Innovative Research Methods workshop series

Multivariate Statistical Techniques for Comparing Countries

How do statistical techniques deal with cross-national surveys? This is not a simple question and there are many different responses, from very simple to very complex ones. This 2-day, introductory-level workshop, the first in CIVICA Research's Innovative Research Methods Workshops series, will explore this very question. The workshop is open to the scientific communities across CIVICA partner universities (research assistants, researchers, PhD students, postdocs, etc.) and it offers an introduction to the main statistical techniques used to analyze cross-national comparative surveys data.

The main goal of this workshop is to teach how different statistical methods treat the ‘country effect’: how statistical models (linear regression, logit models, loglinear models, multilevel regression models), scaling techniques or data reduction methods (factor and PCA analysis) test for the ‘invariance’ of the relationship between variables across countries. The objective is to clarify the main methodological issues and to help you to identify what to pay attention to, what are the main potential traps in comparing things like regression/logit coefficients, factor loadings or scales scores across countries. The workshop offers a reasonable level of formalization, as much as needed to understand the method. It makes links between the different methods and the learning of complementarities between methods.

Please note that the workshop's mode of delivery is hybrid, including a self-guided component. You are asked to start working through the course materials one week in advance of the January 28 Zoom meeting. These materials include pre-recorded videos and readings you are asked to discuss as part of the course. Plan on spending 1-2 full working days on this material prior to the January 28 meeting (and another 1-2 days in between the two meetings). You are expected to come to Zoom prepared on January 28.

Teacher: Bruno Cautres (Sciences Po)
Workshop Format: Hybrid (in-class at CEU and online)
Workshop Session Dates: 28 January 2022 and 4 February 2022 from 10am to 2pm (CET) on both days
Registration Deadline: 19 January 2022
Registration Details:

• Online registration form here for PhD students only;
• CEU-affiliated students and non-PhD students need to register for the workshop by sending an email to skalarm(at)ceu.edu.

Please note registration is capped at 15 participants and is on a first come, first served basis.

_{Image credit: Sasirin Pamai / Shutterstock}