Research day: Empirical methods in legal research

The Faculty of Law at Hasselt University is organising its annual Research Day. The current theme will put emphasis on the role of empirical methods in legal research. The event aims to provide both theoretical and practical insights into the use of empirical methodologies within the legal discipline.

As part of the programme, prof. dr. Sofie Hennau will deliver a keynote lecture on the fundamental principles of qualitative empirical research, offering participants an introduction to key concepts and methodological considerations. In addition, the Research Day seeks to create a platform for academics with experience in empirical research to share reflections and lessons learned from their own research practice. Dr. Elien Goossens (KU Leuven), whose doctoral dissertation "Victimisation in Detention: Prevalence, Causes and Consequences" made extensive use of empirical research methods, will share her experiences conducting empirical legal research and discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating empirical approaches into legal scholarship. With this year's edition of the Research Day, we hope to bring together legal researchers at different stages of their academic careers and with varying levels of experience in empirical research methods. By fostering dialogue between researchers who are new to empirical approaches and those with established expertise, the event aims to encourage methodological reflection, knowledge exchange, and interdisciplinary learning within the legal research community.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the Research Day, participants will be able to situate and critically assess the role and added value of empirical research methods within legal scholarship and identify the key characteristics of qualitative empirical research. Participants will gain insight into the methodological choices, challenges and opportunities associated with the design and conduct of empirical legal research from both a theoretical and a practice-oriented perspective. In addition, participants will become familiar with concrete experiences from empirical research projects and reflect on how empirical methods can be incorporated into their own research. Through the keynote lecture and the sharing of practical experiences, the Research Day aims to strengthen participants' methodological awareness and understanding of empirical approaches in legal research. The event also provides ample opportunity for interaction and exchange between researchers at different stages of their academic careers and with varying levels of expertise in empirical research methodology.  

Competences

An important part of preparing for any further professional step is becoming (more) aware of the competences you have developed and/or want to develop. In the current workshop, the following competences from the UHasselt competency overview are actively dealt with:

• academic research competences:
  • subject knowledge
• intellectual competences:
  • analytical thinking

For whom?

• PhD students and postdocs

When and where?

• 13 November, 2026 - 12:30-16:30
• Campus Hasselt, Old Prison, Blue Room

Registration?

• Registration is possible here until 03 November, 2026.
• Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cf. cancellation & no-show policy).

Acknowledged as?

• DS BSH: category 'advanced discipline-specific knowledge' - 0.5 point D