Introducing the spsTREND Survey School
Objective
The spsTREND Survey School is an annual school promoted by the spsTREND research lab, dedicated to advanced training for early-career researchers in quantitative social research, with a specific focus on survey data and on the study of attitudes and values. The main objective of the school is to provide analytical, methodological, and applied tools for the analysis of attitudes and values using survey data, in a comparative and longitudinal perspective.
The school responds to the need to strengthen advanced competencies in survey data analysis, to create an intensive training space that connects theoretical approaches and analytical practices, to build a community of young scholars interested in attitudes and values, and to valorize the data, expertise and research networks developed within spsTREND. At the same time, it offers participants the opportunity to present their own work and receive structured feedback.
Each year, the school will have a different methodological focus. In the medium term, annual editions may address a range of topics, including but not limited to: the study of attitudes and values over time, issues of measurement equivalence and structural equation modelling, approaches to causality and experimental designs, as well as data collection–related topics such as sampling strategies and questionnaire design.
During the school, participants will also have the opportunity to present their research and receive focused and in-depth feedback aimed at strengthening the analytical contribution of their work.
General program
The school takes place over three days in the Department of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Milano. On the first day, activities include an introductory presentation of survey data resources by the spsTREND lab and a lecture by an invited speaker on the topic of the year. The second day opens with a morning session dedicated to participants’ presentations and related discussion, followed by teaching in the afternoon by the invited speaker. The third and last day is devoted to participants’ presentations.
Coffee breaks will be built into each session, a shared lunch is planned for the second day, and informal social activities will offer further opportunities to connect and exchange ideas.
Target audience
The school is primarily addressed to PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, early-career researchers, and master’s students with a strong methodological background. Given the intensive and advanced nature of the School, admission is contingent upon an adequate methodological background, and the number of participants will be limited.
Participants will be selected by the school’s scientific committee through a call for proposals. Selection criteria will include a) the coherence of the proposal with the theme of the school; b) the quality of the proposal itself, and c) the candidate’s scientific CV.
The call will be published approximately six months before the school, and applicants will be informed of the selection outcome at least two months before.
Standing Scientific Committee (alphabetical order): Giulia Dotti Sani, Simona Guglielmi, Francesco Molteni, Andrea Pedrazzani, Simone Sarti.
spsTREND 2026 Survey School – First Edition
The call for the 2026 spsTREND Survey School is open!
Multilevel Models for Comparative Survey Data
University of Milan, 24–26 November 2026
Instructor: Malcolm Fairbrother
Dates of the school: 24, 25, 26 November 2026
For more information and application details, please visit the 2026 spsTREND Survey School webpage.
2026 Organizing Committee: Giulia Dotti Sani, Simona Guglielmi, Francesco Molteni, Andrea Pedrazzani, Simone Sarti, Zeynep Mentesoglu, Marta Moroni, Chiara Moruzzi, Alice Sanarico
For any questions, please contact spstrend@unimi.it