National Centre for Research Methods
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Collective Writing and Dialogic Storytelling
Full text linkThis webinar was organised by QUEST (Qualitative Expertise at Southampton) in collaboration with the National Centre for Research Methods, the South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership and Work Future Research Centre. It was held on 26 February 2025.
The speakers were: Dr Uracha Chatrakul Na Ayudhya, of Birkbeck, University of London, and Fabien Littel, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Southampton
In Conversation: Mark Elliot and Alex Singleton – AI and Social Science
Full text linkIn the fourth part of NCRM’s In Conversation series on the topic of AI, Mark Elliot and Alex Singleton discuss AI and social science.
Topics covered include the role AI has had as his career has developed, working collaboratively with computer scientists, the new geographic data service and the use of AI tools in planning consultations.
Mark Elliot is Professor of Data Science in the School of Social Sciences at The University of Manchester. He is a Deputy Director at NCRM.
Alex Singleton is a Professor of Geographic Information Science in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Liverpool
Participatory Research with Students in Higher Education
Full text linkThis module addresses the growing use of participatory methods with increasingly diverse higher education students, emphasizing partnership building, active participation, and strategies for overcoming common challenges in academic settings.
Akua Quoa explores participatory research with today’s diverse student population that combines online, campus-based, and workplace learning while balancing multiple responsibilities including work and family commitments. The presentation emphasizes the importance of building equal partnerships and fostering active participation, while providing practical solutions for common challenges including poor recruitment, disengaged participants, and incomplete tasks
Impact Assessment Report 2020-2025
Full text linkThe National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM) is a key provider in training and capacity building (TCB) in (advanced) research methods in the UK (current funding phase Jan 2020-Dec 2025). Over the last five years, NCRM has been assembling rich evidence of its impact, produced through the collection and analysis of quantitative, qualitative, digital and mixed data, using multiple, creative methods. This evidence gathering work is informed by NCRM’s Impact Strategy Framework - which sets out a theory of change and hypotheses for impact from training and capacity building (TCB) activities - and by its Impact Action Plan - which outlines NCRM’s plans to evidence its impact.
The Impact Assessment Report 2020-2025 provides a summary of this evidence. It demonstrates how NCRM has reached thousands of researchers from different sectors, disciplines and career stages; has promoted, and responded with agility to innovation; and has built a strong brand and reputation as a central provider of high-quality TCB in social science research methods in the UK, demonstrating strategic leadership. This has led to NCRM’s TCB activities generating short- and long-term impacts on individuals, organisations, the research community and the research methods ecosystem
Responsible AI in Research: Highlights from the NCRM Annual Lecture 2025
Full text linkThe NCRM Annual Lecture 2025 explored the topic of responsible AI in research. The free event took place on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 at The British Academy in London and was streamed online.
Four panellists offered expert insight on this crucial topic and answered questions from the audience.
The panellists were: Professor Dame Wendy Hall of the University of Southampton, Professor David De Roure of the University of Oxford, Dr Zeba Khanam of BT and Dr Mark Carrigan of The University of Manchester.
This video features some of the highlights of the event
Sparking ‘Aha’ Moments: A Resource for Teaching Research Methods
Full text linkThis resource is the product of discussions among members of the NCRM pedagogy network. It is in part a celebration of the work of NCRM and the network.
The editors, inspired by Baker and Edwards’ paper How Many Qualitative Interviews Is Enough?, set out to engage the network (and their networks) in addressing one key question: how do you spark those ‘aha’ lightbulb moments in research methods learning?
The intention was to curate and disseminate the responses so that other methods teachers might use or take inspiration from the various metaphors, activities and workshop ideas that the contributors so generously shared.
The outcome of this project is an engaging collection loosely ordered as: supporting learners’ understanding through metaphors; supporting learners to ‘get it’ using active, experiential or immersive learning; lightbulb moments through creative exploration; and learning relationally with peers and others.
The resource shows how, for some academics, methods teaching is a passion rather than a chore. It is also a useful resource for methods learners
Researching with Children and Young People
Full text linkThis module traces the evolution from research “on” children to research “with” and “by” children, examining key challenges around consent, power dynamics, and ensuring authentic participation of young people in research.
Niamh O’Brien explores how children’s position in research has shifted from objects of study to active participants and co-researchers, reflecting broader recognition of children’s rights and agency. The presentation addresses practical challenges including adult gatekeeping around consent, managing power differentials between researchers and child participants, and ensuring research methods accommodate diverse cultural contexts and childhood experiences
Exploring Youth Transitions and Outcomes through National Datasets
Full text linkThis video features presentations from three researchers on ways of exploring youth transitions and outcomes using secondary, quantitative data from national datasets.
Pierre Walthéry introduces curated survey microdata available through the UK Data Service (UKDS) for researchers studying young people, with a particular emphasis on youth transitions over time.
Peter Urwin explores the use of administrative data to research transitions into and out of NEEThood, focusing on participation in education between the ages of 16 and 18.
Emily Murray examines the environments of English youth and their association with mental health.
The presentations were recorded for a webinar hosted by the Data Resources Training Network, titled Exploring Youth Transitions and Outcomes through National Datasets, which took place on Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Exploring Ethnicity through National Datasets
Full text linkThis video features presentations from three researchers at UK data resources who discuss ways of exploring ethnicity through national datasets.
Stephen Jivraj and Momoko Nishikido examine how an ethnic group question was introduced to the Census form and how it has evolved. They present data showing the growth of diversity in England and Wales over the last 30 years and challenge notions of increased ethnic segregation.
Lucinda Platt discusses using longitudinal surveys to study ethnicity, focusing on using Understanding Society, MCS, the ONS LS and Next Steps to examine questions of identity, aspiration and social mobility.
Kitty Lymperopulou discusses using the Ministry of Justice Data First datasets to research ethnicity and the justice system.
These presentations were recorded for a webinar hosted by the Data Resources Training Network, titled Exploring Ethnicity through National Datasets Webinar, which took place on 19 September 2025
In Conversation: Mark Elliot and Patrick Sturgis – AI and Social Science
Full text linkIn the third part of NCRM’s In Conversation series on the topic of AI, Mark Elliot speaks with Patrick Sturgis about AI and social science.
Topics covered include goal driven coding (often called vibe coding), using LLMs to code large corpuses of text and using LLMs to serve as interviewers and as respondents for data generation.
Mark Elliot is Professor of Data Science in the School of Social Sciences at The University of Manchester. He is a Deputy Director at NCRM.
Patrick Sturgis is Professor of Quantitative Social Science in the Department of Methodology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is a former Director of NCRM