About

The New Zealand Social Statistics Network (NZSSN) was established to assist in the development of advanced social science research in the academic, government and private research sectors. The intent of the network is to provide a focus for both sharing research development resources and improving the accessibility of quantitative research data.

NZSSN’s intent and activities are in line with those of ACSPRI - the Australian Consortium for Social and Political Research Incorporated. Activities of NZSSN include research methods courses, seminar series, workshops and hosting international visitors in association with national and international colleagues. NZSSN has already hosted five summer short course programmes, beginning with the single course Using Mixed Methods in Research and Program Evaluation in 2005. In addition NZSSN has held a large number of seminars on advanced quantitative methods and workshops on event history modelling and social simulation (both microsimulation and agent-based).

The network is administered through the Centre of Methods and Policy Application in the Social Sciences (COMPASS Research Centre) at The University of Auckland. We have also set up the New Zealand Social Science Data Service (NZSSDS), which provides online access to and analysis of data and metadata from various New Zealand surveys in the social sciences.

NZSSN hosts a programmes of courses in social research methods, modelled on ACSPRI short course programmes. NZSSN courses are designed to cater to fundamental, changing and emerging research strategies, and to serve a wide variety of needs for training and professional development within the academic, public and private sectors. Courses cater not only to researchers in the social and political sciences, but also to those in areas such as the behavioural sciences, medical and health sciences, epidemiology, policy research, education, economics, law, management, marketing, public relations and human resource management.

NZSSN Programmes aim to bring a practical and applied approach to research methods and data analysis, promoting hands-on learning opportunities and using highly skilled and experienced instructors from around New Zealand and overseas.