Programme for the 7th ESRC Research Methods Festival 2016
Studying Elites in Africa: Methodological Concerns and Solutions
Convenors:
Dr Kenneth Amaeshi (University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
Dr Uwafiokun Idemudia (York University, Toronto, Canada)
Studying elites can be very daunting and challenging due to such factors as lack of access, their seniority in organisations, busy time schedule, and organisational politics. In addition, some elites can be reluctant to participate in academic research projects. In some instances, they might prefer other data collection methods outside the specific ones intended for a particular research design. These factors often lead to project setbacks and difficulties. Based on a recent project on Africapitalism, which looks at how elites view their roles in 5 African countries, this session will explore these methodological challenges and how they can be managed.
'Statistics Anxiety' A Fairy Tale For Our Times?
Convenors:
Professor John MacInnes (University of Edinburgh)
Dr Kevin Ralston (University of Edinburgh)
This session reviews: We review some of the experience of Q-Step centres and elsewhere on 'what works' when teaching quantitative methods to different types of social science student and at different stages of their university career. The we look at more formal research on 'statistics anxiety' and students' orientation to statistics. We typically assume that social science students are anxious, confused or intimidated by numbers. However this is far more 'common wisdom' than anything that any robust empirical research has demonstrated. Is 'stats anxiety' an (extremely convenient) myth? We present some new evidence.
Data Collection in Zones of Violence and Conflict
Convenor:
Professor Jenny Pearce (Peace Studies, University of Bradford)
This is the first panel session at the ESRC Methods Festival on this topic. This panel will be structured around a dialogue between the relative merits and limitations of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods in zones of violence and armed conflict and the potentiality for more mixed methods collaborations. The panel brings together researchers experienced with quantitative and qualitative methods to present their approach to their research methods in its context and to discuss the challenges which emerge and how and whether these might be overcome through collaborations.
How to Read and Write Critically (Workshop)
Convenors:
Professor Mike Wallace (Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University)
Professor Alison Wray (School of English, Communication and Philosophy, Cardiff University)
This workshop addresses the twin challenges of becoming a critical reader of academic literature in social science fields and a self-critical writer of literature reviews, including those forming part of a thesis. The presenters are co-authors of the textbook ‘Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates’ (Sage). The workshop draws on material from the 3rd edition (2016). Participants will be invited to bring a published academic journal article that they wish to engage with critically, reporting the authors' research findings. The workshop focuses on preparing to undertake an in-depth analysis of this article, using frameworks from the book.
Methodologies for Small Area Estimation
Convenor:
Dr Nikos Tzavidis (University of Southampton)
This session will bring together academic researchers and researchers from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) working on small area estimation. The session will present methodological work on small area estimation, funded by ESRC and NCRM, and will demonstrate the relevance of this work to the production of small area statistics in the UK. In particular, one presentation will cover statistical methodology for small area estimation. The second presentation will be on spatial microsimulation methods. Finally, the third presentation will be delivered by a member of the ONS Small Area team on their current small area estimation methodology programme.
Visual and Arts Based Approaches
Convenor:
Professor Carey Jewitt (UCL Institute of Education)
This session explores social science's use of visual and arts based approaches and collaboration with artists. Including 1) the use of visual diaries in the ESRC-funded project ‘Photographing Everyday Life: Ageing, Lived Experiences, Time and Space’; 2)social science and artists collaboration in the ESRC funded project Communicating Chronic Pain: Interdisciplinary Methods for Non-Textual Data: 3) how the transfer and mixing of arts and social science can generate methodological innovation and support conceptual re-imagination. The session will critically engage with the potentials and challenges of working across the visual arts and social sciences for research purposes
What is... Policy Evaluation, Biosocial Research, a Statistical eBook?
Convenor:
Dr Rebekah Luff (University of Southampton)
What Is... sessions are designed to provide an introduction to a range of research methods and related methodological issues. The methods will be presented in an accessible fashion and their uses will be described. In this session the presentations will be on 'Policy Evaluation', 'Biosocial Research' and 'a statistical eBook'. Each presentation will last about 30 minutes which consists of 20 for the presenter and 10 for questions/discussion from the audience, who are assumed to be interested but to have no prior knowledge of the method under discussion. Sessions will recorded and made available on the NCRM website.
Administrative Data Research, Part 1
Convenor:
Professor Peter Smith (University of Southampton)
Administrative data are collected by government departments and other organisations for the purposes of registration, transaction and record keeping, usually during the delivery of a service. As they contain a wealth of information, there has recently been much interest in making use of administrative data for research purposes, particularly by linking different datasets. This session will start with an introduction to what the Administrative Data Research Network has to offer in terms of support and infrastructure. Then using various examples, how the methodological challenges when using administrative data to undertake research were overcome will be described.
