10 years of Methods training at the ECPR

This year will mark the 10th anniversary of one of the ECPR’s key events, the Summer School in Methods and Techniques.

Over the last decade, the Summer School has been providing young academics the opportunity to develop and enhance their research skills across a range of qualitative and quantitative topics. To mark ten years of methods training at the ECPR, we will be holding a series of special events during the Summer School, as well as recapping the event, and the history of the Summer School, in publications afterwards including a special issue of ECPR News and a symposium in EPS.

We have also published a special supplement to the Summer School to mark the event. With introductions from the ECPR’s Executive Committee members responsible for the ‘New Generation’ portfolio and the Methods School Academic Convenors, this supplement introduces readers to the original rationale behind the Summer School and how it has developed into the Methods training programme of today. It also includes pieces from five of the very first Summer School participants, in 2006 talking about their experiences of the event and how it has gone on to support their careers. It should make an interesting read for participants past, present and future.

A number of special events have been organised for during this year’s Summer School to mark the 10th anniversary. These include:

Brown bag lecture entitled ‘(Why) Are methods skills crucial for career development?’

Welcome Keynote lecture by Dirk Berg-Schlosser and Bernhard Kittel: 'Looking back at 10 years of the Methods School'.

10th anniversary ‘Methods Slam’. Sure to be a highlight of this year’s Summer School, this event follows the same concept as a ‘science slam’. Using the theme 'shocking', competitors have eight-minutes to perform entertaining and fun style presentations on current topics. Each 'slammer' is judged by the audience through a decibel meter. The slam will be recorded 'live' and posted on the ECPR website. The top three slammers will receive prizes worth €500, €350 and €200 for either a voucher towards a Methods School up to 2017, or ECPR Press books.

Free 10th anniversary gifts: Commemorative pens and bookmarks have been produced for participants to take away with them, along with the eternally useful, ECPR conference/shopper bag.