Micro-Methods Workshops

Please note the Micro-Methods Learn page for the new academic year 24-25 is now live - If you're interested, please still follow the steps below to be enrolled.

The Micro-Methods Workshops offer introductory training in a broad range of social science research methods and software packages. They are delivered online as self-study modules and can be accessed at any point during the academic year.

The workshops are open to students and staff within the School of Social and Political Science. Individuals from elsewhere in the University are welcome to register but should be prepared for the tuition to draw on social science theory and examples.

Postgraduate students seeking more advanced research methods training should consider taking the Advanced Methods Workshops course.

What should I expect from a Micro-Methods Workshop?

Each workshop:

is developed by experts in social science methods from the Research Training Centre team or affiliated colleagues;
typically includes between three and five hours of content on a social science method (e.g. recorded videos, self-led practical activities, and recommended readings);
provides the opportunity to ask questions via discussion boards.

Can I gain credit for completing a Micro-Methods Workshop?

The workshops are not credit-bearing. However, students who complete four workshops and submit a reflective assignment can gain the Edinburgh Social Science Methods Certificate. The certificate is open to honours undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students within the School of Social and Political Science.

If you are interested, please complete this form to be enrolled. If you have problems please email sps.rtc@ed.ac.uk - You will then be able to access it on your Learn.

How can I access the Micro-Methods Workshops?

The workshops are hosted on the Micro-Methods Workshops 2023-24 Learn site. To access the workshops listed in the table below, complete the following steps:

Email sps.rtc@ed.ac.uk to ask to be enrolled or fill out this form to express interest. We aim to enroll you within a week of contact/complete of form.
Login to Learn
Select ‘Course Catalogue’ in the top right corner
Enter ‘micro-methods’ in the search catalogue section and select ‘Go’. Course ID is zu_sps_micro_methods_workshops_2024-25.
Alternatively, click on 'Courses' on the left side tab - you should find Micro-Methods there if you were enrolled.
If you were enrolled, you will be able to see the various workshops when you click on the course.
If this is not the case, and you are experiencing problems, please email sps.rtc@ed.ac.uk

List of workshops

You can find a preview of workshop available for this academic year:

Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis
Introduction to Stata for Social Scientists
Data Mindfulness: Making the most of your dissertation data
Introduction to R
Introduction to Systematic Literature Search and Network Analysis for Literature Review
Introduction to Ethnographic Filmmaking
Introduction to Social Data Research Skills
Introduction to Computational Text Analysis
Constructivist Grounded Theory
Ethnographic Fieldnotes

We are working on making the full list available over the upcoming academic year, along with adding new workshops.

Full List:

Title	Instructor	Description
Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis	Dr Roxanne Connelly	This workshop provides revision of key concepts in quantitative data analysis.
Introduction to Stata for Social Scientists	Dr Roxanne Connelly	This workshop provides an introduction to the statistical data analysis package, Stata.
Introduction to SPSS for Social Scientists	Dr Kevin Ralston	This workshop provides an introduction to the statistical data analysis package, SPSS.
Introduction to R	Dr Ugur Ozdemir	This workshop provides an introduction to the statistical data analysis package, R.
Introduction to Systematic Literature Search and Network Analysis for Literature Review	Dr Rhodri Leng	This series introduces students to systematic literature search on Web of Science, analysing citation data, and citation network analysis for literature exploration.
Introduction to Ethnographic Filmmaking	Dr Helen Packwood and Dr Laura Harris	This workshop provides a basic introduction to using ethnographic filmmaking as a research method.
Introduction to Social Data Research Skills	Dr Ben Collier	This workshop covers the basic skills for social data research, including collecting and working with a data sample, exploring social networks and analysing text data.
Introduction to Demography	Dr Alan Marshall	This workshop provides an introduction to demographic methods.
Introduction to Computational Text Analysis	Dr Christopher Barrie	This workshop introduces techniques and tools for computational text analysis.
Data Mindfulness: Making the most of your dissertation data	Bob Sanders and Jennifer Daub	This workshop outlines why research data management is important for your research project, and suggests tips and resources to help you carry out your research effectively.
Web-based Surveys	Dr Alan Marshall	This workshop provides the tools to design and implement a web-based survey using the Qualtrics software. The challenges, strengths and limitations of the approach are also considered.
Narrative Analysis	Dr Amy Chandler	This workshop introduces students to two approaches to narrative analysis.
Accessing and Analysing Existing Data	Dr Kevin Ralston	This workshop provides an introduction to key existing data resources and the UK Data Service.
Natural Experiments in the Social Sciences	Dr Alan Marshall	This workshop provides an introduction to the use of natural experiments in the social sciences as a tool to provide stronger evidence for causal connections between variables.
Constructivist Grounded Theory	Dr Charles Anderson and Dr Paul McMillan	This workshop provides a survey of constructivist grounded theory and hands-on experience of how to analyse qualitative data.
Digital Focus Groups and Interviews	Poppy Gerrard-Abbott	This workshop provides researchers of all levels with comprehensive and accessible training on how to design and run focus groups and/or interviews online.
Critical Discourse Analysis	Jessica Hewkin	This workshop is an introduction to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) intended to help researchers determine if it's an appropriate tool for their work.
Ethnographic Fieldnotes	Dr Kaveri Qureshi	This hands-on workshop seeks to unpack the writing and analysis of ethnographic fieldnotes.