Do you need to take your research skills to a higher level? Do you want to take a different approach to your research? Register for this 10-hour workshop and meet with scholars who are experienced in empirical research on law. In addition to formal presentations, there will be multiple opportunities for small-group and individualized conversations.
The workshop provides an overview of how to approach and assess empirical research including (1) best practices for assessing empirical research; (2) formulating research questions; (3) matching questions to methods and data; (4) strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of methods; (5) how to write or assess a methods description; (6) IRBs and research ethics; (4) options for data analysis; (5) funding possibilities; (6) cross-disciplinary research collaborations; and (7) approaches to publishing empirical research. No background in social science is required. On the one hand, the workshop provides guidance for law professors interested in drawing on qualitative, survey research and/or experimental social science studies pertinent to their research on law. On the other hand, it is also designed to support law professors who seek to augment their scholarship by actually using empirical methods.
This workhsop will be held Thursday, January 5 from 1:30 – 4:30 pm through Friday, January 6 from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Thursday’s workshop will provide an important foundation for the workshop session on Friday. There is a $80 fee to attend and includes a box lunch on Friday.
Session I: Empirical Sociolegal Research: A Primer
This session led by Professors Lauren Edelman and Calvin Morrill, will cover a variety of introductory topics, including: how empirical analysis differs from traditional doctrinal analyses; research questions; research design in light of one’s research questions; problems with mismatched questions/designs; and overviews of the strengths and weaknesses of various research designs --including surveys, content analysis, experiments, interviews, ethnography, and case studies. The formal presentation ends with a discussion of the qualities of good quantitative and qualitative research and tips for writing up a methods section. The session will conclude with a question-and-answer section.