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University of Exeter


Summary

The University of Exeter’s partnership with NCRM is maintained by the Exeter Q-Step Centre through a collaboration with the Research Methods Centre (Exeter Business School) and the Institute for Data Science and AI.

The Exeter Q-Step Centre aims to increase capacity for advanced data analysis in the social sciences. It offers a range of training opportunities, leads the Southwest Doctoral Training Partnership’s Advanced Quantitative Methods pathway and offer an MSc in Applied Social Data Science.

The centre hosted an NCRM methodological innovation project on information exposure and new forms of data (ExpoNet). It contributes to training in Bayesian methods and computational social science (for example, text as data).


Senior fellow


Research interests

  • Social stratification
  • Sociology of education
  • Secondary analysis of large-scale survey and administrative data
  • Statistical techniques, including generalised linear and mixed models, latent class analysis and multiple imputation of missing data

Selected publications

  • Burton, J., Connelly, R., Couper, M.P., Crossley, T.F., De Vries, C., Gayle, V., Hanson, T., Jäckle, A., Lynn, P., Martin, N., McGee, A., Playford, C., Pudney, S., Sobolewska, M., Taylor, L., Walzenbach, S. and Wenz, A. (2019) Understanding Society Innovation Panel Wave 11: Results from methodological experiments, Understanding Society Working Paper 2019-03, Colchester: University of Essex.
  • Playford, C.J., Dibben, C. & Williamson, L. (2017) The relationship between educational outcomes and family socioeconomic position in Scotland: the role of low birthweight and child development. SLS Research Working Paper 12. Longitudinal Studies Centre Scotland: Edinburgh/St Andrews.
  • Gayle, V., Playford, C.J., Connelly, R. and Murray, S. (2016) Between the NEET and the tidy - Exploring 'middle' outcomes in Scottish school qualifications. CPC Working Paper 76, ESRC Centre for Population Change, UK.
  • Gayle. V. and Playford, C.J. (2014) The concealed middle? An exploration of ordinary young people and school GCSE subject area attainment. CPC Working Paper 51, ESRC Centre for Population Change, UK.
  • Ralston, K. Connelly, R. Murray, S. Playford, C. (2010) Methods in Survey Design to Improve Response Rates: A Review of the Empirical Evidence, School of Applied Social Science Working Paper.