Postgraduate and doctoral researchers looking to strengthen their research, data-analysis and academic writing skills can apply for a free 10-day Research Methodology Course in India organised by the Department of Humanities and Management at Dr B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar (NITJ) and sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi.
The intensive course, titled “Data-Driven Research Methods in Social Sciences and Academic Research Integrity,” will take place from 14 to 24 December 2026 at NIT Jalandhar, Punjab, India.
There is no registration fee for selected participants, while accommodation arrangements will be made for outstation participants. Eligible participants may also receive reimbursement of eligible travel expenses, making the programme particularly attractive to researchers seeking affordable research training.
Applications are open until 30 November 2026.
Free Research Methodology Course in India 2026
The 10-day programme has been designed primarily for researchers working in Social Sciences, Commerce and Management. It aims to provide participants with practical knowledge of contemporary research methods, analytical techniques, research software and academic integrity.
Modern social science research increasingly requires researchers to work with multiple forms of evidence, including survey data, administrative datasets, interviews, experiments and digital data. The course therefore combines research foundations with advanced quantitative, qualitative and data-driven approaches.
Participants will also gain exposure to widely used research tools, helping them translate methodological knowledge into practical academic research outputs.
What Will Participants Learn?
The course covers a broad range of topics relevant to postgraduate and doctoral research.
Key areas include:
- Research foundations and research design
- Literature reviews and research-gap identification
- Systematic literature reviews and bibliometric analysis
- Theory development
- Measurement and scale development
- Instrument validation
- Qualitative research design and analysis
- Sampling and hypothesis testing
- Statistical foundations
- Regression, mediation and moderation analysis
- Time-series and panel-data analysis
- Experimental research design
- Mixed-methods research
- Natural Language Processing and sentiment analysis
- Topic modelling
- Machine learning and text mining
- Explainable Artificial Intelligence
- Academic writing and reference management
- Publication ethics and journal selection
- Peer review and research integrity
The programme also includes practical exposure to research and data-analysis software such as STATA, SmartPLS, NVivo/ATLAS.ti and reference-management tools.
Who Can Apply?
The programme is open to applicants who are currently enrolled in a Postgraduate (PG), PhD or Post-Doctoral Fellowship (PDF) programme at an eligible institution.
Applicants must be enrolled at a:
- UGC-recognised university
- Deemed-to-be university
- College recognised under Sections 2(f)/12(B) of the UGC Act
- Institute of National Importance
- ICSSR research institute
- Other recognised institution
The application must be duly forwarded by the competent authority of the applicant’s affiliating institution.
A maximum of 30 participants will be selected, comprising 10 local participants, 10 participants from within Punjab and 10 participants from the rest of India.
Selection will be conducted according to applicable ICSSR guidelines, and the decision of the selection committee will be final.
No Registration Fee for Selected Participants
One of the biggest advantages of the programme is that selected participants will not be required to pay a registration fee.
Outstation participants will also have accommodation arrangements made for them.
In addition, travel expenses may be reimbursed for eligible participants. The organisers state that reimbursement will cover second-class/sleeper-class railway or bus fare through the shortest route, up to a maximum of INR 1,000, subject to the production of original tickets.
Applicants should carefully review the official course conditions before making travel arrangements.
Important Requirements
Participants must attend all sessions during the programme. No leave of any kind is permitted during the course period.
Each selected participant must also bring their own laptop, as the course includes practical research and data-analysis sessions.
Participants who successfully complete the programme will receive a certificate.
The course will be held at the Committee Room, Department of Humanities and Management, Dr B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, Punjab, India.
Important Dates
Applicants should take note of the following dates:
Application deadline: 30 November 2026
Selected candidates notified: 2 December 2026
Course dates: 14–24 December 2026
Since only 30 participants will be selected, eligible researchers are encouraged to submit their applications before the deadline.
How to Apply
Interested candidates must complete the official registration form and have it duly forwarded by their supervisor and Head of Department/institution.
A scanned copy of the completed registration form in PDF format must then be uploaded through the online application form before the deadline.
Selected participants will also be required to produce the original registration form on the first day of the course.
Registration deadline: 30 November 2026
Registration form: Apply through the official Google Form
Why This Course Is Valuable for Researchers
For PG and PhD scholars, strong research methodology is essential for producing credible dissertations, journal articles and other academic outputs. This course offers participants an opportunity to develop these skills through an intensive programme covering both traditional and emerging research approaches.
The combination of quantitative methods, qualitative research, experimental design, machine learning, text mining, research software, academic writing and publication ethics makes the programme particularly relevant to researchers preparing for advanced academic research.
The availability of free registration for selected participants, accommodation support for outstation participants and limited travel reimbursement further reduces the financial barriers associated with attending an in-person research training programme.
With only 30 places available, eligible PG, PhD and postdoctoral researchers should consider applying before the 30 November 2026 deadline.
Course Contacts
For registration and other queries, applicants may contact the course organisers through the details provided in the official announcement.
Course Director: Prof. Sonia Chawla
Phone: 9888250412
Email: chawlas@nitj.ac.in
Co-Course Director: Dr Satish Chandra Pant
Phone: 8791422294
Email: pantsc@nitj.ac.in
The programme is organised by the Department of Humanities and Management, Dr B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, with sponsorship from ICSSR, New Delhi.
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