Research Methods and Statistics

The programme group Research Methods and Statistics has a wide expertise in research methodology. The group offers methodological support in many projects in the field of education and child studies, and develops its own methodological research projects based on questions arising from this field.

Multivariate analysis methods are applied, for instance, for detecting natural groups of people, and for discovering (hidden) relations. There is specific attention for models with repeated measures, large numbers of predictors, categorical variables, hierarchical (family) structures, genetic profiles, and other complex data structures.

In addition, the group covers the major part of methodological courses in Education and Child Studies. These courses are designed to take students from the basic methodological principles, through a critical out-look on scientific research, to the ability of answering new research questions, applying everything they have learned, and reflecting on their own scientific conduct.