, and precision; edit a short piece of writing using structured strategies; and explore AI tools through a guided comparative activity, critically assessing their outputs using the Think–Check–Use framework for responsible AI use.
Slides and resource links will be shared with all participants following the session.
Summer School favourites, the Beirhope alpacas, will be visiting the venue from 12.30pm until around 3.30pm on Tuesday 9th June. This is a drop-in outdoors session where you can meet the alpacas, feed them carrots, learn about their lives and their habits, and even take them for short walks.
led by Dr Michael Vallely, University of Strathclyde
This workshop will provide a practical guide to using quantitative data for a PhD. It is not a quantitative methods workshop, but one that will guide PhD students in how to use quantitative data for their PhD. The aim is to simplify and demystify how to use secondary quantitative data, making students aware of open-access datasets they may wish to consider for their research and the support that is available for using these datasets. The workshop is open to all but is tailored to first-year PhD students, mixed-methods researchers and qualitative PhD students who may be considering using quantitative data to supplement/triangulate their own data or may not know where to start with using secondary quantitative data. No prior learning or knowledge of using quantitative is required.
Students will be provided with a quantitative PhD example and we will explore the dataset Understanding Society (UK Household Longitudinal Study). A guide to using the UK Data Service will then be provided with students having the time to explore open-access datasets and their relevance/suitability for their PhD. Students will then be paired to provide 1-2-1 feedback on each other’s chosen dataset and to further flesh out their ideas. The group as a whole will then discuss a few examples of the chosen datasets, discussing their suitability, strengths and limitations etc, and how best they may be used, allowing time also for questions.
led by Dr Yasaman Sarabi, Heriot-Watt University
This workshop provides an introduction to bibliometric analysis and explores how it can be used to strengthen a literature review and develop it into a publishable academic paper. The session will outline the purpose of bibliometric methods, introduce common approaches for mapping and analysing scholarly literature, and discuss how these techniques can help identify key themes, influential authors, research trends, and gaps in the field.
No prior experience of bibliometric analysis is required, although participants should have a basic understanding of academic literature reviews and an interest in developing their reviewing and publishing skills.
By the end of the session, participants will understand the principles of bibliometric analysis, how it can complement more traditional review methods, and how bibliometric findings can be incorporated into a structured academic paper. They will also gain insight into how a literature review can move beyond summary to make a more original and publishable contribution.
The training will involve a mixture of presentation, worked examples, software demo (using R), and discussion. Participants will be introduced to key concepts and practical applications and will have the opportunity to reflect on how bibliometric analysis might be used in their own area of research.
led by Dr Juliane Kloess, University of Glasgow, and Julie Riddell, University of St Andrews
Emotions are a key part of what makes us human, and as such have the potential to filter into our work, both positively and negatively.
led by Dr Katy Keenan, Deputy Director - Training and Dr Roxanne Connelly, Associate Director - Training, SGSSS
You've prepared your manuscript for publication, now what?
In this workshop students will learn how to navigate the submission and review stage of the academic publication process, including how to interact with journal editors and reviewers. In the first half of the session, we will consider some strategies for writing submissions and responding to reviewers' comments.
The second half of the session will be a panel discussion and Q&A featuring experienced editors from leading social science journals across different disciplines: Prof Jamie Pearce, current Senior Editor (Medical Geography) of Social Science & Medicine and co Editor-in-Chief of Wellbeing, Space & Society; Dr Roxanne Connelly, Associate Editor of European Societies, and Editor of Methodological Innovations; and Dr Dely Elliott, Deputy Editor for the Innovations in Education and Teaching International, Associate Editor for Higher Education Research and Development and Teaching in Higher Education, and Editorial Board member for Educational Review.
led by Dr Carin Runciman, University of Edinburgh
Inspired by the How to Fail podcast series, this workshop shares my failures in collaborating with NGOs and activist organisations as research partners, so you can learn from them.
The workshop will cover three main topics. One, it will consider the challenges of forging partnership relations on often uneven terrain. Two, it will engage with the challenges of what it means to be participatory in practice. Finally, it will consider the epistemic dissonances between activist funder and scholarly desires.
