SDNS SUMMER SCHOOL 2022

22.08

• 9:00-9:30 Registration
• 9:30-10:00 Introduction and detailed information
• 10:00-11:00 Research as policymaking and liaison work (Mariusz Granosik)
• 11:00:12:00 Research(er) ethics (Magdalena Wojciechowska, Alicja Łaska-Formajster)
• 14:00-15:00 Art, science, photography (Tomasz Ferenc)
• 15:00-16:00 Prognostic research in political sciences (Ryszard Machnikowski)

23.08

• 10:00-13:00 Introduction to Method 1: Data Analysis and Data Management | Prof. Biagio Simonetti
• 14:00-17:00 Introduction to Method 2: Grounded Theory Research | Prof. Magdalena Wojciechowska & Prof. Dominika Byczkowska-Owczarek

24.08

• 10:00-13:00 Introduction to Method 3: Implementing, evaluating and scaling social programs | Prof. David Westlake
• 14:00-17:00 Introduction to Method 4: Mixed Methods Research Designs | Prof. Wisal Ahmad

25.08

• 10:00-18:00 (including breaks) Consultation of participants' speeches

26.08

• 10:00-18:00 Participants' own work

 

*The hours of individual panels still may change

27.08 & 28.08

29.08 (Faculty of Management - Jana Matejki 22/26, room 306 - third floor)

• 9:00-10:00 Registration
• 10:00-11:00 Welcome speeches
• 11:00-12:30 Presentation of Łódź and SDNS
• 14:00-17:30 Workhshop 1: Data Analysis and Data Management

30.08

• 10:00-14:00 Urban game
• START: Square in front of the Łódź Fabryczna Station (Plac Bronisława Sałacińskiego 1) - entrance from the Kilińskiego Street.

31.08 (Faculty of Management - Jana Matejki 22/26​​​​​​​, room 306 - third floor)

• 9:00-12:30 Worhshop 2: Grounded Theory Research
• 14:00-17:00 Participants' presentations + discussion: Karolina Wierzbicka, Lihan Yu, Aamir Shahzad, Gianluca Monturano, Kaushal Mendis, Maria Groinig, Antonella Cammarota, Virginie Chaput (10 minutes for each presentation).

1.09 (Faculty of Management - Jana Matejki 22/26​​​​​​​, room 306 - third floor)

• 9:00-12:30 Worhshop 3: Implementing, evaluating and scaling social programs 
• 14:00-17:00 Participants' presentations + discussion: Maria Plucińska, Kelum Warnakula, Filipina Salomon, Hamza Rashid, Marika Lotko, Raffaela Ciuffreda, Valerio Antolini, Piergiorgio Marigliano (10 minutes for each presentation).

2.09 (Faculty of Management - Jana Matejki 22/26​​​​​​​, room 306 - third floor)

• 9:00-12:30 Worhshop 4: Mixed Methods Research Designs
• 14:00-16:00 Participants' presentations + discussion: Aygun Kam, Małgorzata Kaczmarek, Eshan Ullah, Filomena Pagnozzi, Diletta Migliaccio (10 minutes for each presentation).
• 16:00-17:00 Summary panel and conclusions 

 

* The hours of individual panels still may change

During the course, the students learn the multivariate statistical methodologies for data analysis, particularly the data collected through a questionnaire. The students will be able to use specialized statistical software (MS Excel, SPSS, The R language) for the analysis and description of complex phenomena. During the theoretical part, participants may learn about the statistical sources; databases; statistical indicators; the synthesis indices; location and variability; associations between variables; graphic representations; the simple and multiple linear regression model; multivariate statistical analyses and, in the case of big data - methods of data collection; classification and qualification. Participants may also learn about introduction to quality systems, The Customer Satisfaction definition and measurement models; the questionnaire; sampling. During the applied part, participants will learn about: real case analysis; implementation of a customer survey satisfaction; teaching methods; lectures and exercises in the computer lab; verification of learning; discussion of the elaborate realized through the analysis of real data.

As grounded theory methodology (GTM) represents an inductive approach where theories are derived from the data, it proves especially fruitful when no existing theory explains a scrutinized phenomenon or the existing theory is potentially incomplete. Additionally, as the theories constructed in that approach derive directly from the group of participants acting within specific interactional contexts, research findings accurately represent (their) real world settings. For that reason, and because you are following what is emerging from the data, GTM – as a research strategy and a set of procedures – offers a buffer against confirming your beliefs instead of reconstructing the participants’ perspectives about the subject that you study.

