Student Methodology Workshop Series
Quantitative Study Group 2026
Student Methodology Workshop Series, Pt. II launches the Quantitative Study Group 2026 — a bi-weekly, student-led initiative designed to strengthen quantitative confidence among ReROW graduate students. This series creates a structured space to clarify common quantitative concepts, tools, and conventions encountered in research, while fostering thoughtful reflection on data, interpretation, and ethics. The series prioritizes depth over breadth, focusing on high-leverage concepts that shape interpretation, ethics, and methodological decisions.
- Feb 13: What are numbers actually doing in research?
- Feb 27: P-values, significance, and misuse
- Mar 13: Data, bias, and “garbage in, garbage out”
- Mar 20: Choosing methods that match your question
- Mar 27: AI, statistics, and “black box” tools
- Apr 10: Intro to coding
Interested in attending a session? email Diana at dianasan@student.ubc.ca or Yiayng at yiyang99@student.ubc.ca
The event is open to ReROW student members interested in quantitative methods and all UBC students
The study group aims to collectively build quantitative confidence among graduate students by clarifying common quantitative concepts, tools, and conventions we regularly encounter in research, through:
- Build a shared understanding of what quantitative methods can and cannot do.
- Build a shared understanding of how to critically read quantitative research in our fields.
- Support thoughtful method selection in quantitative and mixed-methods research projects.
- Foster shared ethical awareness around data, measurement, and interpretation.
- When: Bi-weekly (Fridays) between 12:00-1:00 PM.
- Where: MacMillan 80 (in-person)
The workshop will be facilitated by graduate students Diana Sanabria, Civil Engineering and Yiyang Wang, Forestry.
| Date | Topic | Why this matters | Key ideas |
| Feb. 13th | What are numbers actually doing in research? | Many grad students treat quantitative methods as “objective truth machines.” This session reframes numbers as arguments, not answers. | * What makes a study “quantitative”? * Variables, samples, and populations (conceptually) * Correlation vs. causation and why they are often confused |
| Feb. 27th | P-values, significance, and why everyone misuses them | p-values are everywhere, poorly understood, and often abused. | * What a p-value does and does not mean * Statistical vs. practical significance * Why “p < 0.05” became a convention *What p-hacking looks like in real life |
| Mar. 13th | Data, bias, and “garbage in, garbage out” | Urban, environmental, and social datasets often reproduce inequality. | * Who is counted in data and who is not * Proxy variables and their risks * Missing data as a political, not just a technical, issue |
| Mar. 20th | Choosing methods that match your question | Students often pick methods for various motives, not fit. | * Types of research questions: description, comparison, causation, prediction * When quantitative methods are not the right tool * Combining qualitative and quantitative methods without forcing coherence |
| Mar. 27th | AI, statistics, and “black box” tools | Students are already using AI but don’t know its limits. | * How machine learning differs from traditional statistics * Prediction vs. explanation * Why AI can appear confident when wrong |
| Apr. 10th | Intro to coding | Many students feel locked out of quant work because of coding fear. | * What scripts do: automating and documenting analytical decisions * How common tools differ in purpose (not superiority) * Why reproducibility matters |
Qualitative Study Group 2025
The Student Methodology Workshop Series, Pt. I launched the Qualitative Study Group 2025 — a bi-weekly, student-led initiative designed to strengthen qualitative methodological skills among ReROW graduate students. The series provided a structured space to explore qualitative research approaches, discuss readings from the SOCI 503 Qualitative Research Design and Techniques syllabus, and connect methodological concepts to ongoing research projects. Sessions emphasized collaborative learning, critical reflection, and practical discussion of qualitative methods used in urban, environmental, and social research.
• Sept 25: Content & Discourse Analysis
• Oct 9: Documents & Archives
• Oct 23: Visual Tools and Data / PhD Student Guest Session
• Nov 6: Interviews
• Nov 20: Interviews (advanced discussion)
• Dec 4: Guest Lecture – PI specialized in qualitative research (TBD)
The event is open to ReROW student members interested in qualitative methods and all UBC graduate students
The event was open to ReROW student members interested in qualitative methods and all UBC graduate students.
The study group aimed to collectively strengthen qualitative research practice among graduate students by connecting theoretical concepts to practical research design and fieldwork. Through discussions of readings, peer exchange, and guest contributions, the group:
- Strengthened methodological foundations before members began data collection.
- Supported analysis and writing phases by connecting concepts to ongoing research projects.
- Fostered peer learning through discussion, reflection, and shared critique of qualitative methods.
- Provided a collaborative space to workshop methodological challenges and research design decisions.
• When: Bi-weekly (Thursdays) between 12:00-1:00 PM
• Where: FSC 3101 (in-person)
The workshop was facilitated by graduate students Sasha Rodriguez and Yiyang Wang, Forestry, with guest speakers including faculty members, PhD students, and researchers from the Urban Forest Research Hub.
| Date | Topic | Why this matters | Key ideas |
| Sept. 25th | Content & Discourse Analysis | Understanding how language and framing shape meaning in research and public debate. | * Analyzing language and symbolic meaning in texts * How discourse reflects power and social structure * Interpreting qualitative data through textual analysis |
| Oct. 9th | Documents & Archives | Documents and archival materials provide insight into institutions, policies, and historical processes. | * Using documents as qualitative data * Interpreting institutional records and archives * Ethical considerations in archival research |
| Oct. 23rd | Visual Tools and Data / PhD Student | Visual data can reveal spatial relationships, lived experiences, and meanings that may not appear in written sources. | * Photography and visual sociology * Visual materials as qualitative evidence * Interpreting images and visual artifacts |
| Nov. 6th | Interviews | Explores the limits and strengths of interview data and how interviews fit within broader research strategies. | * Strengths and limitations of interview data * “Talk is cheap”: interpreting responses critically * Combining interviews with other qualitative methods |
| Dec. 4th | Guest Lecture: PI specialized in qualitative research (TBD) | A guest researcher shares experience applying qualitative methods in real research projects. | * Applying qualitative methods in practice * Methodological challenges in fieldwork * Advice for data collection and analysis |