Social science perspectives on climate change and development

University of Copenhagen

Xaquín S. Pérez-Sindín López

Category: The nature of research

  • Early maps and diagrams. A little bit of history

    The earliest seeds of visualization arose in geometric diagrams, in tables of the positions of stars and other celestial bodies, and in the making of maps to aid in navigation and exploration. The idea of coordinates was used by ancient Egyptian surveyors in laying out towns, earthly and heavenly positions were located by something akin to latitude and…

  • A Brief History of Data Visualization. Michael Friendly (2006)

    It is common to think of statistical graphics and data visualization as relatively modern developments in statistics. In fact, the graphic representation of quantitative information has deep roots. These roots reach into the histories of the earliest map-making and visual depiction, and later into thematic cartography, statistics and statistical graphics, medicine, and other fields. Along the way, developments in…

  • Identifying Valid Research: Key Signs to Look For

    updated 16 march 2026 The word research is everywhere. We hear it in political speeches, in television reports, in newspaper headlines, and in advertising. Politicians justify decisions by saying they are based on “research.” Media outlets report the results of polls and surveys as if they automatically represented reliable knowledge. Companies promote products by referring…

  • Technology, social change and the need of market research

    We tend to think that the technology is a quite recent development, but the truth is that it comes from the beginning of the human history. It has always been a crucial factor for the social change and for the change of our lives. Inclusive relatively simple inventions such as stirrup. “This invention, that allows…

  • The meaning of qualitative methods

    Throwing an eye over the definition provided by oxford dictionary will make easier to understand the meaning of the term qualitative method. The word “method” refers to “a particular procedure for accomplishing or approaching something, especially a systematic or established one”. On the other hand, if we claim the same source for the word qualitative…

  • The meaning of market research

    (The current post may be considered as the starting shot for a number of post to be publish over the next four month as part of the didactic material of the Qualitative methods for market research subject from Master in Management in the Faculty of Economics of University of Gdansk  (See about for further details)…

  • The nature of research

    In our second week´s lecture we had the pleasure of welcome five new students. After a brief introduction of themself we went over a few reminders of the past class, such as the main course objective. Bear in mind: “Learning how to collect relevant information for your own research project”. And I emphasized the word…