Department of Research Methods and Practice
Learn about our department which brings together a thriving community of research methods specialists, current PhD, DBA and postdoctoral researchers, and the Social Sciences Doctoral Centre team.
Our Research
We are a community of academics whose research spans qualitative and quantitative methods, and includes diverse methodological traditions. Our aim is to address big and pressing questions by applying innovative research methods and practices, understanding and improving how research is designed, conducted, shared and put to use. We work closely with policymakers, industry, public services, and communities, placing knowledge exchange and impact at the centre of our projects. Our work can be organised along three overarching themes:
Our students
Browse our student profiles for details of the many and varied projects that our doctoral community is engaged in. If you’re feeling inspired and want to join us, please look at our research pages and our academic staff profiles to see if we have active researchers within your area of interest. Please contact prospective supervisors directly for an informal discussion, and you can direct any general queries to the doctoral support team: soss.pgr@hw.ac.uk.
Why undertake a PG certificate?
The PGCert equips you with advanced critical understanding of core social science research methodologies so you can design and run your research project effectively. DBA students typically undertake this as a pre-doctoral programme before starting their research project; PhD students typically study for it during the first year (full-time) or two years (part-time) of their PhD. In addition, students have access to a wide range of opportunities for training and other events run within EBS, the wider School of Business, Design & Social Sciences , and the University’s Research Futures Academy, as well as training through our partner organisations, the Scottish Graduate School for Social Science, and the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities.
Postgraduate certificate
As a key part of our doctoral programmes, all our students study a 60-credit postgraduate certificate in research methods to equip them with the knowledge and skills to undertake their research successfully.