The Department of Methodology at LSE is catholic with regard to methodology: we support both standalone qualitative and quantitative research, as well as interesting ways of combining them. We encourage applications from candidates who demonstrate an interest in a substantive area of research and particular methodological approach, aiming at a methodological development. This could involve collecting innovative new data, new analytic techniques, method comparison, evaluation or validation, method critique, applying existing methodology in new contexts, or cost-benefit analysis of methodologies. All research students are admitted to the programme as MPhil students, until they are upgraded to PhD. After this year, you will spend more time on independent study under the guidance of your supervisor. This will involve the collection, organisation and analysis of data, and writing up the results. You will be expected to make an active contribution to research seminars by presenting papers and joining in the discussions.