Menu
Menu
Install this application on your home screen for quick and easy access when you’re on the go.
Just tap then “Add to Home Screen”
Member rate 2,713.79 zł
Non-Member rate 5,427.58 zł
Save 221.03 zł Loyalty discount applied automatically*
Save 5% on each additional course booked
* If you attended a qualifying previous Methods School in 2025 or 2026, you qualify for 221.03 zł off your course fee.
Jagiellonian University: 8 – 11 September
Online: 14 – 15 September, 13:00 – 16:30 CEST
This course includes FREE observer access to the General Conference 2026!
Registration fees are listed in local Polish złoty (PLN). Please refer to Fees and Offers for the Sterling pound (GBP) conversion.
This intermediate-level course introduces you to the core logic, designs, and techniques of qualitative and mixed-methods research in the empirical social sciences.
It covers key topics such as research design and inference in cross-case comparisons, within-case analysis (particularly process tracing), and mixed-methods designs. It also addresses major data collection techniques, including interviewing, focus groups, and participant observation, as well as less conventional approaches such as memory workshops and participatory map-drawing; and strategies for coding and analysing data using QDA software.
Throughout the course, the emphasis is on how these methods are applied in real-world research, drawing on published studies, my own work, and participants’ projects.
By the end of the course, you will be able to critically assess empirical studies and design coherent research projects, matching questions to appropriate methods and developing aligned data collection strategies. The course combines mini-lectures, group discussions, and hands-on exercises, making it particularly suitable for those seeking to strengthen and apply their methodological skills.
Juan Masullo is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Milan and Associate Researcher at Leiden University.
His research examines how individuals and communities make decisions in contexts of violence and how these experiences shape political attitudes toward peace, security, and democracy. Methodologically, he specialises in qualitative and mixed-methods research, with particular expertise in fieldwork, interviewing, case studies, and process tracing, often integrating observational and experimental evidence. He has conducted extensive field research in Latin America and Europe and regularly teaches PhD-level methods courses across Europe. His work has received major recognition, including the APSA Alexander George Best Article Award and the NEPS Medal for Best Publication in Peace Science.
This course provides a structured introduction to qualitative and mixed-methods research in the empirical social sciences, with a strong focus on linking methodological tools to real research applications. It integrates research design, data collection, and analysis into a coherent framework.
Day one – Within-case and cross-case research designs. Covering cross-case comparisons, including the logic of controlled comparison and case selection strategies. You'll also learn within-case analysis, with particular emphasis on process tracing, its logic of inference, and the study of causal mechanisms.
Day two – Mixed methods research design. Introducing you to mixed-methods designs and strategies for combining qualitative and quantitative evidence.
Day three – Data collection techniques part one. Conducting participant observations and interviewing.
Day four (online) – Data collection techniques part two. Covering focus groups as well as less conventional data collection techniques, such as memory workshops and participatory map-drawing.
Day five (online) – Data analysis: coding techniques and the use of QDA software. Introducing coding strategies and the use of QDA software for the analysis of primarily textual data.
Sessions combine mini-lectures, guided discussions, and hands-on exercises. You will develop key elements of a research design – including research questions, methodological strategies, and data collection plans – and will be better equipped to critically assess and conduct qualitative and mixed-methods research.
The course is structured into five live sessions, each lasting three hours. The first three sessions will take place from Tuesday 8 – Thursday 10 September at Jagiellonian University. The remaining two sessions will take place on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 September, online. You must attend all sessions to complete the course.
The instructor will also conduct Q&A sessions and offer designated office hours for one-to-one consultations.
Prior knowledge and a basic understanding of research design is required. For the mixed methods component, a basic understanding of the fundamentals of regression analysis is useful but not mandatory.
There are no specific technical requirements but you will explore the use of QDA software during the course.
This course is designed at an intermediate level.
The course requires a total engagement of approximately 30 hours. You should expect to devote around two to three hours of preparatory work for each teaching session. You are required to attend all classroom sessions. Each session is three hours long, plus a short break. There will be three in-person classroom sessions, followed by two online classroom sessions.
This course description may be subject to subsequent adaptations (e.g. taking into account new developments in the field, participant demands, group size, etc.). Registered participants will be informed at the time of change.
By registering for this course, you confirm that you possess the knowledge required to follow it. The instructor will not teach these prerequisite items. If in doubt, please contact us before registering.