Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences: Regression Analysis December 7-9, 2023 – Doha, Qatar
In December 2023, APSA held its inaugural MENA methods training program in partnership with the Doha Institute of Graduate Studies and the Arab Political Science Network (APSN) in December 2023. Led by Drs. Abdelkarim Amengay (Doha Institute), Sarah Mansour (Cairo University), and Ammar Shamaileh (Doha Institute), the multi-component program, featuring both virtual and in-person sessions, aimed to equip early-career scholars with intermediate-level training on understanding and applying quantitative methods in social science research. Twenty-two graduate students and early-career Arab scholars participated in the program, which commenced with three introductory virtual sessions (90 mins each) held over Zoom in November 2023, followed by a 3-day in-person workshop from December 7-9, 2023 at the Doha Institute. The virtual component served as an introduction to regression analysis, with sessions on statistical inference, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and difference-in-differences. In preparation for the more rigorous in-person program, co-leaders assigned pertinent readings to the fellows (see reading list and schedule). The in-person workshop delved deeper into regression analysis, covering topics ranging from linear regression, OLS and its Assumptions to, among others, causality and difference-in-differences. Morning lectures were followed by practical, hands-on assignments in the lab, including introductions to statistical programming in R and SPSS. Participants were also encouraged to bring their own research questions and datasets to apply the learned concepts during the workshop. Additionally, the program included office hours designated for fellows to seek feedback and guidance on their research from the co-leaders.
Upon completing the program, fellows received a one-year membership to APSA. Scholars will also be encouraged to apply for the MENA Mentoring Initiative as they will be prioritized for pairing with mentors. The mentorship, lasting 3-6 months, aims to advance a specific scholarly output such as journal article, book chapter, book project, dataset, etc.
Abdallah Abolouz, Governance and Local Development Institute, Jordan
Mona Hedaya, Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, Qatar
Mostefa Bousboua (PhD), University Badji Mokhtar Annaba, Algeria
Nabil Aouad, University Cadi Ayyad, Morocco
Nadia El Dakroury, Cairo University, Egypt
Raneem Alaa, Ain Shams University; Egypt
Ramy Magdy (PhD), Cairo University, Egypt
Sara Elkhatib, Doha Institute, Qatar
Shady Elsherif, The Information and Decision Support Center, Egypt
Wadee Alarabeed, Centre for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS), Qatar
Yassine Ben Abou, Ibn Tofail University, Morocco
Yousra Kadi (PhD), Sultan Moulay Slimane, Morocco
Zinat Hassan, Doha Institute, Qatar
Research Proposal Development Workshop:Studying Political Behavior in the Middle East and North Africa January 6-11, 2024 – Cairo, Egypt
APSA MENA held its tenth annual workshop in Cairo in partnership with the American University in Cairo (AUC). Led by Drs. Amr Adly (AUC), Nermin Allam (Rutgers University), Mazen Hassan (Cairo University), and Elizabeth Nugent (Princeton University), the program commenced with a 2-hour virtual session held over zoom in October 2023, followed by a six-day in-person workshop from January 6-11, 2024, hosted at the AUC Tahrir campus. The skill-building program supported 18 fellows in developing and refining their PhD dissertation and research proposals within the field of political behavior. Throughout the 6-day program, fellows advanced their knowledge of theoretical frameworks and enhanced their writing skills necessary for crafting research proposals that explore various dimensions of political behavior in the MENA region.
The workshop facilitators guided fellows in setting clear objectives for their writing, ensuring their proposals are coherent and aligned with their research objectives. Lectures delved into key components of a research proposal, including discussions on research questions and literature, research design and methods, fieldwork/data collection, ethics, best practices, and building a theoretical framework. These sessions were complemented by working groups where participants engaged in practical exercises applying the concepts to their research projects and discussing the assigned readings (see the workshop schedule and reading list for details).
A key component of the program was research proposal feedback sessions where fellows presented their research projects and received constructive feedback from their peers and workshop co-leaders on the substance and research design of their proposals.
The co-leaders were extremely supportive, welcoming, and generous with their advice and knowledge. I felt a strong sense that all the co-leaders had a genuine desire to help all of us become better scholars and to guide us on both a professional and personal level.” – Workshop Fellow
In addition to lectures, feedback panels, and working groups, participants had the opportunity to attend professional development sessions. A roundtable discussion on researching political behavior in the region featured guest speakers Marwa Shalaby (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Neil Ketchley (University of Oxford) who spoke about their ongoing book projects and experience conducting fieldwork in the region. During a session on publication strategies, journal editors Nadia Naquib (Director of Editorial Acquisitions at The American University in Cairo Press), Bassel Salloukh (Middle East Law and Governance), and Frederic Volpi (Mediterranean Politics) shared insights on targeting appropriate journals and achieving publication.
Following their participation in the workshop, fellows received a complimentary 3-year membership to APSA and joined the growing APSA MENA Workshop alumni community.
Abdulla Al-Kalisy, University of St Andrews, UK
Dalia Abdelnabi, American University in Cairo, Egypt
Dhouha Djerbi, Geneva Graduate Institute, Switzerland
Dina Osama Lotfy, Cairo University, Egypt
El Moussar Larbi, Ibn Zohr University, Morocco
Farah Nasser Rasmi, Geneva Graduate Institute, Switzerland
Humeyra Biricik, University of Oxford, UK
Khadija Ali Oubedda, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Qatar
Omar Aziez, Philipps Marburg University, Germany
Oussama Othmani, University of Sousse, Tunisia
Reem Akef, Cairo University, Egypt
Sama Mamdouh, New Giza University, Egypt
Mariam Ghafir, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Fatima-Ezzahra Lemrani, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco
Fatima Almoussaoui, University of Cambridge, UK
Yasmine Haiti, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
Rola Yousef, Catholic University of Lisbon, Portugal
