MethodsLab is a methodological support and innovation resource within the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work. It brings together existing strengths in research methods training, methodological innovation and creativity, and in the application of advanced quantitative and qualitative approaches. The MethodsLab serves as a hub for enhancing methodological quality and rigour, advancing research practices, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and fostering innovations in social research.

For more information on MethodsLab, please contact either Prof Andrew Percy (a.percy@qub.ac.uk) or Prof Sarah Miller (s.j.miller@qub.ac.uk).

The MethodsLab serves as a hub to support and facilitate high quality research and  methods training within the social sciences. Its core objectives are as follows:

Enhancing methodological quality and rigor: By providing training, resources, and consultations, the MethodsLab can assist researchers, students, and academics in the design and implementation of advances research methodologies, ensuring the validity, reliability and impact of research findings and publications.

Advancing methodological practices and research: The MethodsLab serves as a hub for collating and disseminating emerging research methodologies, tools, and techniques.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Increasing emphasis is placed on the application of interdisciplinary methods for comprehensive examination of social phenomena. The MethodsLab can foster and support collaboration among researchers from different disciplines encouraging working partnerships to address complex social problems. We aim to promote cross-pollination of ideas, methods and analysis leading to more comprehensive and innovative research designs and outcomes.

Capacity Building and Training: A central goal of the MethodsLab is to enhance the research capacity of academics, students, and practitioners, through offering training programs and individual support tailored to different skill levels, ranging from introductory courses for beginners to advanced workshops for experienced methodologists.

Promoting Open Science: The MethodsLab supports staff engagement with the Open Science Agenda across existing and future research projects. In collaboration with QUB Open Science initiatives, the MethodsLab is a source of advice and guidance on the core pillars of Open Science relevant to social science research.

Enhancing student experience: The MethodsLab provides a research home for the growing number methods students within SSESW, as well as providing specialist help and support to PGR students employing advanced research methods in their research.

The MethodsLab undertakes a number of core activities:

Methods seminars: A programme of regular methods focused presentations from staff, PGR students, colleagues from other Schools/Faculties, and external guests highlighting methodological advances.

Methods workshops and short courses:  Short training events on methodological and analytical approaches.

Software Tutorials: Introductory and refresher tutorials on key analytical software tools (SPSS, STATA, Mplus, R, NVivo) for staff and PGR students. 

Methods surgery and consultancy: Bookable surgery sessions for staff, PGR and PGT students with methods queries.

Large grant support: Bespoke methods and data analysis consultancy for large grant applications (sample size calculations, data analysis plans, specialist qual/quant data collection and analysis tools). This service can also be used to support the development of studies within studies/trials (SWAT) to maximise research outputs on large projects.

Open Science support: Advice and guidance on the integration of Open Science Agenda in current and future research projects (protocols, study registration, open data, transparent methods, preprints).

PGR methods group: An opportunity for differentiating students to present their planned research design to other PGR students, in an informal and safe setting. Student will receive advice, guidance, and feedback to aid their final preparations for differentiation.

Social events for PGR, MRes and SQM students: Student led activities to establish an academic community for methods students across the school.

MethodsLab

School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work

Queen's University Belfast,
20 College Green
Belfast
Northern Ireland
BT7 1HL
E-mail: ssesw@qub.ac.uk
Tel:+44 (0)28 9097 5941/3323/5117