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MetAt - January 14, 2025 logbook

Share our methodological expertise and skills.

Event, Workshop

Salle K.011, 1 place Saint Thomas d'Aquin 75007 Paris

NOTA BENE



What is METAT?


METAT is a research methods support workshop: every month, a three-hour slot to help you resolve the methodological difficulties you encounter in the course of a scientific project. 

Who is METAT for?


METAT is aimed at anyone needing occasional support in using a research tool or method. All profiles are welcome: students, doctoral students, researchers, research engineering professionals and others, inside and outside Sciences Po, with no restrictions on status or affiliation.

How to register?


Registration is compulsory via the form available on the METAT page.

 

Session of 14/01/2025

Location: Sciences Po, 1 place Saint Thomas d’Aquin, 75007 Paris.

Supervisors: Antoine Rio, Blazej Palat, Guillaume Levrier, Julien Pontoire, Guillaume Plique, Béatrice Mazoyer, Fynch Meynent, Sandra Hamiche.

Datawrapper for spatial visualization

Support for a PhD student looking for a software to annotate a map with store names and basic information about houses and properties (e.g. owner/tenant, residence, etc.). The supervisor began by examining two databases already prepared by the PhD student. After identifying data visualization needs, they chose datawrapper over QGIS. They cleaned up both databases according to the requirements of the digital tool. Then, a first graph was created to illustrate the use of datawrapper, visualizing the residential addresses of different professions (bosses, managers, employees) in the wholesale trade in a city in the région Île-de-France. The supervisor and doctoral student will keep in touch to organize a second coaching session to continue the research and creation of graphics.

Smallest space analysis (SSA)

Support for a doctoral student wishing to reproduce the results of a small space analysis performed by Schwartz, in order to apply it to her/his thesis data in psychology, dealing with basic individual values in work. The supervisor researched this type of statistical analysis, which seemed unfamiliar to the assembly that day, and suggested using RSTUDIO to replicate the results. After several attempts, the results were mixed, either because of the doctoral student's data or because of the procedure used. Therefore, the support provided needs to be continued.

Introduction to the Mérimée database for research in heritage law

Support for a doctoral student who, for her/his thesis, needed to evaluate the way in which the classification of objects (immovable and movable) as heritage is evolving, particularly with regard to the concept of public interest. The supervisors explored the Ministry of Culture's front-end, as well as the dataset made available on data.gouv.fr. The xan command-line tool was used to make a sub-selection of around three thousand entries for listed/inscribed buildings after the year 2000 (out of a total of three hundred thousand). This will give the PhD student an idea of how classification has evolved over the recent period, particularly in view of the saturation of the French heritage inventory over the previous period. She/He now has these data in CSV format, as well as the beginnings of an observable notebook with some processing functions, which should enable him/her to make contact with the Ministry's Mérimée office.

Doctissimo data collection and introduction to lexicometrics

Accompaniment of a PhD student seeking to collect and analyze a list of topics on the Doctissimo sub-forum “Alcohol Dependence”. The list was filtered using a chronological and lexical filter. All comments relating to this topic were then collected using Shelob. The supervisors then gave a short introduction to lexicometrics and to the exploration of textual data collected with xan. Finally, general methodological advice for the future exploitation of the corpus with R was provided by the supervisors.

IRD database fusion 

Support for a doctoral student seeking help in analyzing population data on the exposure of disabled women to domestic violence. Initially, the supervisor showed her how to merge databases with R dplyr and to use the questionnaire to filter data according to criteria. He also introduced her to the notion of “join”. Finally, methodological advice was given on handling missing values and weighting. The doctoral student will use the mergers performed to carry out statistical analyses. She/He will probably attend the next MetAt.

Qualitative analysis of interviews with K-pop cover dancers

Accompaniment of a PhD student wishing to be initiated into qualitative methods (particularly in relation to gender and bodies) in order to analyze interviews conducted with groups of French dancers performing K-pop cover dances. This initial corpus was supplemented by a study of the reception of videos from social networks, from which these young people drew inspiration for their choreographies. The supervisor introduced her to the theoretical foundations of the reception studies (S. Hall's coding/decoding model) and other canonical qualitative analysis methods (A. Strauss and B. Strauss's grounded theory, C. Geertz's interpretive anthropology) to go beyond simple thematic analysis. Other bibliographical suggestions were made, notably in the direction of fan studies (H. Jenkins). The coding/decoding model was then used to test her/his data. Finally, methodological advice was also given on the structure of the thesis (literature review, theoretical framework and methodology, arrangement of results).