Capacity building-FDP cum training programme on Advanced Quantitative Methods in Social Science Research 

Chandigarh, March 4, 2025: A one week capacity building-faculty development programme cum training programme on Advanced Quantitative Methods in Social Science Research started at the ICSSR North Western Regional Centre, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Former Vice Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, Prof. B.S. Ghuman, delivered keynote address and highlighted the importance of using quantitative methods in Social Science research. He elaborated the logical epistemology of research and highlighted the need of integrating the quantitative methods with qualitative aspect of social science research under the triangulation and Meta analysis-based frameworks. 
Prof. Ghuman cautioned the researchers on using quantitative methods without knowing their theoretical assumptions. He compared the modern era of research that uses AI based tools with the old days when a researcher had to face many difficulties for quantitative analysis. While emphasising on the utility of advanced statistical packages, he said, although results are available on a mouse click these days yet the authenticity of those results heavily depends upon the theoretical knowledge of researcher in the field of that technique applied. Even people are using AI for writing research papers etc. that is subject to plagiarism and can be detected through many open source and commercial packages, he  added.
Director of PU Research and Development Cell, Prof. Yojna Rawat, chaired the inaugural session as chief guest and deliberated on the idea of Indian flavour of Social Science Research. She viewed that understanding appropriate tools, techniques for data collection, management of collected data, its analysis and presentation of its output in proper form is essential for any form of research. A proper orientation towards research methodology in social sciences is highly required in the universities and research institutions, she further added.
Earlier, the Director, ICSSR North Western Regional Centre, Prof. Upasna Joshi Sethi introduced the theme of the programme and introduced the chief guest and keynote speakers of the day. She highlighted the use of quantitative methods in Social Science Research and highlighted the importance of such programmes in updating the research aptitude of faculty and research scholars. Social Research is a continuous process. Over the years the philosophy and empirics of social research has been changing with the growth of knowledge. Likewise, different research paradigms have been emerged and reformulated itself with the need of the hour. Research methods are means of providing the evidence to examine ideas that helps to enhancing exiting body of knowledge through scientific and systematic way. In India, social research has been titled towards quantitative methods due to preponderance of positivism in our academic history. Now the time has changed, qualitative research has been getting popular with the narratives and world views of small communities especially the marginalised. It is true that, in a big country like India, need for quantitative research will prevail but orientation on qualitative research methods as well innovative research methods, like hybrid methods and participatory research has a great scope in our country, she further added.. 
Dr. Nitin Arora, Coordinator of Programme, thanked the guests of the day.