This workshop aims to provide a step-by-step guide to the basics of GTM. Specifically, participants will learn about different types of coding, constant comparative method, memo-writing, theoretical sampling, theoretical saturation, member checks, presentation of models, and the logic of theory development happening in an iterative process. As it takes a hands-on approach with an emphasis on building methodological expertise, during the on-site part of the workshop, participants will work with real data from the field of social sciences. The workshop will prove beneficial for early-stage and experienced researchers using exploratory approaches and useful for application at the analytical stage of existing or future projects

Policymakers and practitioners across a wide range of fields face a common challenge: how do they know if their policies and programs are being used as intended, and do they have the desired effect at a local level? There are no guarantees that interventions will be as effective in one setting as they are in another. There are many examples of social programs that are replicated with disappointing results. Using examples from several research and practice improvement projects, we will look at different evaluation dimensions. In doing so, we will start by looking at pilot studies that explore feasibility and evidence of promise before considering larger studies that look at different types of impact. We will also examine the role of mechanisms and moderators in determining how and why programs have an effect. In summary, the aims of the teaching will be to:

Consider how complexity makes it difficult to implement and evaluate programs that are designed to improve practice.

• Use logic models to make sense of this complexity and as a map for evaluation.
• Explore some example projects where we have tried to evaluate ways of helping vulnerable children and families.
• Contemplate how local government organizations might keep evaluating their work once the researchers have gone away.

This session will cover a detailed overview of the various research designs used in the mixed methods research methodology. While in literature, numerous mixed methods research designs have been categorized, however, this session will categorize all such designs into the most common mixed methods research designs. More explicitly, the session will orient the participants with the two main categories of mixed methods research design which are sequential mixed method research design and concurrent mixed methods research design. Within the sequential mixed method research designs, the research scholars will be trained in the areas of sequential explanatory, sequential exploratory, and sequential transformative mixed methods research designs. In the same vein, within the concurrent mixed methods research deigns, participants will be trained in the areas of concurrent triangulation, concurrent nested designs, and concurrent transformative mixed methods research designs. The session will include different activities on each of the specific mixed methods research design mentioned herein. Overall, the workshop will help the scholars in selecting when, why and how to select an appropriate mixed method research design.

All participants will receive a scholarship in Łódź. Any accepted applicants will be given a fixed amount of money 2500 PLN. Today (end of June 2022), it is around 540 EUR. As organisers, we are doing our best not to expect tickets, invoices etc., to let you spend the money how you want. Moreover, you should take into consideration that this scholarship is the money that you should pay for travel to Poland, accommodation and living costs in Łódź. No additional money will be provided.

We recommend using a website such as Booking.com to find and book your accommodation. Some offers allow you to pay for accommodation after arriving in Łódź, i.e. after receiving the scholarship without paying in advance. Additionally, below there are some hotels in the centre of Łódź. They have been ranked in order of estimated price of an accommodation per day (from the most expensive to the cheapest). It will take 20-25 minutes one way to get from each of them to the site of the Summer School by public transport (see question 6). Estimated prices and travel time by public transport to the Faculty of Management University of Lodz are in brackets.

• Vienna House Andel's Lodz, 17 Ogrodowa Str. (approx. 95/100 Euro/day per single room, about 25 minutes travel to the place of the Summer School)
• Hotel Puro Łódź, 16 Ogrodowa Str. (approx. 90/100 Euro/day per single room, about 25 minutes travel to the place of the Summer School)
• Hotel Novotel, 11a Piłsudskiego Av. (approx. 85/90 Euro/day per single room, about 25 minutes travel to the place of the Summer School)
• Hotel Ibis Łódź Centrum, 11 Piłsudskiego Av. (approx. 60 Euro/day per single room, about 25 minutes travel to the place of the Summer School)
• Boutique Hotel's II, 8 Rewolucji 1905 roku Str. (approx. 50 Euro/day per single room, about 20 minutes travel to the place of the Summer School)
• Boutique Hotel's III, 10/14 Piłsudskiego Av. (approx. 45 Euro/day per single room, about 25 minutes travel to the place of the Summer School)
• Hotel Campanile, 27 Piłsudskiego Av. (approx. 40 Euro/day per single room, about 20 minutes travel to the place of the Summer School)
• B&B Hotel Łódź Centrum, Al. Kościuszki 16 (approx. 40 Euro/day per single room, about 25 minutes travel to the place of the Summer School)

Apart from those hotels, there are other apartments for rent near the University of Łódź. The prices for the apartment for one person are between 35-50 Euro/day.

