Social research methods are a means of providing evidence to examine ideas about society and are important to social scientists who want to study a particular problem or to test a theory. They are also fundamental tools of value to government, service providers, and to business. You will gain skills in a diverse range of quantitative and qualitative research methods and engage with ‘live’ research issues and external organisations. For example, some of the recent Research in Practice placements have been with: the police (approaches to mental health issues) a local charity (women in homeless settings) a housing charity (experiences of private renters) an international development NGO (education for girls in Global South) an organisation supporting migrants in Scotland