Research Methods

Blog posts and resources relating to research methods in the social sciences. To start a new discussion on methods, visit the forum via the above link.

Research Methods Forum

Making the Case for the Social Sciences booklet on Longitudinal Research

By Academy of Social Sciences | Published: May 22, 2013

In June we will launch the latest Making the Case for the Social Sciences booklet, which highlights important recent longitudinal research into education, health and other social issues.

Also posted in Announcements, News | Tagged Academy of Social Sceince, Diana Kuh, Institute of Education, Logitudinal Research, NRC Unit of Lifelong Health and Ageing, social science, Tony Trueman | Leave a comment

The Nonresponse Challenge to Surveys and Statistics

By American Academy of Political and Social Science | Published: May 7, 2013

Survey researchers are increasingly unable to get people to respond to surveys. This is a real worry because nonresponse can lead to biased research and because nonresponse poses a significant threat to the federal statistical system in its entirety.

Also posted in Academic Funding, Interdisciplinarity, International Debate, Public Engagement, Public Policy, Research Ethics | Tagged American Community Survey, American National Election Study, data, Douglas S.Massey, National Health Interview Survey, National Survey of Family Growth, Panel Study of Income Dynamics, policy, Quantitative Methods, Roget Tourangeau, social science, statistics, Survey Methods, survey research, Survey Response, Surveys, U.S. Census | 1 Comment

Gathering Data for Policy Makers, Business and the Public

By American Academy of Political and Social Science | Published: May 5, 2013

Federal surveys have been getting more expensive to administer, in part because the number of people who actually respond to surveys has been progressively declining.

Also posted in Academic Funding, Featured, Impact, Interdisciplinarity, News, Public Engagement, Public Policy | Tagged data, Digital Data, Federal Funding, Funding, quantitative research, social science, statistics, Surveys | 4 Comments

Stand Out and Be Counted: Quantitative Skills and Social Scientists

By British Academy | Published: May 2, 2013

The British Academy recently published a guide for students encouraging those studying the humanities and social sciences to become statistically savvy.

Also posted in Early Career, Higher Education Reform, Impact, Interdisciplinarity, News, Public Policy | Tagged business, ESRC, HEFCE, journalism, Politics, public sector, Quantitative skills, social science, statistics, The British Academy | 1 Comment

Using Quantitative Skills in Journalism

By British Academy | Published: May 1, 2013

Quantitative Skills can give you an edge and enable you to source stories from within data sets and critically engage with ‘evidence’ from politicians! Find out more from the Guardian DataBlog Editor and a BBC Business Reporter.

Also posted in Early Career, Impact | Tagged Anthony Reuben, BBC, Datablog, journalism, PhD skills, quantitative research, Simon Rogers, statistics | 1 Comment

Using Quantitative Skills in Business

By British Academy | Published: May 1, 2013

Quantitative Skills (QS) can make you highly employable across many industries. Find out from these two entrepreneurs how their QS helped them succeed in the private sector.

Also posted in Early Career | Tagged British Academy, business, early career, James Daunt, Joe Twyman, PhD skills, statistics | 1 Comment

New Social Media, New Social Science? Blurring the Boundaries: One Year On

By SAGE | Published: April 3, 2013

Last year, SAGE, the National Centre for Social Research and the Oxford Internet Institute set up a network for social media researchers with funding from the National Centre for Research Methods. The aim of the network was to bring together researchers from across disciplines and sectors who have an interest in using social media within [...]

Also posted in Impact | Tagged event, NatCen, Research Methods, social media | Leave a comment

Making Sense of Crime Trends

By Richard Garside | Published: March 15, 2013

Much of the current confusion about crime trends is born of the tendency to bunch together a whole range of different harms and actions under the abstract category of 'crime'. This blinds us to where the significant problems are.

Also posted in Featured, Impact, International Debate, News, Public Engagement, Public Policy | Tagged British Crime Survey, crime, Crime Rates, Crime Survey for England, Crime Survey for England and Wales, Criminology, demography, Graphs, Homicide, Richard Garside, Robbery, social science, The Guardian, The Independent, The Times, Trends | 2 Comments

We Aren’t the World

By Pacific-Standard Magazine | Published: March 13, 2013

Joe Henrich and his colleagues are shaking the foundations of psychology and economics—and hoping to change the way social scientists think about human behavior and culture.

Also posted in Impact, International Debate, News, Science & Social Science | Tagged cognition, cognitive science, Culture, Psychology, religion, social science, sociology, study of religion | Leave a comment

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