Yes, and it is generally cheaper than most hotels. Please check this website. If you want to stay in this place, you should book your room as soon as possible. Write an e-mail to: rogowska@uni.lodz.pl. Specify the date of your stay in Lodz and inform them that you are a participant in the UniLodz SDNS Summer School of Social Research Methods. This place is about 35 minutes by public transport from the place of the Summer School.

We have already sent you e-mails asking for passport numbers and their expiry date to prepare the official invitations. If you have any other wishes, problems or questions, please contact us via e-mail: summer.sdns@uni.lodz.pl.

The city transport network in Łódź consists of tram and bus services. The timetables are different for workdays, Saturdays (soboty) and Sundays (niedziele). Trams are in service until midnight, and at later hours, they are not so frequent. The 20-minute ticket (extended to 40-minute) costs 4 PLN. Tickets can be bought in newsagents, small shops, machines next to the most popular stops, or buses and trams in the first carriage. The machines in the vehicles accept only cards.

Applications such as Uber and Bolt are also available in Łódź. By using the applications, you can easily rent bikes and electric scooters. Please check the website: lodzkirowerpubliczny.pl.

When you arrive in Łódź, use only licensed taxi services that belong to corporations and are marked with the city's emblem. They wait in front of the airport, train and bus station, but we recommend ordering one by phone. Some of them are below:

• Taxi Novia +48 800 111 111 https://taxifixy.pl/lodz.php
• Rydwany Miasta: +48 512 50 40 30 www.rydwanymiasta.pl
• Green Cab Taxi + 48 42 666 44 44: www.green-cab.pl

Costs of the taxi should be around 6 PLN the moment you get in and then around 2 PLN per kilometer.

The Summer School will take place in the building of the Faculty of Management University of Lodz (in Polish: Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego). It is situated on the street Jana

Matejki 22/26. Google Maps works very well in Łódź and will help indicate the best public transport connection from your accommodation.

You can reach the place of Summer School by tram or bus. There are two possible stops to get off the tram:

• Narutowicza - Matejki (kampus UŁ) (0590) – Tram 2B, 3A, 4, 6, 7, 8A, 8B, 9, 10A, 10B, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18
• Pomorska - Matejki (0829)/(0850) – Tram 17

Łódź is the third-largest city in Poland. It’s located in the middle of Poland. Łódź is a city of contrasts with factories and industrial style, but, at the same time, it’s very green and avant-garde. Architecturally it can be compared with other post-industrial revitalisation cities, such as Manchester. Łódź used to be the home of the Polish textile industry, and the reminiscent of the prosperous past are visible through its architecture with old, redbrick factories and elegant palaces. One of the most iconic places in Łódź is the Manufaktura complex – a former textile factory converted into a shopping and entertainment centre. The heart of the city is the famous Piotrkowska street - Poland’s longest pedestrian street, full of clubs, restaurants and shops that are perfect for going out. Next to Łódź famous street is OFF Piotrkowska - an old cotton factory turned into a place for the development of culture, art and creative business. Łódź is also a significant cultural centre, with the internationally famous Łódź Film School, Museum of Art and EC1 Łódź - the City of Culture – a fascinating science and technology centre.

If you are interested in exploring the city and want to see more, follow those websites: lodz.travel/en/tourism/what-to-see/ and www.inyourpocket.com/lodz.

Getting from Warsaw Chopin Airport to Łódź is very easy. You can get to Łódź by train straight from the airport. Depending on the carrier, the price will be around 20-30 PLN. You can find the Warsaw-Łódź connection and buy a ticket here: portalpasazera.pl/en. The journey from Warsaw to Łódź should take approximately 2 hours.

Visa and Mastercard payments are supported in almost all locations. It is a good idea to contact your bank before you leave and inform them of your planned trip to avoid your card being blocked. You can also use applications like Revolut (https://www.revolut.com) to connect your payment method with the app and pay with it anywhere.

No. Remember to buy your health insurance in the country of your origin.

First of all, remember that you can contact us directly via e-mail: summer.sdns@uni.lodz.pl. Additionally, we plan to create a Facebook or WhatsApp group for you to ensure an easier flow of information. Let us know what you think about the idea!