28 oct 2019 - 15:14 CET

Panel sessions at the 17th IMISCOE Annual Conference, Luxembourg, June 30 – July 2, 2020

The Standing Committee (SC) Methodological Approaches and Tools in Migration Research provides a forum for discussing methodological approaches and tools in migration research and assessing the options available for tackling methodological challenges. The SC addresses both general issues around research methods in migration studies and issues specific to quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and experimental research approaches. The SC also considers how to best foster evidence-based policy decisions. We place special emphasis on sharing innovative procedures and on interconnecting researchers from different methodological schools as well as migration scholars and experts in research methodology.

Contributing to the overall theme of the 17^th IMISCOE Annual Conference (‘Crossing borders, connecting cultures’), the SC is organizing panel sessions on methodological issues in migration research, with preference given to papers that discuss issues arising in comparative and cross-national studies. We invite contributions from a wide range of methodological approaches, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods, provided they focus on methodological challenges and opportunities from the cross-national perspective.

A better understanding of migration processes often requires cross-national research designs (e.g., including migrants’ country of origin and of residence) or comparative perspectives, which allow highlighting the specificities related to particular places, groups, contexts, and their interrelation. At the same time, there are issues that remain particularly challenging, when methodological choices have to account for cultural, linguistic, and institutional diversity. For example, quantitative researchers deal with differences in survey research traditions and sampling frames, or questionnaire translations which have to take into account cultural differences. For qualitative researchers, among other issues, language specificities may become a challenge, as well as access to participants in various contexts. 

We invite contributions by scholars engaged in migration research irrespective of their disciplinary background and career stages. We furthermore strive to provide a forum for discussion between colleagues from various geographical locations.

Please send a short abstract (approx. 250 words) by November 22^nd, 2019 to Steffen Pötzschke (Steffen.Poetzschke@gesis.org). We will notify you about the result of the pre-selection process by November 28^th, 2019.

***Please be aware that papers submitted to Methodological Approaches and Tools in Migration Research SC sessions must have a clear focus on research methods. Substantive issues might be discussed, but should not constitute the main content of the contribution. ***

 To learn more about the Standing Committee please visit: https://tinyurl.com/y59tlurs