Models, Methods, and Data

Whether we use smartphones, online banking, social media, or smart home devices, data have become an integral part of everyday life and permeate virtually every area of our lives. Researchers collect data systematically through surveys and experiments. At the same time, vast amounts of data are generated as a byproduct of our use of digital devices and social networks, as well as through processes within businesses, government bodies, and other organizations. 

Understanding individual behavior, social dynamics, political decision-making, and economic developments requires more than large volumes of data. What matters are powerful models and innovative methods that can generate robust insights from high-quality data. These include AI-assisted methods for designing, conducting, and analyzing surveys that enable researchers to respond rapidly to major societal developments such as elections, pandemics, or the adoption of new technologies.  
 

A key area of empirical and analytical research at the University of Mannheim is the development and application of advanced methods to better capture, analyze, and explain processes of social, political, and economic change. These include demographic change, shifts in voting behavior, digitalization and automation, as well as the effects of new legislation and policy reforms.