The aim of this workshop is to sensitise you to the complexities of working with NGO and activist research partners so that you can be equipped to actively identify and address challenges.
led by Dr Catherine Pemble and Dr Dianne Theakstone, University of Stirling
So you’ve been told your research should have impact.
Where do you start? How do you do it? When do you do it?
This workshop will focus on demystifying the language of impact and exploring what it means beyond the buzzwords. We’ll look at the different ways impact is understood, by researchers, universities, funders, and communities, and why those differences matter in practice. Together, we’ll unpack how the idea of impact has evolved within research culture and what it means when we shift from talking about it in theory to building it into the way we work. We’ll talk about what planning for impact looks like in realistic terms, and how it can be threaded through the research process from concept to dissemination. Along the way, we’ll think about what that means for who we engage with, how we do it, and the resources and relationships needed to make it work in practice.
The workshop will be co‑facilitated by Dr Catherine Pemble and Dr Diane Theakstone, who bring extensive experience in co‑production, accessibility, science communication, and impact. Drawing on their work with partners across sectors, they specialise in embedding impact within research practice by collaborating with communities, businesses, and industry to make research more inclusive, engaging, and relevant. During the session, they will use examples from their own projects to show how impact can take root early in the research process and continue to evolve through sustained engagement and co‑creation.
Workshop Format:
The session will combine short taught segments with opportunities for discussion, informal questions, and reflection. Participants will have the chance to explore how impact is talked about and put into practice across different disciplines and settings, learning from one another’s experiences as well as from the facilitators’ examples. We’ll also use a Padlet to capture ideas and questions both before and during the workshop. Participants are encouraged to bring a device (smartphone, tablet, or laptop) so they can engage with it throughout.
Preparing for the Workshop:
In the week before the workshop, the Padlet will open with a set of optional prompts and questions to get you thinking about the key themes. We invite you to reflect on what impact means to you: where you have seen the term used, how it has (or hasn’t) connected to your own research and where you've seen examples of good (or bad) practice in the past.
No prior knowledge is required.
led by Dr Sara Ganassin, Newcastle University
This workshop provides advanced training in qualitative interviewing for social science research. It is led by Dr Sara Ganassin who has extensive experience in ethnographic research on intercultural communication, particularly with migrant and multilingual communities.
We will explore individual and group interviews as distinct methodological and relational practices, with close attention to ethics, power, and researcher reflexivity (e.g. how our identities as researchers shape our relationships with participants and our projects; Consoli & Ganassin, 2025). Drawing on theories of researching multilingually (Holmes et al., 2022), we will also reflect on ‘languages’ and linguistic appropriateness in the interview process: how can we use language (whether working in a shared first language, a lingua franca, or across different linguistic resources) to create safe and welcoming interview environments? What are the implications of language for power relations, for example when working with children, multilingual communities, and vulnerable research participants?
You will receive practical guidance on planning and organising interviews, navigating ethical challenges in the field, and making informed methodological decisions. We will also discuss about working with interview data as a process of analysis and reflexive engagement, supporting ethical and inclusive research practice across disciplines in the social sciences. The workshop is interactive and includes a mix of theory, applied activities, and discussion.
Our SGSSS Summer School keynote this year is delivered by Professor Katherine Smith.
Kat Smith is a Professor of Public Health Policy at the University of Strathclyde. She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees (and research training) at the University of Edinburgh. She supported herself through the early years of university by DJing.
Research training in the social sciences has long been organised around a methodological divide: researchers typically study qualitative and quantitative methods separately and, during postgraduate research, we often focus on one of these approaches. While this specialisation brings depth, it leaves a significant gap in the development of robust mixed methods expertise. At the same time, there is growing policy interest in research that meaningfully integrates quantitative analysis with in-depth understanding of the lived experiences behind statistics.
