A coordinated suite of Interactive Learning WebApps
Interactive learning resources for postgraduate research methods.
Three Interactive Learning WebApps supporting research literacy, methodological confidence, and analytical expertise across the humanities and social sciences. Each one is designed around the same pedagogical principles: learning through doing, embedded literacy support, scaffolded progression, and informed methodological choice. Every chapter contains interactive activities — tools, exercises and decision-points that turn reading into practice.
Students practise with sample data first, then apply what they have learnt to their own research. Reflection and planning activities throughout help readers anchor concepts in their own projects.
§ 01 · The WebApps
In development
Three Interactive Learning WebApps are in active development. Each foreword and example activity below is drawn from the WebApp itself, giving a preview of the full resource — the complete WebApps will be available soon.
Research Literacy & Design
Interactive Learning WebApp · 8 chapters · interactive activities throughout
Introduces paradigmatic thinking to students encountering concepts like ontology, epistemology, and paradigm for the first time. Coverage across eight social science disciplines shows both what unites them methodologically and where their traditions diverge.
Interactive tools include: Reality Spectrum for exploring ontological positions, Method × Paradigm Explorer, Design Coherence Challenge, Method Builder game, Analysis Route Finder, and a Project Designer for building and comparing research designs across different paradigmatic stances.
Qualitative Analysis Methods
Interactive Learning WebApp · 10 chapters · interactive activities throughout
Enables students to try on different analytical approaches in low-stakes practice environments. A “multiple lenses” exercise demonstrates how the same data yields different findings through different approaches — building confidence for informed methodological choice.
Interactive tools include: Text Explorer for linguistic-marker detection, a Transcript Preparation Tool, plus analytical workspaces for Thematic Analysis, Qualitative Content Analysis, Discourse-Marker Analysis, and Narrative Analysis.
Quantitative Analysis for Small Studies
In developmentInteractive Learning WebApp · 17 chapters · interactive activities throughout
Designed specifically for research with up to around 120 participants — the size typical of dissertation research, programme evaluations, and practitioner enquiries. Guided calculators show every computational step, building understanding rather than black-box dependence. Consistent emphasis on effect sizes alongside significance testing.
Interactive tools will include: guided calculators for all major statistical tests, a Questionnaire Builder, Analysis Plan Generator, Inferential Report Generator, and Test Your Knowledge quizzes across ten topic areas.
§ 02 · How they work
Client-side, vanilla, and yours
All three WebApps share the same technical approach: everything runs inside the reader’s browser, with no data ever leaving the device.
Vanilla code only
HTML, CSS, JavaScript. No frameworks, no build step, no dependencies that change beneath you.
Nothing leaves the browser
All exercises, calculations and uploads stay on the reader’s machine. Press F12 to verify there are no outbound calls.
For mixed cohorts
Written to support a wide range of experience — from researchers entirely new to a method through to doctoral students refining technique.
§ 03 · About and contact
About the author
Developed by Dr Pauline Prevett, Reader in Education at the University of Manchester, where she leads PhD research training in the School of Environment, Education and Development. The WebApps have grown out of more than two decades of teaching research methods to postgraduate and doctoral students.
More about Pauline’s work at paulineprevett.com.
ENQUIRIES
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