This half-day workshop delves into the breadth of methodological options available to legal researchers, including doctrinal, theoretical, comparative, and empirical approaches. Participants will discuss what is meant by “methodological rigour” and how it can be achieved in legal scholarship. They will also reflect on the necessity of articulating and defending chosen approaches in the thesis.

1.   Intro to legal research methods: Saskia Vermeylen (U. of Strathclyde)

2.   Legal theory for non-theorists: Alexander Houghton (U. of Stirling)

3.   Doctrinal research beyond description:  Mátyás Bódig (U. of Abderdeen)

4.   Comparative Law: Alexander Simmonds (U. of Dundee)

5.   Empirical legal methods: Xiaoren Wang (U. of Dundee)