This will be our 13th residential training event for post-doctoral researchers. There are 25 fully-funded (travel and accommodation) places available for early-career researchers from across the social sciences.

This Autumn School has been designed to challenge you to think deeply about the topic of visualisation, going beyond the typical 'how-to' training course. Participants will engage in exercises which will encourage them to think beyond the orthodox in designing visualisations.

The core of the Autumn School will be training provided by renowned data visualisation expert Andy Kirk. You can find out more about Andy at: www.visualisingdata.com/about. There will be keynote speakers, each of whom will provide a different perspective on engaging with visualisation and the visual field. A key aim will be to explore how innovative quantitative and qualitative uses of visualisations in research can help us to see society, culture, economics and history in new ways.

Days two and three of the Autumn School will be structured around a proven design workflow. Across the sessions, delegates will build up, stage by stage, a detailed understanding of the different aspects of decision-making that goes into any data visualisation or infographic design work. The content is delivered through a blend of teaching, discussion and group practice. The practical exercises vary in nature, from evaluating work to conceiving ideas, identifying best-fit solutions and exploring data.

The approach will not be framed around specific tools or applications. Throughout the session, there will be references to some of the most common, contemporary technologies but the emphasis is on the underlying craft, regardless of your tools or skills.

Materials will be issued digitally (e.g. through Dropbox or a USB flash drive) and will cover all teaching content, exercise files and useful resources. Attendees should bring fully-charged laptops to use as a convenient workspace for the sessions. The only software requirements are access to Microsoft Excel, a web browser and a PDF reader - no other technical or skill-based pre-requisities exist.

By the end of the Autumn School, participants will:

• Understand the range of elements that a good visualisation needs to take into account; clarifying the differences between good and bad visualisation design
• Challenge their existing thinking about creating and consuming visualisation works
• Appreciate the wide range of analytical and design options available, including chart types, features of interactivity, annotation, colour application and composition
• Manage an efficient workflow, giving you the confidence to make astute choices based on sound principles and practical guidelines
• Be inspired to elevate their ambitions by broadening their visual vocabulary and being exposed to the latest techniques and contemporary resources for developing their data visualisation capabilities
• Be able to place visualisations within broader developments in the social sciences
• Make use of visualisations to raise new questions about the social worlds we live in

Please note that there is an application procedure for this event, the deadline is at 4pm on 17th August, we are aiming to have decisions sent out by the 31st August.