The Methodology Institute is an interdisciplinary group, most of the staff having joint appointments with other departments in the School. A key function of the Institute is to provide training for PhD and MSc students in the design of social research and in qualitative and quantitative analysis. Students should seek advice from their departments or supervisors on which Methodology Institute courses they are required to take.
Historically, one of the main reasons for the establishment of the Methodology Institute was the identification by the Economic and Social Research Council of a 'methods gap' in the training of research students and the publication by the ESRC of guidelines for PhD programmes in the social sciences. Among the stipulated requirements was a set of research skills for each discipline. Given the considerable overlap in these research skills across departments, the Methodology Institute was established to meet some of these needs efficiently.
Methodology Institute courses are open to all students taking MSc or PhD programmes. This means that research students are welcome to attend any of the Institute's courses. They should check their departmental requirements with their research tutors or supervisors, and information on courses can also be obtained from the Institute's Manager, John Fyson, in Room B807, Columbia House. Details of each course can be found at the LSE Calendar|.