Course page
Course page
EXPERIMENTAL METHODS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
EXPERIMENTAL METHODS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
provided by University of Middlesex
provided by University of Middlesex
Course Details
(last updated: September 2025)
Instructor: Dr Mongoljin Batsaikhan, Dr Bastien Chabe-Ferret, Dr Joris Gillet, Prof Praveen Kujal, Dr Ericka Rascon, Dr Simon Lodato. For application purposes, please send your application email to Dr Bastien Chabe-Ferret as main contact person.
Academic Officer: Dr Bastien Chabe-Ferret
Term in which taught: Spring term module (April - June 2026)
Application deadline: please apply by April 1st in order to join this course online
Pre-requisites: N/A
Specialist equipment or materials: N/A
Summary course description: This two-part workshop equips you with essential skills to design, conduct, and analyze experiments in social sciences, with applications across economics, management, health, education and beyond. Whether you're planning your first study or refining your methodological toolkit, this course provides the theoretical foundation and practical skills needed for impactful research.
Part 1: Experimental Foundations (15 hours)
Core principles of experimental design and methodology
Laboratory, field, and randomized controlled trial approaches
Ethical frameworks for responsible research conduct
Theory of change development and randomization strategies
Part 2: Analysis & Implementation (22 hours)
Statistical analysis techniques from basic tests to ANOVA/ANCOVA
Survey design and data collection methods
Power calculations for simple, clustered, and stratified designs
Real-world applications in economics, management, health, and education
Teaching plan
TBC
Contact time: 12 weeks. One 3-hour lecture per week.
Teaching methods: Live online lectures via Zoom. Lectures can be recorded. Recordings, lecture slides and any other teaching material will be shared with the students.
Assessment: Students will be asked to submit a Research Proposal involving experimental methods. Proposals should include an ethics application form, a description of the research question and the intended contribution, the experimental design, the data collection process, and a pre-analysis plan.
How to Apply
In order to apply for this course, you need to (1) send an Application Email to the Instructor and to (2) fill the Confirmation Form at the bottom of this page. Please complete both steps according to the instructions reported below.
Step 1 of 2: Application Email. Send an email to the Instructor of this course and to the Academic Officer of the host university: names and contact links are reported above in the section 'Course Details' (right-click on the name to copy their email address, or left-click on the name to create a new email with your default software). Please send your application email using your university email account. Sample email:
To: [INSTRUCTOR]
Cc: [ACADEMIC OFFICER]
Object: Application to your online PhD course (ShOT/SEDOT)
Dear Prof [INSTRUCTOR],
My name is [STUDENT NAME], PhD student at [HOME UNIVERSITY]. I would like to attend online your PhD course in [COURSE TITLE], shared through the ShOT/SEDOT network. Please let me know if I can join the course, I look forward to hearing from you.
Step 2 of 2: Confirmation Form. Please answer all the questions in the Confirmation Form below and press the Submit button in the last page. All fields are required. You will receive an automated notification by email.