Date: 08/10/2026
Masterclass: Analysing large volumes of data with AI and computational methods
At a glance
When: Friday 30 April 2027, 10.00–12.00
Where: University of Southampton, Room TBC
Who it is for: All SCDTP students and postdoctoral fellows. All welcome.
About the masterclass
Social scientists increasingly find themselves holding more data than they can read: thousands of documents, transcripts, posts or records. This masterclass looks at what AI and computational methods can realistically do with material at that scale, and – just as importantly – what they cannot.
The session is practical and sceptical in equal measure. It covers the main families of technique, where each one earns its place, and the questions you should ask before trusting an output you could not have produced by hand.
What you can expect
- An overview of computational approaches to large text and data collections.
- Where large language models genuinely help, and where they introduce error you will not see.
- Validation: how to check machine-assisted analysis against your own reading.
- The ethical and methodological questions worth settling before you start, rather than after.
How to join
Analysing large volumes of data with AI and computational methods – Fill in form
