ECPR Summer School in Methods and Techniques

The 5th ECPR Summer School in Methods and Techniques will take place at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana from 30 July - 14 August 2010. This year topic is Social Science Methods: Between Unity, Diversity, and Complementarity.

A solid training in methods is the fundament of successful research. A researcher should know what a method does, how it works, and how it should be applied, but also what its potentials and what its limits are. Hence methods training is a tightrope walk between the perils of overconfidence in a method's capacity and underestimation of its potential.

The ECPR Summer School in Methods and Techniques provides ECTS accredited up to date training in specially selected methods in the whole spectrum of approaches used in the social sciences. In particular, it emphasises those methods which are particularly salient for research questions in political science broadly defined. It deals with all stages of a project, it caters to the needs of research set at the macro and at the micro level, and it covers quantitative and qualitative designs.

Disrespecting traditional divisions of the discipline, among which the quantitative/qualitative and the analytical/interpretive polarity are the most prominent, the Summer School fosters dialogue between various persuasions. To this end, besides the courses (refresher courses, two week courses and one week courses), "openings" to other methods, evening presentations and debates on contentious methodological issues, with the input of the participants themselves, are also offered.

A full list of courses is available on the ECPR website at www.ecprnet.eu.

TUITION FEES

REFRESHER COURSES (Fri. 30 Jul. - Sun. 01 Aug. 2010)

* Participants from ECPR member institutions and students registered at Slovenian academic institutions: €200

* Participants from NON-ECPR academic institutions: €300

* Participants from NON-ACADEMIC institutions: €400

MAIN COURSES (Mon. 02 Aug. - Sat.14 Aug. 2010)

* Participants from ECPR member institutions and students registered at Slovenian academic institutions: €590

* Participants from NON-ECPR academic institutions: €840

* Participants from NON-ACADEMIC institutions: €1090

ECTS Credits

Participants have the opportunity to gain ECTS credits from the University of Ljubljana. Certificates of accreditation are sent to students after the Summer School has ended.

In addition to such ECTS credits (if applicable: see rules below), each participant receives, before leaving the Summer School, a certificate of attendance for each course attended.

Refresher courses: No ECTS credits are granted for these courses (only a certificate of attendance). There is also no formal exam.

Main Courses: To obtain the full five ECTS credits available, participants must successfully complete their course, which includes a project assignment and an exam (on 14 August). Those particpants who do not sit the exam can still obtain three ECTS credits by successfully completing the project assignment. Those participants who only sit the exam but choose not to complete the project assignment can obtain two ECTS credits.

Accomodation is paid by the participants.

Application should be made online via registration form at: www.ecprnet.eu/summerschools/Ljubljana/default.asp.

For further information, please contact Sarah Goodman at summerschool@ecprnet.eu.