This keynote argues that mixed methods research not only offers pragmatic advantages for those keen to influence policy and practice, but also strengthens the intellectual foundations of research. Drawing on empirical examples, I discuss cases where quantitative findings appeared to contradict qualitative insights and others, where qualitative research suggested promise while quantitative evaluation found limited impact. Viewed in one way, these examples simply demonstrate the tensions that can arise between contrasting methodological approaches, with each approach highlighting the limitations of the other. However, I suggest working to integrate apparently contrasting insights can be generative: exposing blind spots, refining theory, and strengthening causal claims.
Yet integration is not straightforward. Mixed methods research often sits at the intersection of different epistemologies, disciplinary traditions and academic languages. These differences can create friction, especially when it comes to assessing research quality. Indeed, it can be easy to find academics engaging in what Gieryn terms ‘boundary work’, policing the boundaries of what counts as robust research in ways that boost their claims to expertise. Yet, in these tensions, there lies creative potential that offers opportunity for greater understanding and insight, at least when approach with humility.
Using the metaphor of mixing music, I reflect on what it means to ‘mix’ methods well: attending to timing, topic, and audience. I conclude by encouraging postgraduate researchers to cultivate both specialist depth and methodological openness - engaging across boundaries and developing an eclectic appreciation for the value of alternative methodological approaches.
Join the SGSSS team and your fellow students for an informal drinks reception to celebrate the first day of Summer School.
led by Dr Sal Consoli, University of Edinburgh
This workshop is designed for PhD researchers in the social sciences who want to deepen the rigour, transparency, and systematic quality of their research PhD methodology. Participants will be introduced to the core theories and principles underpinning researcher reflexivity and will explore its role in acknowledging and accounting for subjectivities and positionalities throughout the research process.
Through interactive discussions and guided activities, the workshop will:
• Clarify what reflexivity means in the context of doctoral research,
• Present key theoretical perspectives that frame reflexivity as an essential methodological practice,
• Demonstrate how reflexivity can be systematically integrated into data collection, analysis, and dissemination of findings,
• Provide practical strategies to help researchers critically engage with their own perspectives and decision-making processes.
led by Emma Davidson and Helen Berry, Binks Hub, University of Edinburgh
This workshop offers an introduction to creativity and creative methods within the research process. In particular, we will explore the intersection between creativity and participatory research, examining how collaborative, visual and material approaches can expand the possibilities of research design, knowledge production and dissemination. We will approach this in two ways:
Prior learning required
Participants should have a basic understanding of research design and conventional qualitative approaches, and be interested in extending their methodological toolkit. No prior experience of creative methods is required.
What will be learned
By the end of the session, participants will have developed a clear understanding of how creative and participatory approaches can be integrated at different stages of a project. They will gain insight into the practical considerations involved in planning and facilitating such work, including questions of ethics, power, time, funding, inclusion, analysis, value and impact. Participants will also be supported to think critically about when creative approaches are appropriate, what they may offer beyond traditional methods, and how they align with different research aims and values.
Activities undertaken during the training
The workshop will combine structured discussion with interactive experimentation. Participants will engage with the gallery showcase, take part in small-group exercises using creative prompts and tools, and reflect collectively on their experiences. Activities are designed to model participatory practice and to generate discussion about facilitation, interpretation and the practical challenges of working in collaborative and imaginative ways.
led by Professor Nissa Finney, University of St Andrews, and Dr Helen Packwood, University of Edinburgh
This workshop will examine how we integrate different forms of knowledge in social science research, with particular emphasis on the integration of small and large scale (qualitative and quantitative) approaches and data. The Workshop has three parts:
1) The first part of the Workshop will ask fundamental questions such as: What is mixed methods research (in Social Science)? Why undertake mixed methods research? What are the opportunities and challenges with integrating different forms of data? Where should I begin?
2) The second part of the Workshop will reflect on real-world case study examples in discussion groups.
3) The third part of the Workshop is an opportunity for participants to develop their own Mixed Methods design. Preparation will be required for this activity prior to the Workshop. The exercise will be adaptable to whether participants are in early or more advanced stages of their mixed methods project.
