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Pathways to Impact: The Politics of Knowledge Production and the Limits of Social Scientific Inquiry 9th October University of Edinburgh and Live Stream viewing available Professor Patrick Sturgis, Director of the ESRC National Centre for Research Methods, is delighted to welcome Professor Lesley McAra as the keynote speaker for this year's prestigious NCRM Annual Lecture at Edinburgh University. Her talk is entitled: Pathways to Impact: The Politics of Knowledge Production and the Limits of Social Scientific Inquiry The quality of social scientific research is increasingly being measured by its capacity for impact: a transformation being driven by RCUK and REF imperatives. This lecture explores the implications of the impact agenda for knowledge production, in particular: (i) the ways in which certain methodological strategies become valorised, with consequences for modes of theory building; (ii) the need to understand better the methods by which research gains traction in policy and practice, a process which may signal the limitations of social scientific inquiry; and (iii) the ethical challenges in promoting data driven innovation in the context of complex and contested political environments. Viewing: Professor Tarani Chandola would like to invite you to watch a broadcast of the lecture in room 2.07 in the Humanities Bridgeford Street Building. Alternately you can also access via the link below: https://www.rcpe.ac.uk/video/ncrm-annual-lecture-2017 More information: https://www.ncrm.ac.uk/training/show.php?article=7573 Spatial Interaction Modelling 19-20th October 2017 Cathie Marsh Institute, University of Manchester This hands on course is designed to equip participants with the skills to build, calibrate and apply spatial interaction models suitable for addressing a broad range of research questions. We don’t assume any prior knowledge of spatial interaction modelling and begin by building a SIM for modelling consumer flows between home and retail stores. This intuitively straightforward example is used to understand the model structure, key theoretical assumptions and the model building and calibration process. We work with this model to understand model disaggregation and we also use this example to highlight one of the major commercial applications of the SIM. For more information and to book https://www.ncrm.ac.uk/training/show.php?article=7260 Social sciences and the 'omics revolution 6th November 2017 Kanaris Suite, The Manchester Museum This full afternoon seminar includes talks on: Interdisciplinary research and omics data: what can social scientists contribute? Professor James Nazroo, University of Manchester How can epigenetics enhance social science research?: Professor Gillian Bentley, University of Durham Can social science ignore molecular genetics? Professor Melinda Mills, University of Oxford For more information and to book your free place https://www.ncrm.ac.uk/training/show.php?article=7406 Creative Approaches to Qualitative Researching – Fully Booked 13th -14th November 2017 The University of Manchester, Oxford Rd Campus This intermediate level course offers a hands-on introduction to creative approaches to doing qualitative research. The various stages of research will be covered, from data collection and analysis through to writing with qualitative data. We begin by introducing what we mean by doing qualitative research creatively, before moving on to consider some of the key practical and ethical issues in using creative methods. Participants will be given a hands-on introduction to a range of creative qualitative methods, including visual, mobile and material methods, amongst others. The course will also cover key principles in qualitative data analysis, and how these can be put into practice. Finally, we discuss practical and intellectual strategies for writing with qualitative data, and consider how it is possible to theorise, or write conceptually, with such data. The course includes several practical workshop exercises involving creating and analysing qualitative data, where participants will have the opportunity to work with their own data. Applications to attend this course are made via: https://www.ncrm.ac.uk/training/show.php?article=7280 Introduction to Programming for Social Scientists 22nd November 2017 The University of Manchester, Oxford Rd Campus Provide an understanding of what a computer program is and how it must be precisely defined before a computer can understand it. Appreciate that there are several ‘programming’ tasks which can and should be done before coding begins. Understand some of the basic programming constructs that can be used to describe programs in words and pictures as well as being used to write actual programming code. Appreciate the need to test and debug programs and provide an understanding of the processes involved. Introduce the Python programming language as a means to practice the concepts above and produce a simple working program For more information and to book: https://www.ncrm.ac.uk/training/show.php?article=7632 The Visual Field 22nd-23rd January 2018 The University of Manchester Visualisation is increasingly important within the social sciences and beyond. Disciplines across the board are becoming more visual in their methodology and more concerned with the visual as a topic and a medium. This event will involve a mix of presenters from the sciences, the social sciences and the arts and humanities. We will think about ‘the visual’ as a common language linking work in the natural, life and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities. Reflecting the status of the visual field as a focus of study, as a tool and as a focus for experimentation with publics as well as data. All workshop attendees will be invited to co-author/produce of outputs, which is why we are inviting applications to attend this event. For more information and to apply: https://www.ncrm.ac.uk/training/show.php?article=7704 Training bursaries The ESRC wishes to improve the standards of research methods and to stimulate the uptake of high quality training courses in research methods across the UK social science community. The bursaries, for up to £500 each, enable staff in the UK social science community engaged in research, teaching research methods or supervising research to update their research skills. Contract researchers working in HEIs are also eligible for the bursaries. For more information http://www.ncrm.ac.uk/TandE/bursary/ You may leave the list at any time by sending the command SIGNOFF allstat to [log in to unmask], leaving the subject line blank.