Research Methods for the Study of Contemporary Religion; a training programme organised by the University of Kent

RESEARCH METHODS FOR THE STUDY OF CONTEMPORARY RELIGION AN INTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAMME

Centre for Religion and Contemporary Society, University of Kent
18-22 February 2013

This training programme is available for doctoral students registered at any higher education institution in the UK/EU. It is based on previous training developed by the Centre for Religion and Contemporary Society, funded by the AHRC, which led to the development of the Religion Methods website (www.kent.ac.uk/religionmethods), and aims to provide students with a core training in fieldwork approaches to the study of religion.

Topics covered by the training will include:
· Conceptualising religion for research
· Key elements and processes of research design
· The role of theory in social research
· The politics and ethics of research
· Sampling
· Rigour and validity in research
· Using quantitative data-sets for research on religion
· Ethnographic approaches in theory and practice
· Visual methods
· Developing research interviews
· Using qualitative data analysis software
· Researching objects and spaces
· Producing research proposals

To attend this training programme, students not registered at the University of Kent will be required to pay a £100 registration fee, which would cover attendance at all sessions and the costs of training materials. Delegates would need to make their own arrangements for accommodation, and there is a wide selection of affordable B&B provision in the Canterbury area. For those planning to commute on a daily basis, Canterbury is now less than an hour from London St Pancras on the high speed train link.

Space on the programme is limited and the deadline to register your interest to attend this programme is Thursday 13 December. To register your interest, please email Lois Lee (l.a.lee@kent.ac.uk) with a short statement outlining the university at which you are currently registered, the focus and method of your doctoral project and the stage of the project you are currently at.