MethodsCon: Futures

MethodsCon: Futures was a free, in-person event that took place over two days in Manchester, UK on 12-13 September 2024. It provided an opportunity for attendees to engage with, explore and develop futures, with a particular focus on themes that are likely to have significant impact on humanity’s development over the next decades.

The event was part conference, part learning opportunity and part innovation forum, with more than 30 sessions spread over two days. It was designed to connect and energise people with a focus on futures and followed on from the success of the first MethodsCon in 2022.

Online tutorials

Following the event, some presenters produced online tutorials on their topics. These are available on the NCRM website and accessible via the links below.

• Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies
• Multilevel Models to Study Intersectionality

Methods Futures Briefings

NCRM launched a series of Methods Futures Briefings to coincide with the event. These explore various factors, including technological and research related developments, that may impact social research.

The papers were published as part of NCRM's Methods Futures project, which aims to support researchers in anticipating change and to build capacity in a strategically driven methodological responses.

Read the Methods Futures Briefings

Programme and slides

Attendees had the opportunity to take part in workshops and interactive seminars, hear from a variety of experts and collaborate with researchers and professionals from different sectors and disciplines. Topics included:

• Futures methodologies
• Inclusive and equitable futures
• Health technologies
• Socio-environmental change
• AI, society and social science concerns

MethodsCon: Futures featured a keynote presentation from Keith Myers from AV Immerse. The title of his talk was Envisioning Tomorrow: The Role of Extended Reality in Shaping Future Research Methodologies.

See the MethodsCon: Futures programme

Slides

Slides from the event are available below. Click on the links to access documents from inidividual sessions.

• Participatory Action-Research and Participatory Prospective Analysis: Intersections for Just Urban Futures
• CCUS Conversation Game
• Reframing the Use of Future in the Educational Contexts with Challenge Based Learning Approach
  • References
• Researching Fictional Futures in Climate Politics
• Envisioning the Future of Social Science Research
• Maximise your Research Potential: a Beginner's Guide to FAIR Metadata
• No Time for the Future? How to Use Conversation Game Methods for More Inclusive and Empowering Research Practices in Time-pressured Worlds
• Experience Sampling for Social Research: Setting Up and Validating an Open Source App
• Introduction to Sociogenomic Methods
• The Future of Social Science Research

Venue

The Edwardian Manchester
Free Trade Hall
Peter Street
Manchester
M2 5GP

View accessibility information about the venue

Further information

For any queries, contact Sandra Gogacz: sandra.gogacz@manchester.ac.uk

Download a PDF of the call for contributions