This workshop is designed to support doctoral students who are undertaking a mixed methods project.
This interactive workshop will introduce the theory and practice of mixed methods research using discussion, group work and input from the front.
led by Dr Faical Akaichi and Chen Ai, Scotland's Rural College
This all day course is designed to be gentle introduction to the basics of bivariate analysis and regression analysis in the open-source software RStudio.
The tutorial booklet covers:
1. Bivariate analysis
• Type of variables
• Probability Distributions
• Hypothesis Testing
• Testing the relationship between two quantitative variables
o Correlation tests
• Testing the relationship between two categorical variables
o Chi-Square test
• Relationship between a quantitative variable and a categorical variable
o T-test
o ANOVA
o Wilcoxon Signed Rank
o Kruskal-Wallis
o Mann-Whitney tests
2. Linear regression analysis
• Basic concepts of regression
• Variables’ terminology in regression analysis
• Linear regression analysis – Theory
• Linear regression analysis – Steps
o Statement of the hypothesis
o Specification of the statistical model
o Preparing the data for analysis
o Estimation
o Interpretation of the results
o Use of the results in prediction and policy analysis
Some preparatory work is required: All students will receive a tutorial booklet prepared by the lecturer to read before the in-person session and will provide a theoretical overview of these topics. The in-person session will be dedicated to practical work conducting the bivariate and regression analyses in RStudio. The students will be provided with the data and the R code and will be guided through the analysis process. The lecture will also teach the students how to interpret the results and use them in prediction and policy analysis.
Students should bring their own devices and need to ensure they have R and RStudio installed.
led by Dr Thees Spreckelsen, University of Glasgow
Data drives decisions, discoveries, and public discussion. Data visualisations can act as an easily accessible support of these. They are analysis tools as the key means to communicate insights from data. This course will enable you to generate impactful visualisations, to plan and assess graphs that provide analyses, and to report on quantitative data in a systematic, accessible and trustworthy way.
We will explore the process of planning visualizations and the wide range of possibilities they offer. Additionally, we will discuss how to create and present these visualizations in a trustworthy and accessible manner.
You will receive an introduction to using the R software to generate graphs. This will include basic data preparation and an in-depth training session on the 'ggplot2' graphics package. You will also learn how to use the reporting tool 'RMarkdown,' which enables transparent and highly versatile presentations of visualizations and any accompanying media (e.g., presentations, documents, webpages, or dashboards). Together, these tools will equip you to produce and report a variety of commonly used visualizations.
The session will combine presentations, reflective exercises, and hands-on programming training, allowing you to work directly on your own computer.
led by Dr Lissette Aviles and Dr Susanne Kean, University of Edinburgh
This workshop is aimed at PhD students and early career researchers with a basic understanding of grounded theory and an interest in a hands-on session on how grounded theory data are analysed. ‘’Grounded theory is distinct from other research programmes because of its major aim – to develop theories from empirical analyses and to provide explanations for phenomena” (Flick 2018: xv).
The session will examine key principles and strategies of grounded theory analysis. The workshop will draw on individual and group work and focus on applying the grounded theory processes and strategies (e.g., sensitising concepts, coding, theoretical sensitivity, theorising) that are key to developing a grounded theory.
Attendees will work and reflect on the application of these processes and strategies critically.
During the training, attendees will:
Flick U (2018) Doing Grounded Theory, 2nd edition, SAGE, London. Chapters 2 and 6.
led by Professor Stefano de Paoli and Georgia Rubidge, Abertay University
This session delves into how generative AI (Large Language Models – LLMs) is reshaping qualitative analysis by providing new ways to process, interpret, and present qualitative data. It will focus in particular on Thematic Analysis. Generative AI goes beyond traditional analysis tools, enabling researchers to generate and identify nuanced patterns. Join us to discover how integrating generative AI into qualitative analysis can enhance the depth of insights and streamline analysis, all while maintaining the human-centric approach essential to qualitative inquiry. During the webinar the Open Source prototype application for performing Thematic Analysis TALLMesh will be presented and discussed. The current debate about using generative AI for qualitative analysis will also be discussed.
