Improving the Quality of Empirical Research—
A Dialogue Across Social Science Disciplines and Research Methods
Inaugural Conference of the Diligentia Foundation
29. April 2016, 09:00 – 17:00
Rotonda Business Club, Pantaleonswall 27, Köln, Germany
Founded in 2015, the Diligentia Foundation is devoted to supporting empirical research in the social sciences. The Foundation’s inaugural conference brings together leading representatives and academic practitioners of different empirical research methods to discuss opportunities and challenges for ensuring and further improving the quality of empirical research in the social sciences. The conference will gather contributions from a wide‐ranging spectrum of social science disciplines and research methods in order to foster dialogue and mutual learning across what have often become silos of particular methodological and (sub‐)disciplinary approaches. While methodological and disciplinary specialization has its benefits, it seems important also to recognize the limitations and missed opportunities that such specialization entails. Perhaps there are important lessons that can be learned from other social science disciplines and methodological approaches that can help further to improve the quality of empirical research in any given specialization. The conference seeks to provide opportunities for examining this potential for crossdisciplinary and cross–methodological reflection and fruition.
Invited keynote speakers, who are leading representatives of particular methodological approaches in their respective disciplines, will provide stimuli for discussion. Conference participants are invited to form discussionround tables that take up these stimuli with the aim of further exploring the particular opportunities and challenges of applying and further developing particular research methods in their respective disciplines. Brief presentations of theses summarizing the discussion results of each roundtable will bring the conference to a close.
You may register for the conference online: All conference attendees must register to attend. Deadline for registrations is 31. March, 2016. The conference fee of €30,00 (€20,00 for non‐tenured academics) covering lunch and refreshments is payable upon registration.
Cancellation with full refund is possible until 15. April 2016. Please transfer the conference fee to the following account: Diligentia‐Stiftung, Sparkasse KölnBonn, IBAN: DE 29 3705 0198 1932 5382 65, BIC: COLSDE33.
Prof. Dr. Mark Ebers, Prof. Dr.h.c. Norbert Szyperski
Members of the Board of the Diligentia Foundation, Köln