Abstract:
Any researcher engaging in a project encounters methodological arbitrations and challenges at successive stages. The purpose of this interactive short course (4 short daily sessions, 45’ each, from Tuesday to Friday) is to enable participants to take a step back and reflect on four series of arbitrations, arranged in a logical sequence:
1. What are my goals as a researcher, what is my positionality, how do I formulate my research questions, and what are the implications in terms of data to be collected?
2. How should I approach data collection? In particular, to what extent should I prioritize secondary or primary data, which type(s) of data should I aim to collect, and what are the core considerations in collecting them?
3. For data analysis, what are the most appropriate software solutions to assist me in managing, analysing, and gaining insights from my data?
4. How should I report/write up the methods section of my research (including reporting of key elements of the ‘data cycle’) when preparing a manuscript for publication?
Each session begins with a maximum 30-minute long presentation by the two instructors, drawing on established good practices and on their hands-on experience (‘tricks of the trade’). The remainder of the session is interactive, involving Q&A’s, discussing concrete challenges via illustrations, and open discussion.
Day 1: Your goals as a researcher, positionality & research question(s) – and data implications
[lead: Benoît]
Day 2: Data collection: major arbitrations… and how to navigate
[lead: Anka]
Day 3: Navigating software options for data analysis
[lead: Anka]
Day 4: Academic writing and reporting – for the methods sections, including data reporting
[lead: Benoît]
- Instructors: Anka Kekez, Benoit Rihoux