News
AUSSDA (Austrian Social Science Data Archive)
Freely accessible (also free of charge) data for courses or similar purposes can be found at https://data.aussda.at/ . Access to the data themselves requires WU login credentials, the accompanying information is available to everyone. Uploading data obtained within WU research projects (if permissible) is encouraged by the Vice-Rectorate for Research and Third Mission.
Call for papers: "Materiality/Psychoanalysis/Subject"
New publication
Pfadenhauer, M., Miko-Schefzig, K., Buckenleib, A. et al. (2024). Vertraute Lebenswelten der Wissenschaftsskepsis. Die Kritik an der Corona-Impfpflicht als Präludium für den Widerstand gegen interventionistische Nachhaltigkeitspolitik. Berliner Journal für Soziologie, 34, 403-441.
Networking meeting of method centres in the German-speaking area
What started with an idea over a coffee is entering the implementation phase with a networking meeting at Goethe University Frankfurt. Method centres are now established institutions at universities not only in the USA, where they are quite common. We have decided to start a network for the D-A-CH region to discuss different perspectives, approaches and requirements of method centres.
Method Workshop "Performative Sozialwissenschaft – Arts-Informed-Research als innovative Disseminationsstrategie"
We would like to invite you to a methods workshop on "Performative Sozialwissenschaft – Arts-Informed-Research als innovative Disseminationsstrategie" with Prof. Günter Mey (more details here; in German).
He will give a lecture in German and then discuss the participants own material (own material is not a prerequisite for participation, questions can be asked and discussed in English). The aim of the lecture is to provide an introduction to the idea of performative social research. In the first step, the basic theoretical assumptions will be presented. In a second step, participants can bring in their own material.
The workshop will take place on 22May 2024 from 10-14:00 at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, TC Hall.
Please send registrations to: kmiko@wu.ac.at
Method workshop on video analysis using neural networks
In cooperation between the Department of Management and the Competence Center for Empirical Research Methods we cordially invite you to a two-part workshop on Integrating video analysis using deep neural networks in organizational analysis by Dr. Oliver Wieczorek. The workshop will be held in English on the following two dates:
Tue 14 May 2024, 9 AM - 12 PM, D2.0.392
Wed 15 May 2024, 9 AM - 12 PM, TC.3.07
Even if you can attend only one of the two sessions, you can participate in and benefit from the workshop (if you only participate on the second day you have to work through the topics of the first day independently). The workshop is free of charge, but please register by sending an e-mail to michael.schiffinger@wu.ac.at, also indicating whether you will attend both or just one of the sessions.
The workshop provides an introduction into video analysis in Python using machine learning algorithms. In addition to a presentation of machine learning basics, the participants will explore deep neural network architectures and how they can be applied and integrated into current research projects. Besides teaching basic programming skills in Python, the workshop aims to provide a picture of the pitfalls and promises of integrating machine learning techniques. The covered contents are as follows:
Day 1:
(1) Machine Learning: Basic Concepts, why and when to use in your research
(2) Data preprocessing & annotation
(3) Using pre-trained Neural Networks for facial recognition and feature extraction from pictures
Day 2:
(4) Model Evaluation
(5) Training your own model
(6) Shortcomings, problems, and reflections
Method workshop on dispositive research
We would like to invite you to a methods workshop on the "Introduction to the dispositive research programme" with Prof. Andrea Bührmann. The workshop is held in English.
She will give a presentation in English and then discuss the participants` own material with the participants (own material is not a requirement for participation). The lecture aims to give a short but concise introduction in the dispositive research program. This will be done in three steps: The first step addresses the basic theoretical assumptions of dispositive research. The second step focusses on the dispositive analytical implications. Finally, these considerations will be exemplified by what I have called the ‘diversity dispositive’.
The workshop will take place on 03 April 2024 from 9-13 at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, meeting room 1, AD building. Please send registrations to: kmiko@wu.ac.at
Method workshop
Grounded Visual Pattern Analysis: A workshop to analyse participant-generated images 'beyond narrative', held by Sam Parsley and Harriet Shortt, 8 March 2023
New publication
Rusch, T., Mair, P., & Hornik, K. (2023). Structure-based hyperparameter selection with Bayesian optimization in multidimensional scaling. Statistics & Computing, 33, [28].
New publication
Baldassari, P., Eberhard, S., Jiang, Y., Muller-Camen, M., Obereder, L., Schiffinger, M., Thiele, R. (2023). Looking up and fitting in: Team leaders' and members' behaviors and attitudes toward the environment in an MNC. Human Resource Management, online first publication 18 January 2023
Method workshop
Group-based Methods for Qualitative Data Collection: Using the full
potential of multiperspectivity in focus groups, group interviews and
discussions, held by Cornelia Reiter, 16 December 2022
Workshop abstract: The workshop provides knowledge on how the potential of group-based methods such as focus groups, interpretative group interviews or group discussions can be used in qualitative or mixed methods research projects.
Method workshop
Software for Conducting Systematic Literature, Reviews: A Tale of Three Tools, held by Marco Rapp, 14 December 2022 (in cooperation with the Department of Management)
Workshop abstract: Literature reviews and meta-analyses tend to involve the rather tedious task of screening loads of papers. Fortunately, machine-learning tools can reduce the time spent on browsing through vast sets of articles by acting as a decision-support system. Specifically, researchers can “train” an algorithm by assessing the relevance of a set of articles. The tool “learns” from these decisions and filters the remaining search results accordingly, reducing your screening effort by up to 2/3. In this workshop, three popular tools will be introduced based on user experience: ASReview, HubMeta, and the R package revtools.