No prior knowledge of LLMs/generative AI is needed. The session will be largely hands-on and practical, we will use TALLMesh (https://github.com/sdptn/TALLMesh_multi_page) and an open source LLM to analyse a set of open-access qualitative interviews.
Students should bring their own laptop. If you have Python or Anaconda installed this would speed up things, but otherwise we will guide participants to installing everything on their computers.
Key Takeaways:
led by Dr Kitty Wheater, University of Edinburgh
We are excited to be screening this new documentary on the modern history of civil resistance in Glasgow. Please arrive promptly to ensure a timely start.
In May 2021, a UK Home Office dawn raid triggers one of the most spontaneous and successful acts of civil resistance in recent memory. In Pollokshields, Scotland’s most diverse neighbourhood, hundreds of residents rush to the streets to stop the deportation of their neighbours.
Winner: Sundance World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Civil Resistance
led by our SGSSS Associate Officers for Student Engagement
Take a well-deserved break after a long day in the Summer School and join us for a relaxed, casual, and fun session designed to help you unwind and recharge. Hosted by the SGSSS Associate Officers for Student Engagement, this is your chance to slow down, enjoy good company, and soak up some light-hearted vibes.
What to expect:
We are hoping for a picnic-style atmosphere outdoors (if the great Scottish weather favours us)! There will be a mix of vegan and non-vegan snacks available, and you are very welcome to bring along your own treats to share if you’d like. Alongside this, there will be a range of easy, fun games like UNO, Ludo, cards, and more.
No pressure, just good vibes:
This is a completely informal, drop-in session. Whether you feel like joining a game, having a chat, sharing snacks, or simply sitting back and relaxing, it’s entirely up to you.
Who is this for?
Everyone is welcome - no prior experience, preparation, or skills needed. Just bring yourself and your energy (or lack of it - we are here to recharge!).
What you will gain:
Activities include:
Drop by for as little or as long as you like - come for the snacks, stay for the chats, or just take a breather.
After an exciting day of learning new things and meeting your fellow PhD students, why not come and win some prizes at our legendary SGSSS Summer School Quiz Night? There are goodies and glory to play for, and snacks provided.
Taking place in Maggie's, the student union bar at Queen Margaret University just a short walk from the Summer School sessions, this is a great way to round off your day two of Summer School.
More details will be provided to Summer School attendees closer to the time.
led by Dr Galina Oustinova-Stjepanovic, University of St Andrews
The session examines how archives are used and assembled to promote social justice. Starting with a theoretical discussion on non-representational and archival methods and their temporalities, the session challenges the privileged status of the archive in creating truth-claims. Instead, the session investigates ways to harness archival authority to pursue fugitive justice, or difficult to envisage, let alone achieve, redress. The workshop moves away from documentary practices of reading, writing, and analysing historical materials to emancipatory, praxis-oriented methodologies of human rights activists, conflict archives, as well as community and indigenous production of archives.
led by Dr Dely Elliot, University of Glasgow, Dr Dangeni, Anglia Ruskin University, and Zhihan Wu, University of Glasgow
This workshop aims to provide an introduction to commonly employed creative research methods based on our first-hand experience and publications. We will discuss the rationale, suitability, anticipated challenges and key methodological, ethical, practical and logistical considerations when employing creative techniques. Then, we will focus more extensively on the use of four specific creative research methods: a) images for interviews and autoethnography; b) Rivers of Experience (drawing method); c) audio diaries; and d) video diaries.
Our workshop is divided into four parts. Firstly, we will discuss the conditions when creative methods, e.g. metaphors, vignettes, music, artefacts or created research tools can most appropriately be used to enhance the quality of the generated data and the overall research. We will then focus on primary considerations for employing images or photos for interviews and/or autoethnographic research. Secondly, we will examine what Rivers of Experience entail and the types of research for which this specific drawing activity is most effective. Thirdly, we will discuss the use of audio diaries. This will involve examining their suitability, potential challenges and what this method can offer to research. Finally, we will explore both the complexity and the added value of video diaries.
