1. GESIS Summer School 2026

The “GESIS Summer School in Survey Methodology” offers a comprehensive program in survey methodology, research design, and data analysis. Courses run from 22 July to 14 August 2026, with formats including onsite sessions at GESIS Cologne, online participation via Zoom, and hybrid options.

Program Overview:

• Week 1 (22–24 July): Short Courses
  • Introduction to R for Data Analysis
  • Introduction to Stata for Data Management and Analysis
  • Pretesting Survey Questions
  • Collecting and Aggregating Evidence Across Multiple Studies
• Week 2 (27–31 July)
  • Factorial Survey Design
  • Advanced Questionnaire Design
  • AI-Assisted Surveys: Using AI Tools at Each Step of the Survey Research Process
• Week 3 (03–07 August)
  • Data Science Techniques for Survey Researchers
  • Latent Variable Modeling in Survey Research: Classical and New Approaches
  • Advanced Survey Design
• Week 4 (10–14 August)
  • Causal Inference Using Survey Design
  • Applied Introduction to Bots in Web-based Studies
  • Sampling and Weighting in Survey Statistics
  • Applied Causal Inference Using Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs)

Additional Information:

• ECTS Credits: Participants may obtain a certificate for 4 ECTS credits per one-week course through a cooperation with the University of Mannheim.
• Scholarships: The European Survey Research Association (ESRA) provides four scholarships for one-week courses.
• Registration: There is no fixed deadline, but places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Full program details and registration information can be found at www.gesis.org/summerschool. GESIS also offers additional workshops on survey methods throughout the year, including sessions on Bayesian Modeling, Conjoint Survey Experiments, and Survey Data Integration.

2. Interdisciplinary Summer School “Location Matters”

The Data Science Center (DSC) at the University of Bremen, in collaboration with the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology (BIPS) and the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), invites applications for the “Location Matters” Summer School. This event will take place from 13–17 July 2026 at the University of Bremen.

The curriculum is designed for researchers utilizing geospatial data to investigate regional inequalities, environmental exposures, and spatial patterns. It addresses common challenges, such as identifying suitable datasets, managing spatial units and projections, and navigating ethical considerations.

Key Program Features:

• Lectures: Foundational concepts, analytical strategies, and current research challenges.
• Hands-on Sessions: Practical training in QGIS and R for collection, processing, analysis, and visualization.
• Networking: Interdisciplinary discussions and formal networking opportunities.
• Bring-your-own-data Clinic: Dedicated consultation slots for addressing individual research questions.
• Academic Exchange: Poster sessions and lightning talks, including a Best Poster Award.

Participation Details:

• Target Audience: Primarily PhD students; advanced Master's students and postdocs may be considered pending availability.
• Fees: Participation is free of charge.
• Deadline: Applications must be submitted by 4 May 2026.

Further information, the call for applications, and the application form are available on the official Summer School website.

3) Innsbruck Summer School on Methods in Youth and Educational Research

Dates: 6–10 July 2026

Location: University of Innsbruck, Austria

Organizers: Austrian Youth Research Network in collaboration with the Faculty of Educational Sciences and the Research Center "Education, Generation, and Life Course."

This summer school offers a specialized program featuring eight workshops, each lasting 1.5 days, covering both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The curriculum is designed to support researchers in the fields of youth and educational studies through technical training and expert dialogue.

• Workshop Topics:
  • Qualitative: Social spatial analysis, qualitative content analysis, documentary method, and participatory youth research.
  • Quantitative: Regression analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and mediation and moderation analysis.
• Dialogue Day: The third day features expert-led discussions on research ethics, media research, and strategies for engaging "hard-to-reach" groups in educational contexts.

Detailed information regarding the program and registration can be found in the attached flyer or on the official website.

4) New Season of "Meet the Experts": Survey Methodology and Digital Behavioral Data

Starting in April 2026, the online series "Meet the Experts" returns with a new season focused on "GESIS Guides: Survey Methodology and Digital Behavioral Data explained." Not really a summer school, but a series of inputs from well known researchers in the field of methods.

This series highlights the GESIS Guides, which provide structured, practice-oriented recommendations for researchers working with survey data and Digital Behavioral Data (DBD). Whether you require guidance on survey planning and implementation or a modular introduction to the collection, management, and ethics of DBD, these sessions offer evidence-based insights directly from the authors.

Each one-hour session consists of an expert presentation followed by an interactive Q&A and discussion period.

Event Schedule

• 23 April 2026: GESIS Guides: Transitioning from interviewer-administered to self-administered mode designs in repeated cross-sectional surveys (Heller)
• 07 May 2026: GESIS Guides: Overview of Adapters for Tuning Large Language Models (LLMs) (Romberg)
• 11 June 2026: GESIS Guides: Non-Probability Surveys (Felderer)
• 09 July 2026: GESIS Guides: What is Computational Reproducibility? (Bleier)

For further details and to register for the sessions, please visit the official GESIS Meet the Experts website.