research skills

Research skills are not only useful when you complete your thesis, but throughout your entire professional career. Developing good research skills and effective habits will benefit you in completing a range of tasks. Writing a subject report, collecting information to inform company culture change, maintaining high security and ethics standards when collecting any types of data are just a few examples.

If you need support at any stage of your research project please visit the RESEARCH section.

managing references

Creating a comprehensive library of the sources is an essential part of any research projects. Just think how many times you read something interesting and then you could never find it again. Establishing an easy and fast way to record sources you come across will save you plenty of time and frustration.

At the end of this workshop you will learn about existing reference managers. You will also set up your first library in a free online tool.

literature reviews: types of reviews, conducting and writing up reviews

To understand the topic, to know what evidence says about what works and what does not, to see what has been done already – all of this problems are answered by literature reviews.

There are many different types of reviews: metaanalyses, scoping reviews, systematic reviews, umbrella reviews etc. It may not be easy to know which one is the most suitable for the question you want to answer or the issue you want to explore.

In this training you will learn about different types of reviews, their purpose and rules of conducting them. We may focus on a broader overview of different types of reviews or develop in depth skills in one of the types.

evidence quality assessment

With thousands of scientific papers being published every year it may be a challenge to find reliable good quality evidence.

In this workshop you will learn what critical appraisal of evidence is and what method may be best suited for the purpose of your research. We will discuss pros and cons of different approaches. You will also learn step by step the process of appraising the evidence.

development of conceptual models: bringing theory and evidence to research

Having a clear understanding of core concepts is essential for the success of a research project. Lack of clear definition and disconnection between stages of the project are often responsible for them failing or never being finished.

In this workshop I will provide an overview of different types of conceptual models and their purposes. You will learn how to link concepts, theories and evidence in a simple visual conceptual model, which will guide you throughout the research project. You will also receive guidance on how to work with your model as your project develop up to the point of writing final project report or paper for publication.

research design

You found a fascinating topic for your research. You read tens of papers and books and are ready to conduct research. To be successful you need to select a study design which will allow you to answer the question. But as you plan to do your research in the real world you may face limitations such as time and available resources, access to participants etc.

In this workshop you will learn about key research designs and how to choose the one that fits your requirements best. You will also learn why and how to plan data collection and analysis method at the study design stage.

preparing study documentation

Study documentation is an often overlooked part of the project. I strongly believe that well prepared research documentation saves your time and frustration and makes the research process more enjoyable.

In this workshop we will discuss documents such as: study protocol, participants information sheet, consent forms, data management plans and debriefing sheet. You will learn why it is important to have them all prepared before you apply for your study approval. You will receive document templates which you can adjust to your research requirements.

Please note that in some fields of research a specific set of documentation and way of maintaining them may be required. Please consult your research advisor on that matter.

introduction to research risk assessments in social sciences

Risk assessments are crucial to ensure yours and study participants’ safety.

It is also a mandatory part of receiving ethical approval for conducting your study. The skills to foresee challenges and create a plan to deal with them in case they occur will also be valuable in your professional career.

In this training we will discuss the principles of creating a good risk assessment and which issues are covered in a comprehensive risk assessment. We will explore common challenges you encounter while collecting data in social sciences research and learn practical solutions to address them. This will be followed by a practical exercise in drafting a risk assessment.

Please note, if you are from a field other than social sciences, there may be some challenges specific to your field that may not be covered in this workshop. In each case, please consult your research advisor and/or institution for specific guidance relevant for your research project.

qualitative data analysis

This training covers an overview of different approaches to the analysis of qualitative data. We will explore which approaches are most suitable for your research question and type of data. You will learn how to collect and prepare the data, so they are suitable for the analysis. I will direct you to qualitative analysis software, which may help you to deal with the data. Finally we will discuss the most common pitfalls in the qualitative analysis and how to avoid them.

online research

There nothing easier that to collect data online. You can sit at your computer wherever you want and can contact participants from all over the world. False. Online research may be a great method but to bring meaningful valid results it needs to be done properly.

In this training you will learn about the key principles of conducting online research, what are they good for and when it is best to choose a different method. We explore different ways to collect data online. We will look at common mistakes made in this type of research and discuss strategies how to avoid them.

storytelling for research

Once you finish your research time comes to tell others about the results. A simple 5-bullet point summary will be useful to some, but if you want to reach other researchers and people outside of academia, you need to tell them your research story.

In this workshop we will go step by step into the story of storytelling. We will explore different approaches to telling stories and how to match them to your audience. In a practical exercise you will have a chance to discover your own unique storytelling style.