Dieser Workshop wird in Kooperation mit dem LIfBi un dder BAGSS angeboten.

Short Outline
This seminar offers a hands-on introduction to statistical modeling and key machine learning techniques. Using the statistical programming language R, theoretical concepts are not only introduced but also implemented in practice.
Participants will explore a variety of techniques, ranging from classical statistical models to modern machine learning methods. Emphasis is placed on understanding the assumptions behind different approaches, interpreting results meaningfully, and applying these methods to real-world data.
Topics covered:
- Maximum Likelihood Estimation and Model Interpretation
- Interaction Modeling and Probit Models (incl. marginal effects)
- Count Data Models and Multilevel Modeling
- Regression and Classification Techniques
- Introduction to Decision Trees and Causal Forests for Causal Inference
- Hands-on exercises using R
The seminar consists of a combination of lectures and practical exercises. To ensure all participants are able to engage in the applied components of the course, a short introductory crash course in R will be offered at the beginning of the seminar on Monday. This session is voluntary and aimed at those who are new to R, but it also serves as a useful refresher for participants with prior experience.

Prerequisites
- A solid foundation in applied statistics up to multiple linear regression is expected.
- Prior exposure to models beyond linear regression (e.g., logistic or Probit models) is helpful but not required.
- No prior experience with R is necessary, but a willingness to learn and engage with coding is essential.

Date & Time: Monday, February 23th, 2026 – Friday, February 27th, 2026, 09.30 a.m. to 01.00
p.m. (s.t.)

Place: BAGSS, Feldkirchenstraße 21, 96050 Bamberg, Room FG1/00.06

Work Units: 20

About the Trainer
Dr. Sandra Jaworeck is a researcher and lecturer at the Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg, specializing in applied statistics and computational methods in the social sciences. Her work focuses on the intersection of quantitative methodology and substantive research questions, with a particular interest in causal inference and machine learning. She has extensive experience teaching data analysis and statistical modeling to students from various disciplinary backgrounds.

Registration: To register, please send an email to courses.bagss(at)uni-bamberg.de by February 20th, 2026. Registration is mandatory. The number of participants is limited to 16.

This workshop is offered in cooperation with BAGSS and LIfBi 

Short outline:

This interactive workshop helps PhD students develop and refine their research papers for pub-lication. Across several blocked sessions, participants receive input on effective paper structure, clear academic writing, and strategies for communicating their argument—especially in quan-titative social science research, though students from all methodological backgrounds are wel-come. Moreover, the workshop introduces key aspects of the publishing process: choosing an appropriate journal, understanding submission and review procedures, responding to review-ers, and engaging in peer review. Open science practices and their relevance for credible, trans-parent research are discussed throughout.

Course sessions are structured in three parts:
(1) input sessions on writing and publishing,
(2) discussions of participants’ papers, and
(3) writing sessions where students can work on their texts and ask questions in real time.

Participants bring their own work at any stage of the writing process, from extended abstracts to full drafts. Each paper will be read by all participants, ensuring that every student has at least one in-depth discussion of their work during the course. Sessions provide structured peer and instructor feedback and opportunities for in-class discussion. Feedback is provided both during sessions and asynchronously, giving students the opportunity to reflect on and revise their work between sessions. By the end of the course, students will have advanced their manuscripts and gained practical insights into the entire academic publishing process.

On Wednesday, 06 May 2026 (9.00 a.m. – 2.30 p.m.), there will be an opportunity for an addi-tional voluntary feedback session.

Target group:

The workshop mainly aims at doctoral members of LIfBi, TRAc and BAGSS. In case of any vacant places, it is open to anyone interested.

Date & Time:

Wednesday, 22 April 2026, 09.00 a.m. to 02.30 p.m. (s.t.) &
Wednesday, 13 May 2026, 09.00 a.m. to 02.30 p.m. (s.t.) &
Wednesday, 10 June 2026, 09.00 a.m. to 02.30 p.m. (s.t.)

Place:

BAGSS, Feldkirchenstraße 21, 96050 Bamberg, Room FG1/00.06

Work units: 18 AE

Registration:

To register, please send an email to courses.bagss(at)uni-bamberg.de by Monday, March 16, 2026. Registration is mandatory. The number of participants is limited to 12.

About the trainer:

Christina Siegert joined the department the Chair of Sociology, especially Family and Work at the University of Bamberg as a postdoctoral researcher in October 2025. She completed her PhD on “Poverty risk within couples across the family life course” at the University of Vienna in the same year. Her research has been recognized with the Theodor Körner Prize (2024) and the Kurt Rothschild Prize (2025).
Before joining the department, Christina held research positions at the University of Vienna, the Vienna University of Economics and Business, and Statistics Austria. She also worked as a social policy expert at Diakonie Austria. She serves on the board of the “Social Inequality” sec-tion of the Austrian Sociological Association (ÖGS), co-organizes the Conference for Young Pov-erty Research as part of the Austrian Poverty Conference, and is a member of the “Income and Wealth” working group within the Austrian Socio-Economic Panel (ASEP).