May 18 commemoration, Kwangju, South Korea (Photo: Nick Cheesman)
A Workshop for Research Students and Early Career Researchers
Convened by the Interpretation, Method and Critique network
Monday 24th to Thursday 27th November, 2025
On campus at the University of Melbourne
Held concurrently with the 2025 APSA Conference at the University of Melbourne, this workshop will train participants in interpretive methodologies and methods for political scientists. This is a great chance for you to work together with a group of instructors from universities across Australia and join with peers in thinking and working on how to design and do political inquiry.
Current Higher Degree Research students and Early Career Researchers who are attending the conference are eligible to apply. Participants from the ANU are eligible to apply for a stipend to cover costs of travel and accommodation for the conference.
Programme
This workshop will run alongside the 2025 Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) conference, and participants will have the opportunity to attend both the workshop and any conference sessions and activities of their choosing. Participants must be registered to attend the APSA conference to take part in the workshop.
Monday, November 24th: APSA PhD Conference and Introductory Modules
Participants will attend two sessions that form the introductory modules of the workshop. In these sessions, participants will get an overview of seminal thinkers, texts and ideas that form the basis for the workshop. These modules will be integrated into other activities on the PhD Conference day.
Tuesday - Thursday, November 25th to 27th: Elective Modules
For the remaining three days, participants will select and attend two modules per day of their own choosing. These will take place concurrently with APSA conference panels, and participants will be able to select which elective modules they wish to attend.
Each module will be led by an individual instructor. The modules will include training in interpretive methods including field observational research (ethnography) and textual analysis (Critical Discourse Analysis, Multimodal Discourse Analysis, the Discourse Historical Approach), comparative research design, the principles and practice of interviewing, Interpretive Policy Analysis, as well as critical methodologies (for decolonizing, queer, and more-than-human research). Practical exercises will include note-taking skills in observational research, textual analysis operations, and designing for research ethics, among others.
Tuesday, November 25th dinner
A workshop dinner for all participants will be held on the Tuesday night at a venue near the University of Melbourne.
Workshop Preparation
All participants will be asked to read a small set of materials for the first day, prior to the workshop. For the following days, additional readings will be assigned by instructors of electives. All readings will be provided digitally. No other work will be required prior to the workshop.
Participants will be expected to engage actively with the contents of the workshop over the duration of the conference. They will not be asked to present on their own research, though they may be invited to reflect on their research experience in dialogue.
Instructors
The workshop will be led in person at the campus of the University of Melbourne by a team of experienced and dedicated instructors: April Biccum, Senior Lecturer, School of Politics & International Relations, Australian National University (ANU); Nick Cheesman, Associate Professor, Department of Political & Social Change, ANU; Jack Corbett, Professor of Politics & International Relations, Monash University; Colette Einfeld, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, College of Asia and the Pacific, ANU; Stefanie Fishel, Senior Lecturer, School of Law & Society, University of the Sunshine Coast; Helen Sullivan, Professor of Public Policy, ANU College of Asia & the Pacific; and Cai Wilkinson, Associate Professor of International Relations, Deakin University.
Eligibility
Higher Degree Research students and Early Career Researchers in the political or social sciences at any university in Australia are welcomed to apply. No specific training in the methods taught in this workshop, or experience in using them, is necessary. Any attendees to the 2025 APSA conference are welcomed to apply for this workshop.
To participate in the workshop, participants are required to also attend the 2025 APSA conference. Please see the APSA website for information surrounding registration, including deadlines for registrationand financial assistance.
Costs
The workshop is supported by the ANU’s Strategic Learning and Teaching Grants scheme, and there are no costs for participation or for the workshop dinner.
Participants are required to independently register to attend the APSA conference. APSA provides applications for funding support on their website, including a travel bursary and carer support. Please note that the current deadline for APSA applications for travel bursaries and carer support is 12 September. If you wish to apply for this support, please do so as early as possible, noting that this workshop application is due at a later date.
Stipends
We are able to offer $500 stipends to a limited number of participants from the ANU. This is to support interstate travel, accommodation and conference attendance costs.
If you seek one of the stipends, please indicate that in your application. Priority will be given to participants who applied for the previous methods workshop in April at the ANU, yet were unable to attend due to number constraints.
Applications
To apply, complete this form.
Deadline for applications: October 3rd, 2025
Questions?
Address questions about the programme, eligibility and stipends to Nick Cheesman at nick.cheesman@anu.edu.au
Address questions about the online application form or other matters to Emma Crocker at emmakcrocker@gmail.com