For the second, third and fourth parts, participants will be given the opportunity to try these techniques. In this connection, we will also set aside time to exemplify potential approaches to analysing these creative research data. Finally, we will address questions from participants on any aspects of this workshop.
Note: There is no prior learning required.
References:
Dangeni, Elliot, D. L. & MacDiarmid, C. (2021). Audio diaries: a creative research method for higher education studies in the digital age. In: Cao, Xuemeng and Henderson, Emily F. (eds.) Exploring Diary Methods in Higher Education Research. Routledge. ISBN 9780367345211
Elliot, Dely , Gardani, M., Gordon, K. & Balgabekova, D. (2024). Amplifying Voices of International Doctoral Scholars on Intercultural Perspectives. Project Report. UKCISA.
Elliot, D. L. & Gillen, A. (2013) Images and stories: through the eyes of at-risk college learners. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 7, pp. 912-931. (doi: 10.1080/09518398.2012.693217)
Elliot, D. L., Lido, C., Evangelista, Z., Kassous, I. Z., Al Najim, A. & Alves, Ines (2024). Mind the gap! International doctoral scholars’ and supervisors’ perspectives of wellbeing and help-seeking behaviour. In: Hammond, Kay and Lemon, Narelle (eds.) Navigating Tensions and Transitions in Higher Education: Effective Skills for Maintaining Wellbeing and Self-care. Routledge. pp. 216-229. ISBN 9781032698588 (doi: 10.4324/9781032701349-21)
Elliot, D. L., Ohlsen, S., Guccione, K., Daley, R. A. & Blackmore, C. (2024). “PhD is a personal individual struggle … but you don’t have to struggle alone”: supervisors’ perspectives of international scholars’ wellbeing. In: Edwards, Marissa S., Martin, Angela J, Ashkanasy, Neal M and Cox, Lauren E. (eds.) Research Handbook of Academic Mental Health. Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, pp. 124-139. (doi: 10.4337/9781803925080.00014)
Elliot, D. L., Reid, K. & Baumfield, V. (2017). Capturing visual metaphors and tales: innovative or elusive? International Journal of Research and Method in Education, 40(5), pp. 480-496. (doi: 10.1080/1743727X.2016.1181164)
Iantaffi, A. (2012) Travelling along ‘rivers of experience’: Personal construct psychology and visual metaphors in research. In P. Reavey (Ed.), Visual methods in psychology: Using and interpreting images in qualitative research (pp. 271-283). Psychology Press.
led by Dr Taulant Guma, Edinburgh Napier University, and Yvonne Blake, Migrants Organising for Rights and Empowerment
This workshop is designed to develop understanding and skills in participatory research. It will begin with an overview of participatory approaches, engaging with main debates and critiques in the field. The session will then focus on some of the key methodological techniques and practical challenges associated with participatory research and what it actually means to carry out this specific and engaged form of academic inquiry. Using the example of a participatory research documentary, the second part of the workshop will discuss various ethical issues associated with participatory research and how these can be negotiated in the field. In the workshop you will also learn about how to build and maintain successful and trusting relationships with participants and collaborating partners during the research process. The final part of the workshop will focus on how participatory research can be used for the benefit of those we are researching with and how it can effect change and improve their lives.
The session will be interactive and address questions and concerns that are specific to your research project. It will be run in collaboration with practitioners/activists with extensive experience in academic research.
Key objectives of the workshop are to:
led by Dr Katy Keenan, University of St Andrews, Dr Alasdair Stewart, University of Glasgow, and Dalia Avello Vega, University of Edinburgh
This one-day in person workshop will introduce the basics of using NVivo for qualitative research projects. This is ideal for those who are new to NVivo, or would like a refresher. Students will be introduced to the NVivo software and learn how to do some fundamental tasks.
In the morning session we will cover:
- identifying how to best use NVivo for your project
- designing and setting up an NVivo project
- importing and organising transcripts
- creating cases within your dataset and linking metadata
- creating codes (using autocoding and manual coding techniques)
- using memos, and annotations.
