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	Using methods to improve your theoretical arguments – bridging theory and methods with case studies and comparative research to develop more interesting theories

Summer School in Social Sciences Methods

18-22 August 2025 (in-person)


	This hands-on workshop is designed for doctoral researchers (midway through or later) and post-docs to master the art of theorisation. Learn how to craft more persuasive and insightful explanations for important social phenomena by effectively bridging theory and methods

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👨‍🏫 Lecturer: Derek Beach, a professor of Political Science at Aarhus University, Denmark, where he researches research methodology and European integration.

➡️ What you'll learn:
🤔 How to move beyond sophisticated methods and develop compelling theoretical arguments.
🤝 The abductive process of theorisation: a dialogue between empirics, existing theories, and new explanations.
🔍 Practical application of within-case and cross-case comparative methods to build better theories.
📚 How to analyse your own research to craft more interesting theoretical explanations.
💡 Skills to develop theories that explain both specific cases and general patterns.

Engage in practical exercises, interactive discussions, and receive extensive feedback on your research projects. Learn to use case comparisons and cross-case comparisons to enhance your theorisation and generalisation skills.

📚 Key topics include: Theorisation and research questions, casing and conceptualisation, types of theories and explanations, theorisation and middle-range theories, and theorisation and generalisation.

⚠️ Prerequisites: Participants should be at least midway through their doctoral research with a defined topic and some preliminary empirical work, or be a post-doc with an ongoing research project.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to enhance your theorising skills with expert guidance from Derek Beach in the beautiful setting of Lugano!

➡️ Find out more and register now!