Methodological Innovation Projects

As a complement to the research programme being undertaken by the National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) through its Hub and Nodes, NCRM has commissioned 10 short-term methodological research and development projects to run between 1 April 2013 and 30 September 2014.

The focus of these projects are on topic areas that have been identified as representing important gaps in existing national coverage.

 

Projects

Estimating matching variable error rates and match probabilities for linkage of large administrative data sources, Professor R Gilbert, University College London

Methodological Innovation in Digital Arts and Social Sciences (MIDAS), Professor C Jewitt, Institute of Education, University of London

Integrating emerging smartphone and genetic initiatives to produce cost-effective, innovative methodology, Dr Aleksandr Kogan, University of Cambridge

Item nonresponse and measurement error in cross-national surveys: Methods of data collection and analysis, Dr J Kuha, London School of Economics and Political Science

Understanding nonresponse on Understanding Society, Professor P Lynn, University of Essex

Linking cohort study data to administrative records: the challenges of consent and coverage, Dr T Mostafa, Institute of Education, University of London

Communicating chronic pain: Interdisciplinary methods for non-textual data, Dr J Tarr, London School of Economics and Political Science

Face 2 Face: tracing the real and the mediated in children's cultural worlds, Professor R Thomson, University of Sussex

Towards a social media science: Tools and methodologies, Professor D Weir, University of Sussex

The potential of video telephony in qualitative longitudinal research: A participatory and interactionist approach to assessing remoteness and rapport, Dr S Weller, London South Bank University

Social media and prediction: Crime sensing, data integration and statistical modelling, Dr M Williams, Cardiff University

 

NCRM Networks for Methodological Innovation

The call for Networks for Methodological Innovation is now closed.

 

About NMI scheme

Networks for Methodological Innovation are commissioned and co-ordinated by the Hub with the aim of stimulating discussion on new methodological challenges and reviewing developments within specific methodological fields. They consist of a series of network-based events and related activities over a period of up to one year and will normally be of two kinds:

• Catalyzing activities: stimulating research and promoting debate on new methodological challenges among academic researchers, users and research funding bodies
• Synthesising activities: reviewing research in a specific methodological field, or identifying commonalities between research in different methodological fields.

 

In line with the Centre's broader remit, networks for methodological innovation contribute to the envisaged step change in the quality and range of methodological skills and techniques used by the UK social science community. They are orientated towards stimulating new ideas and improving understanding of methods and of the connections between methods and disciplines.

The Hub has conducted a review of the NMI projects in 2005-9.

For further information about NCRM Networks for Methodological Innovation projects please contact Dr Rose Wiles.

 

Projects

 

2012

• The how, why and when of web surveys for the general population, Gerry Nicolaas, NatCen Social Research
• New frontiers for qualitative longitudinal methods: definition, design and display, Professor Rachel Thomson, University of Sussex
• Digital methods as mainstream methodology,  Dr S. Roberts, University of Southampton
• Evaluations and improvements in small area estimation methodologies,  Dr A. Whitworth, University of Sheffield
• Blurring the boundaries – new social media, new social science?  Kandy Woodfield, NatCen Social Research

 

2011

• Real time research Professor L. Back, Goldsmiths College
• Innovative approaches to methodological challenges facing aging cohort studies: survey data collection, measurement and analysis Professor T. Chandola, University of Manchester
• Dancing with new partners: developing novel research methods to establish and monitor impacts of user engagement in times of austerity Professor I. Hardill, Northumbria University

 

2010

• Promoting methodological innovation and capacity building in research on ethnicity Professor A. Dale, University of Manchester
• Novel measurement methods for understanding economic behaviour Dr T. Crossley, Institute for Fiscal Studies

 

2009

• The use of paradata in UK social surveys Ms Gerry Nicolaas, NatCen
• Researching affect and affective communication Professor Valerie Walkerdine, Cardiff University

 

2008

• Discourse Analysis Network Dr A. Norval, University of Essex
• Archiving and reusing qualitative data: theory, methods and ethics across disciplines Dr N. Moore, University of Manchester

 

2007

• Building capacity for the use of participatory video in academic research Dr C. High, Open University
• Social Network analysis: advances, applications, theories and developments Professor N. Crossley, University of Manchester
• Quality of longitudinal survey data Professor P. Lynn, University of Essex

 

2006

• Metaphor analysis: theoretical and methodological challenges in using discourse data Professor L. Cameron, University of Leeds

 

2005

• Cross-cultural and comparative research methods: the challenges of global social science Professor J. Holmwood, University of Sussex
• Qualitative cross-national research networks Professor J. Brannen, University of London
• Developing mixed mode methods in comparative social surveys Professor R. Jowell, City University