Course info

This module provides a critical foundation for PhD and Master’s students to navigate research methods in social-ecological systems (SES) research. Rather than focusing on specific methodological techniques, the module equips students with the skills to think critically about methods, interrogate their epistemological and ontological underpinnings, and strategically integrate different methodological approaches in their research. Through structured engagements, students will grapple with how methods and theory interact, how to work across methodologies with differing assumptions, and how to position themselves as researchers within SES inquiry.
A key component of the module is supporting students in developing their individual research proposals and ethics applications, ensuring they can justify their methodological choices rigorously. Students will explore foundational texts, engage in discussions, and participate in interactive workshops during a one-week intensive contact period, followed by structured independent work. The module also includes a critical engagement with the ethical and political dimensions of research methods, including a dedicated section on AI and methods in SES research, examining both the opportunities and risks of emerging digital and computational approaches. By the end of the course, students will have gained the conceptual and practical tools needed to confidently design robust, reflexive, and ethically sound research.