How to Expand Your Methodological Comfort Zone (Workshop)
Convenors:
Professor Alison Wray (School of English, Communication and Philosophy, Cardiff University)
Professor Mike Wallace (Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University)
This workshop will explore with research students and early career academics one aspect of the transition over time from ‘novice’ to ‘expert’ researcher. Our recent investigations into the nature of expert thinking in social science research indicate that one needs a broad methodological ‘literacy’, so that the right tool can be used for the investigative job in hand. Participants will be invited to extend their comfort zone by considering different ways of addressing a complex research problem, identifying the risks and benefits of combining approaches, and considering the practicalities of managing a larger box of methodological tools.
Combining Social Science and Molecular Genetic Research to Examine Inequality and the Life Course
Convenors:
Professor Melinda Mills (University of Oxford)
Dr Nicola Barban (University of Oxford)
Within the last decade there has been an explosion in data that includes both social science and molecular genetic information. The unprecedented growth in these new types of data allows social scientists to examine fundamentally new research questions. To what extent can genetic data be informative about an individual’s life course behavior? The session will provide three research presentations on projects at the intersection of genetics and social sciences and a discussion on which learning resources and statistical tools can be developed to deal with key problems faced by substantive life course researchers engaging in sociogenomic analyses.
European Social Survey: Achieving Rigour Through Face to Face Surveys
Convenor:
Mr Rory Fitzgerald (European Social Survey (ERIC) City University London)
The European Social Survey (ESS) is a biennial cross-national social survey established in 2002. Following a decade long research programme the ESS made the decision not to switch to mixed mode interviewing in the foreseeable future. This was due to concerns about the feasibility of a switch and concerns about the negative impact it would have on data quality and comparability across time and countries. This session starts with a short overview of the survey and a foregrounding of the mixed mode decision given by the session Chair, followed by three papers focused on face to face interviewing.
The Role of Self and Emotion Within Qualitative Data Analysis
Convenors:
Dr Victoria Knight (De Montfort University)
Dr Irene Zempi (Nottingham Trent University)
This session draws on two different qualitative research projects- 1) experiences of imprisonment 2) victims of hate crime. Within the framework of intersectionality of identities, we demonstrate how our insider/outsider status influenced the research process, and consider the important role that our emotions and subjective experiences occupied within the analytic stage. We consider the role of ‘critical reflexivity’ in helping researchers recognise the impact of their multiple identities and emotions on data interpretation. We emphasise that during data analysis it is important to look critically at the data rather than simply replicate participants’ stories- emotions are assistive.
Can We Trust the Polls? Reflections on the 2015 Election Poll Miss
Convenor:
Professor Patrick Sturgis (University of Southampton)
The pre-election polls significantly under-estimated the size of the Conservative lead over Labour at the 2015 General Election, with nearly all the final polls calling the ‘horse race’ as a dead heat. The failure to predict the Conservative majority has led many commentators to question the value and robustness of polling methodology, with some even calling for polls to be banned in the final weeks preceding an election. In this session members of the inquiry team set out to establish what went wrong with the polls and will discuss the causes and consequences of the 2015 polling miss. They will also assess the performance of the polls in the EU referendum.
Research for Social Justice: Moving Ethics Forward
Convenor:
Dr Helen Kara (Independent Researcher, and Visiting Fellow at NCRM)
Ethical regulation of research has traditionally focused on participant wellbeing, data management, and reducing institutional risk. Also, most ethical review processes are only available to a sub-set of researchers based in some organisations. This session argues that research governance needs a more comprehensive and equitable approach, and that researchers need better education to help us act ethically throughout. We begin with an overview of research for social justice, consider work in New Zealand to make ethical review available for community-based researchers, and look at the wider ethical issues raised by participatory visual research.
Big Data
Convenors:
Professor Susan Banducci (University of Exeter)
Dr Travis Coan (University of Exeter)
The advent of Web 2.0 has radically changed the media environment, the types of content the public is exposed to as well as the exposure process itself. There is a wider range of options (from social and traditional media), new patterns of exposure (socially mediated and selective), and alternate modes of content production (e.g. user-generated content). The session introduces, EXPONet is a 3-year ESRC/NCRM project that bridges recent advances in the literature on statistical networks with advances in automated text analysis of media content to study media exposure and Prof Lazer presents tools for analysis.
Making the Most of the Media (Interactive Workshop)
Convenors:
Ms Christine Garrington (Director, Maltstore Communications and Research Podcasts)
Ms Fran Abrams (Chief Executive Education Media Centre, Presenter File on Four BBC Radio 4 )
Looking to generate some media coverage, start blogging, podcasting or even broadcasting over the internet as part of your efforts to create and show the potential or actual impact of your research? This interactive workshop will provide great tips on how academics can generate quality media coverage of their research, give an excellent interview, write an effective blog and use a range of free and easy to use social and digital media platforms. Both presenters have press and BBC backgrounds and extensive experience working with academics to communicate their research to non academic audiences. Be prepared to join in!
Administrative Data Research, Part 2
Convenor:
Professor Peter Smith (University of Southampton)
Administrative data are collected by government departments and other organisations for the purposes of registration, transaction and record keeping, usually during the delivery of a service. As they contain a wealth of information, there has recently been much interest in making use of administrative data for research purposes, particularly by linking different datasets. Following on from Administrative Data Research Part 1, this session will continue with more examples of administrative data research, again with the focus on how the methodological challenges were overcome.
