Data Methods and Analysis Seminar

We propose the creation of a university-wide interdisciplinary seminar focusing on social sciences research methods and data treatment. This initiative has three primary aims.

First, it seeks to bring together researchers from across the university who are interested in the usage and development of rigorous social scientific methods – both qualitative and quantitative. It seeks to engender a community of researchers by providing a platform for exchange, mutual support, and learning. Second, it seeks to
increase the visibility of Sciences Po nationally and internationally as a place of excellence in the study and application of diverse social scientific methods. Finally, the seminar seeks to provide a platform for learning and exchange with Sciences Po graduate students across our disciplines.

The organization of the seminar rests on three pillars. First is a series of internal informal seminars, organized as brown-bag meetings of interested researchers across the disciplines to discuss a specific paper, with the focus on the data and methodologies used. The aim of these exchanges is to collectively work through various analytical
problems and support each other in learning and publishing.

Second, is a serious of training workshops. We aim to survey the methodological and data interests and needs of our community by running a small online survey, and on the basis of the results we plan to organize workshops, inviting scholars who can provide specific training. Finally, on an annual basis we plan to organize a conference focusing on a set of methodological or data analytical approaches with the aim of expanding our exchange to researchers in the Paris area and beyond.

We would particularly like to encourage the participation and exchange with Sciences Po graduate students. To this end, we would like to collaborate with the Sciences Po graduate school. In particular, we would like to tailor the training workshops to the needs of the graduate students, in order to complement the existing methods training
provided in the regular program. Furthermore, graduate students should be encouraged to participate and present in the brown-bag meetings.

Finally, we are conscious of the diversity of methodological approaches in social sciences, and explicitly seek methodological pluralism. One of the core interests of the seminar is the develop interactions between different social scientific disciplines and analytical approaches, spanning the qualitative and the quantitative. We believe that our exchanges and activities can deepen interdisciplinary contact, engender research cooperation, and increase the visibility of Sciences Po as a university with outstanding mixed methods approaches.

Founders

• Emanuele Ferragina - Associate Professor of Sociology, the Observatoire sociologique du changement ( OSC)
• Jan Rovny - Assistant Professor, Centre d'études européennes et de politiquecomparée (CEE)

Steering committee

• Julia Cagé - Assistant Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics
• Jean-Philippe Cointet - Associate Professor, médialab
• Emanuele Ferragina - Associate Professor of Sociology, the Observatoire sociologique du changement ( OSC)
• Jan Rovny - Assistant Professor, Centre d'études européennes et de politique comparée (CEE)
• Mirna Safi - Associate Professor at Sciences Po and Head of Observatoire sociologique du changement ( OSC)
• Lou Safra - Assistant Professor, Centre de recherches politiques de Sciences Po (Cevipof)