Methods Schools
Explore our popular programme of research-methods courses
What we offer
Our Methods Schools include a variety of in-person and online courses focusing on software training, qualitative and quantitative analysis, data collection techniques and much more! The course content is based on approaches from across the various schools within The University of Manchester.
2026 Summer School
Our annual Summer School provides research methods training with a range of courses on offer. The Summer School starts on Monday, 6 July, and finishes on Friday, 10 July.
Course schedule
Each course follows the following daily timetable:
- 9am - 12.30pm (morning session incorporating break with teas/coffees & pastries)
- 12.30pm - 1.30pm (lunch break – buffet lunch provided)
- 1.30pm - 5pm (afternoon session incorporating break with teas/coffees & cake)
Summer School social programme
There will be two free social options sponsored by methods@manchester
Monday 6 July 5-7pm, Summer School Social: Interact socially with your summer school colleagues over drinks and light finger foods (food and water provided, attendees to buy own drinks)
Tuesday 7 July 5.30-7pm, Summer School Walking Tour: Join us on a guided walking tour of Manchester, featuring historical stories about this vibrant city. This tour will be informative for city visitors and residents alike, offering a fantastic opportunity to mingle with fellow attendees in relaxed surroundings. The tour will finish at Society Manchester, a street food hub. Here there are a variety of food and drink options, or alternatively attendees are welcome to make their own plans for the rest of the evening.
Courses
Date: Monday, 6 July - Wednesday, 8 July
Course Leads: Dr Ali Hassanzadeh
This in-person course provides the opportunity for exploring various analytics methods ranging from descriptive and predictive to prescriptive analytics.
For full details about this course and to book your place, please visit the course webpage.
Date: Monday, 6 July - Friday, 10 July
Course leads: Dr Haleema Sadia and Dr Pauline Prevett
This in-person course provides a comprehensive introduction to using NVivo to manage the data and analyse a qualitative or mixed methods research project.
For full details about this course and to book your place, please visit the course webpage.
Date: Monday, 6 July - Wednesday, 8 July
Course Leads: Dr Laura Towers
This course offers a hands-on introduction to creative approaches to doing qualitative research. It is designed for researchers and PhD students who already have a background in qualitative research techniques and would like to expand their knowledge to include more creative techniques. The course will engage with various stages of research including data collection and analysis through to sharing qualitative data.
For full details about this course and to book your place, please visit the course webpage.
Date: Monday, 6 July – Friday, 10 July
Course leads: Luka Scholz and Łukasz Szulc
This course offers an introduction to digital methods and practical experience of how to use a range of digital tools, techniques, and software to study culture and society. You will explore how digital methods and methodologies have shifted and changed over time, including their affordances and limitations.
For full details about this course and to book your place, please visit the course webpage.
Date: Monday, 6 July – Friday, 10 July
Course lead: Dr Gail Hebson
This in-person course introduces a critical but friendly approach to qualitative interviewing which recognises the messy realities of carrying out interview research and analysing interview data. It aims to give students the arguments and tools they need to feel confident in their chosen approach.
For full details about this course and to book your place, please visit the course webpage.
Date: Monday, 6 July - Friday, 10 July
Course lead: Thiago Oliveira
This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the analysis of longitudinal data. Different disciplines within the social sciences have developed distinct analytical frameworks to analyse panel data, and this course will provide an overview of some of these strategies.
For full details about this course and to book your place, please visit the course webpage.
Date: Monday, 6 July - Friday, 10 July
Course Leads: Wendy Olsen and Diego Perez Ruiz
Overall we aim to bring intermediate users of regression modelling towards having skill and confidence in getting predictions which give nice visual summaries of the findings, including uncertainty about various special and/or spatial parameters. Bayesian models are often used to obtain results in complex situations, such as population counts or time-use (minutes per day), so we explore basic and intermediate Bayesian methods using R and R Stan.
Full details about this course and to book your place coming soon.
Date: Monday, 6 July - Tuesday, 7 July
Course Leads: Elisa Bellotti
We start the course with overview the ontological and epistemological foundations of SNA and how they call for a mixed method approach. We will learn and practice how to collect SNA data via qualitative interviews and reflect upon the use of secondary qualitative sources. We will then outline the underlying logic of social network and discuss how to build social network typologies, model their outcomes, and test and reformulate social network theory.
For full details about this course and to book your place, please visit the course webpage.
Fees
Course fees are listed on individual course webpages. Reduced fees are available for doctoral students and those working within the voluntary, charity and community sector. We also have two bursary options available for those entitled to reduced fees:
NWSSDTP/NWCDTP Bursaries: This option is available for doctoral students studying at institutions within our regional Doctoral Training Partnerships (NWSSDTP or NWCDTP). These are intended for applicants without access to funding to support their research training from the following institutions: University of Manchester, Lancaster University, University of Liverpool, Keele University, University of Lancashire, Manchester Metropolitan University, Royal Northern College of Music or University of Salford. Application deadlines: 15 March 2026, 3 May 2026.
Exceptional Circumstances Bursaries: This option is available for doctoral students studying outside of the regional DTPs and others (e.g. in voluntary and community sector) eligible for reduced fees and who have no access to funding or financial support. Application deadline: 3 May 2026.
See bursary webpages for full details, but please note that if you are a doctoral student, your application requires a statement from your supervisor – it is your responsibility to secure this ahead of the application deadline. If you have any questions about your eligibility to apply for a bursary, please contact methods@manchester.ac.uk.
Overseas Attendance
If you are attending one of our courses from overseas, we require you to follow a few steps so we can facilitate your arrival in the UK.
We will require you to complete a Right to Study check, to determine what immigration permissions are required for you to study on course.
Depending on your country, your steps required to enter the UK may be different. It is your responsibility to complete the relevant process for you, and you can find further information about what you will need to do before entering the UK on MyManchester. If you have any questions, please get in touch with visa@manchester.ac.uk.
Travel and Accommodation
Travel and Accommodation is not included in the Summer School price. Please visit our travel and accommodation page to find out more about the options.