IJSRM SPONSORED IN CONVERSATION - 'Method and Measurement After 50 Years' (Chair: Malcolm Williams)
Convenor:
Professor Malcolm Williams (Cardiff University)
Cicourel's 'Method and Measurement in Sociology' was published nearly 52 years ago. It became one of the most influential social science methodology books of the late 20th and early 21st centuries and for many, one of the more controversial. Drawing on a symposium published in 'The International Journal of Social Research Methodology' (19:1, 2016), this keynote session is please to present Cicourel in conversation with a group of noted methodologists about the continuing challenges and relevance of his arguments.
Realist Methodologies
Convenor:
Dr Nick Emmel (University of Leeds)
Realist methodologies are increasingly finding a place in social science research. Designing, implementing, and reporting from realist approaches requires different ways of thinking about the object of enquiry, relationships with the subjects of investigation, and the kinds of claims from research than more established methodologies. In this session we will consider what realism is and its implications for research design. We will elaborate these principles, investigating examples of realist evaluations, synthesis reviews, and research used to address different problems. The session will be of particular interest to those looking to or applying realist approaches in their research.
Mixed Method Approaches: the Promises and the Pitfalls
Convenors:
Dr Jenni Burt (University of Cambridge)
Dr Morag Farquhar (University of Cambridge)
Mixed and multi method approaches are increasingly common in the social sciences. Whilst much has been written about the justification, design and benefit of mixed methods, there is correspondingly little published empirical research which rigorously employs such approaches. In this interactive session, we will outline what mixed and multi methods approaches are, when you might use them, and - most importantly - how to go about integrating quantitative and qualitative data (a) across a series of studies and (b) within a single study. In doing so, we will draw on our health services research experience in primary and palliative care.
Comparing Data Across and Within Longitudinal Studies: Challenges, Opportunities and Resources
Convenor:
Professor Alison Park (UCL Institute of Education)
This session focuses upon the value of comparing data from different longitudinal studies, or different waves of the same study, and the challenges involved. Presentations 1&2 describe CLOSER-funded projects that have compared data from a number of different UK cohort studies via retrospective harmonisation of key measures. Key learning from these projects will be described. Presentations 3&4 describe two new CLOSER resources aimed at helping researchers who are interested in cross-study or cross-wave comparisons. Presentation 4 will also be relevant to anyone with an interest in the content of different longitudinal studies.
Capturing research impact - the experience of the voluntary sector
Convenor:
Mr Nick Ockenden (NCVO)
Today’s challenging economic environment means voluntary sector organisations need to robustly and creatively demonstrate the difference their work makes more than ever. But resources to undertake research, evaluation and impact assessment work can often be harder and harder to secure. This workshop will hear from three charities about their approaches to measuring and understanding their impact, examining how they have undertaken the work and used the findings to inform their on-going work, and the challenges they have experienced along the way.
Post-Colonial and Indigenous Research Methods
Convenor:
Professor Rosalind Edwards (University of Southampton)
Post-colonial and indigenous research approaches aim to transform fundamentally the whole nature of research, in terms of who owns the research issues, who initiates them, in whose interests is the research carried out, who has control of research, how are power relations and decisions negotiated in creating knowledge, who is the research for, what counts as knowledge, who is transformed by it, and whose is the authorial voice? In this session, presenters will speak about their experiences of developing and applying research methods in post-colonial and indigenous contexts.
Writing Up Your PhD
Convenor:
Dr Ross English (King's College London)
This course is for research students who are in or are soon to enter the writing-up phase of their PhD. In addition to addressing key questions about the structure and content of a thesis, it will also explore writing strategies and how to cope with ‘writer’s block’.
Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA)
Convenor:
Professor Wendy Olsen (University of Manchester)
You may have heard of the fuzzy set approach where configurations X influence a distinct outcome Y. Mixed methods, primary data, small populations or even large datasets can be analysed using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). The session illustrates QCA with mixed 'crisp' and fuzzy sets. A 'crisp' set is a case's membership status of in/out of a set. Using Excel, we visualise patterns of these sets. We explain multiple sufficient pathways to an outcome (equifinality), then necessary causes and INUS causes. We test hypotheses using statistical reasoning (F Test) and discuss recent debates.
Policy Relevant Research Synthesis
Convenors:
Professor Paul Montgomery (University of Oxford)
Dr Jane Dennis (University of Bristol)
CONSORT-SPI is an evidence-based reporting guideline for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of social and psychological interventions. Reports of RCTs testing these interventions often omit important information, hindering critical appraisal and the effective transfer of this research evidence to policy and practice decision-making. The objective of this session is to present the rationale behind CONSORT-SPI, the methods used in its development, and the guideline checklist itself, including instructions for its use and examples from social intervention research. Following this presentation, a discussion of the guideline and its implications for the social intervention field will follow.
Dinner
Dinner is for those who have booked
Bath Tour
The Bath Tour is for those who have booked