300692 Methods Class RTG 2951: Research Epistemology and Design (S) (SoSe 2026)

This Methods Class (Prof. Minh Nguyen and Prof. Alexandra Scheele, in cooperation with Prof. Sebastian Otten and Prof. Sigrid Quack from University Duisburg-Essen) provides a general introduction into the nature of social inquiry, the plurality of research approaches and designs and gives an opportunity for qualitative and quantitative researchers to learn from each other’s mode of inquiry and reasoning. It will also give some initial orientation in terms of how and what the candidates should prepare for their PhD process in general and for data collection in particular.
The 2-day block seminar is divided into four sessions; the first two sessions, led by Prof. Sebastian Otten and Prof. Sigrid Quack, will take place in Duisburg, and the remaining two sessions, led by Prof. Minh Nguyen and Prof. Alexandra Scheele, will take place in Bielefeld.
• Session 1: Social Inquiry and Methodological Pluralism (Motivation and logic for social inquiry, Methodological Pluralism, Research Designs)
• Session 2: Overview Quantitative Designs and Methods (Overview of different approaches, Types of data, Brief introduction to linear regression, Overview of empirical strategies)
• Session 3: Overview Qualitative Designs and Methods (General Idea of qualitative Research, Overview of different approaches, Methods, Cases)
• Session 4: Reflection and Discussion on the methodological design of the individual PhD projects (Developing research questions, Methodology and Methods, Planning Fieldwork, Data Collection and Storage).

The Methods Class is part of the mandatory programme of the interdisciplinary RTG 2951 “Cross-border Labour Markets: Transnational Market Makers, Infrastructures, Institutions” (https://www.uni-bielefeld.de/fakultaeten/soziologie/forschung/projekte/grk2951/), but is open to all members of the BGHS.