New publication
Miko-Schefzig, K., Learmonth, M., & McMurray, R. (2022). A different way of looking at things: The role of social science film in organisation studies. Organization, 29(4), 653–672.
Method workshop
Grounded Theory Methodologie: Programmatik, Potenziale, Perspektiven, held by Günter Mey, 24 May 2022
New publication
Venturo-Conerly, K., Johnson, N., Osborn, T., Puffer, E., Rusch, T., Ndetei, D., Wasanga, C., Mutiso, V., Musyimi, C., & Weisz, J. (2022). Long-term health outcomes of adolescent character strength interventions: 3- to 4-year outcomes of three randomized controlled trials of the Shamiri program. Trials, 23(443), 1-18.
Method workshop
Method workshop on qualitative video analysis (Introduction), held by Christine Moritz, 29 April 2022.
New publication
Miko-Schefzig, K. (2022). Die qualitative Vignettenmethode. Weinheim: Beltz-Juventa.
LILI - Life-worlds meet Life Science in Public Health and Social Measures (seed funding)
The research project LILI - Life-worlds meet Life Science in Public Health and Social Measures is a joint project of the Competence Centre for Empirical Research Methods, Vienna University of Economics and Business and the Institute of Sociology, University of Vienna in cooperation with the Institute of Mathematics, University of Vienna and the Institute of Public Health and Health Services Research, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich.
In light of recent steady increase in science scepticism and distrust towards scientific communities surfacing during the COVID 19 -pandemic, this study focuses on difficult-to-reach life worlds and seeks to explain collective patterns of interpretations of scientific knowledge (knowledge subjectivation) and public health management measures. Scientific knowledge, which is, from the perspective of the citizens, a part of expert knowledge requires interpretation and translation to reach the targeted population. The project investigates these translations as a multi-step process between scientists, politics, the media, public health and its interpretations in different life worlds. It is the purpose of the study to understand and reconstruct dominant patterns of interpretation of science denial and scepticism. Furthermore, the study aims to explore the perspectives of science sceptics on scientific results (mathematical models) and public health and social measures in highly solution-oriented discussions regarding the transformation of scepticism to compliance.
The project is funded by start-up grant from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and the University of Vienna and will run until the end of May, 2022. LILI is based on interpretative social science methods in combination with mathematical modelling. In addition to developing a proposal for a continuing research project, initial field work is being carried out and first results are being elaborated and published.
Method workshop
Introduction to Natural Language Processing for Social Scientists, held by Marcel Tkacik on 2 December 2021
Workshop abstract: The workshop will present a practical overview of recent advances in text analysis that now allow us to perform sophisticated analyses of various textual sources. We will go through basic descriptive analysis of text, continue with the models for analyzing sentiment and emotionality, introduce ourselves to options on finding topics in text (topic modeling) and end with one of the most exciting discoveries in the NLP field, word embeddings, which are neural network models that can capture meaning of words from the context in which they are used. The emphasis of the workshop is on the hands-on practical experience which will be done in Orange, a user-friendly open-source software. No previous programming knowledge (or affinity) is required. The main data focus of the workshop is on studying social media - Twitter, which can now be analyzed for free by researchers using Twitter Academic Research Track. The entire structure of the workshop is inspired by Gentzkow’s et al. (2019) paper “Text as Data” and Jackson's et al. (2021) paper "From Text to Thought: How Analysing Language Can Advance Psychological Science".
New publication
Michael Schiffinger (2021). A world of p(ain). Wie signifikant ist "(statistisch) signifikant"? Austrian Management Review, Vol.11, pp. 112-123
Representation in WU ethics council
Katharina Miko-Schefzig has been elected as a member of the newly founded ethics council.
Method workshop
Applied statistical power analysis: Basic and advanced use of G*Power and beyond, held by Edgar Erdfelder.
New publication
Tom Osborn, Katherine Venturo-Conerly, Susana Arango G., Elizabeth Roe, Micaela Rodriguez, Rediet Alemu, Jenny Gan, Akash Wasil, Benny Otieno, Thomas Rusch, David Ndetei, Christine Wasanga, Jessica Schleider, John Weisz (2021). Effect of Shamiri Layperson-Provided Intervention vs Study Skills Control Intervention for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Adolescents in Kenya: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 78(8), 829-837.
Member of the Science Board of the Shamiri Institute
Thomas Rusch joined the Science Board of the Shamiri Institute, a data-driven organization that develops and implements low-cost, low-stigma mental health and wellness interventions to help young people, in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, thrive.
New publication
Thomas Rusch, Patrick Mair, Kurt Hornik. 2021. Cluster Optimized Proximity Scaling. Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, 30(4), 1156-1167.
FWF project "Collaborative Consumption / Sharing Economy": mission accomplished
After the successful completion of the project after four years, this page offers not just a brief description but an interesting short video as well.
We have moved!
The Competence Center is now in building D5, 2nd floor. As before, please make an appointment beforehand.
New publication
Mensi-Klarbach, Heike, Leixnering, Stephan, Schiffinger, Michael. 2021. The carrot or the stick: Self-regulation for gender-diverse boards via codes of good governance. Journal of Business Ethics, 170, 577-593.
"WU Vienna's impacts on the environment, society, and our future": contribution by the Competence Center
The project "Management in police detention – safe and healthy prisons" by Katharina Miko-Schefzig, Cornelia Reiter, and Karin Sardadvar (as well as external partners) is listed in the current WU impact brochure (p. 50).
New "leaderboard"
After many years of (jointly) leading the Competence Center, Manfred Lueger follows Regina Dittrich into well-deserved retirement. From 1 January 2020 onwards, Katharina Miko-Schefzig is the new head of the Competence Center, with Thomas Rusch as deputy head.