In the afternoon we will show you some more advanced analysis features:
- the process of coding, tip and tricks
- different types of queries
- framework matrices
We will use some curated open access qualitative data (the Qualitative Election Study of Britain).
However, there is an opportunity to discuss how to use NVivo to manage your own project.
The session will be taught using the Windows version of Nvivo (version 14). You will need to bring your own device with NVivo already installed.
led by Professor Alita Nandi, University of Essex
This course is aimed at quantitative researchers and data analysts who are familiar with cross-sectional data analysis methods and would like to learn about longitudinal or panel data methods.
You will learn (1) data management for panel data methods (2) how to analyse research questions using key linear panel data estimators (Fixed Effects, Random Effects, Random Effects with Mundlak Corrections, Pooled OLS). You will learn how to implement these methods, how to compare and interpret these estimates, how to choose a suitable estimator. This will be taught using an example research question and data from from a nationally representative longitudinal/panel survey, Understanding Society.
A basic knowledge of Stata/R, cross-sectional linear analysis methods like OLS, and Understanding Society is required.
The course will comprise of lectures followed by hands-on-sessions where you will be asked to work through worked-out examples using the software of your choice (Stata or R). The instructor will be present to answer your questions.
You will need to bring your own laptop with Stata 13+ or R installed.
led by Professor Paul Flowers and Ruth Leiser, University of Strathclyde
The session provides a basic background on IPA but focuses primarily on developing two skill sets - interviewing for IPA and IPA analysis (particularly the development of personal experiential themes). No prior learning is required. There is transferability to some other qualitative approaches.
The workshop consists of minimal lecture style presentations, plenary discussions, small group interview practice, peer-feedback, facilitator feedback, individual analytic work, providing peer feedback on analysis, whole group analytic work. Each attendee will be an active participant - talking about their research and sharing their insights into their learning (about interviewing and analysis).
Participants have the chance to suggest using some of their own data -through sharing anonymised transcripts from their own work if permissions are in place- for more tailored learning and feedback (both peer and facilitator via plenary discussion)
led by Dr Andy Baxter, Professor Peter Craig and Professor Jim Lewsey, University of Glasgow
The workshop will introduce students to the use of natural experimental approaches to the evaluation of policies, programmes and other large scale interventions. Drawing on examples primarily from the health field (but applicable to many other areas of public policy), we will work through the main ideas and techniques outlined in the recently published MRC/NIHR framework. Through a mixture of presentations, small group work and practical sessions, students will learn how to identify opportunities to apply natural experimental approaches, what natural and planned experiments (e.g. trials) have in common, and how they differ, the main analytical techniques that can be used to identify impacts, and the value of an integrated, mixed methods approach.
No prior knowledge of evaluation methdods is assumed, but there will be some practical work for which a basic knowledge of regression modelling (e.g. using the R package) will be helpful.
led by Dr Kendra Briken, University of Strathclyde
This workshop is aimed at people who are considering and/or actively designing a project that compares case studies. It is cross-disciplinary across the social sciences and focussed on the logics and underpinnings, or, first principles of comparative case studies. The workshop engages two logics of comparison: the probably most common compare and contrast; and a ‘tracing’ across sites or scales. We will reflect on three axes: horizontal, vertical, and transversal comparison, and how power relations need to be included. In doing so, the workshop will allow to engage actively with the foundations of comparative case study research, and for participants to situate their own approach in context.
During the interactive workshop session, we will discuss challenges for case study research beyond practicalities. Collectively, we will challenge the method on three epistemological levels:
• What is captured by comparative case studies in different disciplines?
• What would interdisciplinary perspective add to our assumptions?
• Through the lens of feminist/intersectional perspectives, and considering attempts to decolonise research: How do our underlying assumptions reflect hegemonic power relations?
Disclaimer: Colleagues from disciplines that have highly discipline-specific approaches to comparative case studies (especially politics and international relations) will find much of interest to reflect on but may not find the theoretical depth needed for their discipline.
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