Essex Summer School in
Social Science Data Analysis

Andrea Rossi

Andrea Rossi is the former Director of the Measurement and Human Rights Programme at Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and currently the Regional Social and Economic Policy Adviser for UNICEF in South Asia. Previously he was a United Nations Officer in New York and as Research Coordinator at the UNICEF Innocenti Research Center. He is an economist with a particular focus on development and applied research. He is coordinating research projects in Africa and Europe, as well as developing specific research methodologies on children’s issues. He has previously worked for the International Labour Organization in the East Africa Area Office, Tanzania. His main areas of interest are applied research methodology; combining qualitative and quantitative methods; applied micro econometrics; and participatory approaches. He has conducted research on child labour and child trafficking, prostitution, homeless people, illegal migrants, refugees and displaced people

2S Applied Research Methods with Hidden, Marginal and Excluded Populations

Andrea Rossi, UNICEF
22 - 26 July (one week course / 35 hrs)

Detailed Course Outline [PDF]

Course Content

The course provides an introduction to research methods in conducting research, both qualitative and quantitative, with marginal and hidden populations, such as children, migrants, sex workers, homeless, victim’s conflicts or trafficking, HIV/AIDS, drug ad dicted, refugees and displaced people. The course introduces the main theories and approaches on hidden and marginal populations, using different frameworks and techniques. Focusing on action-oriented research, the course explores topics such as estimation and sampling challenges, participatory research, the use of qualitative and quantitative methods, and ethical considerations arising when conducting this type of research.

Course Objectives

The course aims to enable participants to undertake empirical research with marginal and hidden populations, and seeks to encourage participants to develop methodological strategies for the collection and analysis of such data. This entails using several data-gathering and analytic strategies, and knowing the ethical considerations to be taken into account.

Course Prerequisites

Basic knowledge in qualitative and quantitative research methods and design. An interest in the topic and some practical research experience, or an acquaintance with applied research, would be helpful.

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