Social Research Methods and Techniques

Summary: This course aims to provide a contemporary perspective on methodological debates in the social sciences and to delve into the most widely used methods and techniques in this scientific field. To this end, a group of specialists has been invited to share their knowledge, insights, and experiences on each of these topics, which will then be systematically revisited in the Specialization Seminars.

Classes and teachers:

1. Epistemological Foundations of Contemporary Social Research – Sara Victoria Alvarado (Colombia)
2. Contemporary Methodological Debates – Irene Vasilachis (Argentina)
3. Methodological triangulation – Juan Piovani (Argentina)
4. How to make social science concepts observable - Fernando Cortés Alberto (Mexico)
5. Social surveys and their uses – Rosa María Rubalcava (Mexico)
6. Case studies and comparison – Alberto Riella (Uruguay)
7. Ethnography and reflexivity: the researcher as a tool of knowledge – Rosana Guber (Argentina)
8. The interview and its possibilities – Joan Miquel Verd (Spain)
9. Focus groups – Manuel Canales (Chile)
10. Biographical research – Ernesto Meccia (Argentina)
11. Big data and social research – Paolo Parra Saiani (Italy)
12. Ethics and social research – Marcos Supervielle (Uruguay)

Summary: Construction and analysis of qualitative information applied to social research: ethnographic techniques, discourse analysis, focus groups, and forms of participant observation.

Coordination: Juan Piovani, Leticia Muñiz Terra, Eugenia Rausky (National University of La Plata, Argentina)

Summary: Statistical analysis applied to social research. Database, descriptive, variable and association analysis. Control variables, regression analysis, principal components and factor analysis.

Coordination  Rodrigo Asún (University of Chile), Pablo Dalle, Jesica Plá (University of Buenos Aires / CONICET, Argentina) and Fernando Tavares (Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil)

Summary: Case studies as an empirical research strategy. Main perspectives on case studies. Single and multiple case studies. Why buy, how to compare, and what to compare.

Coordination: Gabriela Rubilar (University of Chile), German Quaranta (Center for Labor Studies and Research, Argentina) and Joan Miquel Verd (Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​Spain)

Summary: The objectification and measurement of concepts. From concepts to indicators. Observation and instruments. Problems of reliability and validity. Primary data collection techniques and databases, sources of information.

Coordination: Mauricio Tubio, Pablo Hein and Juan Romero (University of the Republic, Uruguay)

To participate, you need to register through the website.

Registration will be open between December 12 and April 5.

Upon completion of the registration process, you will receive a confirmation email. On the first day of the course, you will receive your login credentials for the online platform.

If any of the mandatory training sessions are owed, in all cases, an additional amount must be paid in order to retake said credit.

If the student decides not to enroll in the Specialization or International Course before its formal start date, they may request a refund of their tuition fees. CLACSO will retain the equivalent of 10% for administrative costs.

Exceptional criteria: In exceptional cases, and within the first two months of the specialization, students may request to withdraw from the cohort and rejoin the following year. In all cases, the reasons for the request must be submitted in writing. No requests will be accepted after two months from the start of the course.

If the student decides not to enroll in the Specialization or International Course before its formal start date, they may request a refund of their tuition fees. CLACSO will retain the equivalent of 10% for administrative costs.

The classes will take place from April 2022 to March 2023.

All students will receive the necessary instructions to access classes, bibliography and discussion forums through the CLACSO Virtual Training Space.

Accessing and navigating the Virtual Learning Environment is very simple and user-friendly. In any case, a technical and academic support team will always be available to you.

You must pass the International Course, two (2) elective Virtual Seminars, the methodological workshop and complete the final integrative work.

To obtain the Specialization degree, you must complete a final monograph. The methodological workshop is mandatory and aims to support you in completing this final project.

You must participate in the classes and activities proposed by the teachers and complete the final monograph.

Yes, the Specialization and the International Course are certified by FLACSO Brazil and CLACSO. The specialization has a total workload of 360 hours, and the international course 90 hours. The certificate of completion will be sent digitally and is completely free of charge. The International Specialist diploma is issued by the General Secretariat of FLACSO, located in Costa Rica. The fees and procedures for issuing and sending the international diploma can be found on the FLACSO Brazil website: https://flacso.org.br/?page_id=24376

The Specialization and the International Course are accredited by FLACSO Brazil and CLACSO. The International Specialist diploma is issued by the FLACSO General Secretariat, located in Costa Rica. Fees and procedures for issuing and shipping the international diploma can be found on the FLACSO Brazil website: https://flacso.org.br/?page_id=24376.

See the table of prices and options above.

If you wish to obtain certification from FLACSO, you will need to pay an additional fee.*

* The issuance of the printed diploma, along with the academic transcript, costs USD 200,00 (two hundred dollars). This fee includes shipping the printed and signed documents to the student's address. The procedures for issuing and shipping the international diploma can be found on the Flacso Brazil website: https://flacso.org.br/?page_id=24376.