The world of work is undergoing profound transformations. Technological disruption, demographic shifts, climate change, global health shocks, rising inequality, and geopolitical fragmentation have converged to create a complex and uncertain environment for labour markets. Job displacement due to automation, growing informality, skills mismatches, widening gender gaps, and the need for climate-resilient transitions are just a few of the critical issues that policymakers and social partners must grapple with today.

In this rapidly evolving context, the demand for evidence-informed and data-driven policymaking has never been greater. Governments, trade unions, employers' organizations, and international agencies are increasingly expected to deliver not just policies, but results, backed by credible analysis, inclusive dialogue, and measurable impact. Yet, the capacity to generate, understand, and apply research remains uneven across countries and institutions.

Too often, policy is made in the absence of solid evidence, or evidence is used selectively, misinterpreted, or ignored. Even where data exists, there may be a gap in understanding research methods, how studies are designed, how conclusions are drawn, and how to assess the reliability and relevance of findings. Without these skills, well-intentioned actors risk relying on anecdote, ideology, or external prescriptions rather than informed judgement and critical inquiry.

This is where research methods become essential. Understanding research methods is not just a technical skill, it is a foundation for informed decision-making, participatory governance, and effective social dialogue. It allows practitioners to distinguish correlation from causation, to evaluate policy interventions, and to meaningfully engage with academic research, evaluation reports, and statistical findings.

This course, offered as part of the Diploma in Evidence-Based Public Policy by the ILO Research Department and ITCILO, responds directly to this capacity gap. It is designed to equip policymakers and practitioners, especially from ministries, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and labour market institutions, with the confidence and competence to engage with research, use it to shape decisions, and ensure policies are rooted in the lived realities of people and work.

Through this course, participants will not only improve their understanding of how research works, but also become better equipped to co-create solutions, navigate uncertainty, and advance decent work through the power of evidence.

In the face of complex and fast-changing labour market realities, the ability to understand how research is generated, conducted, interpreted and used has become a core skill for policy actors. Whether designing employment policies, negotiating reforms, or assessing programme impact, decision-makers across ministries, workers’ organizations, employers’ federations, think tanks and development agencies must increasingly rely on solid evidence and sound analysis.

Yet many policy practitioners feel overwhelmed by research terminology, statistical jargon, or methodological debates. This online course demystifies the research process and provides a clear, accessible and practical pathway through the essential elements of research: from identifying policy problems and formulating research questions, to selecting appropriate methodological approaches, conducting research, understanding how data are collected and analysed, and are generated in real-world contexts, and engaging critically with findings. It enables participants to understand not only what research says, but how it is produced and why this matters for labour and social policy.

The course serves as a foundational building block within the broader Evidence-Based Policymaking (EBPM) framework developed by the ILO and ITCILO, serving also as a methodological foundation for the Diploma.  It does not require prior research experience and is designed with non-technical users in mind. Participants will explore key research concepts, types of evidence, methodological choices, data sources, and ethical dimensions in an engaging in a practical, engaging, and inclusive way, drawing on real-world examples.

The emphasis is not on producing academic research, but rather on becoming an informed and strategic user and co-producer of research for policy purposes, able to engage effectively with researchers, statisticians, data analysts and social partners. The training links directly to the ILO's decent work agenda and supports national and sectoral efforts to strengthen data-driven dialogue, negotiation, and policy reform.

Through live sessions, videos, hands-on exercises, and real-world case studies, participants will:

• Understand the logic of research questions, and the language of research methods,
• Explore quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches,
• Learn how different types of data are gathered and organised,
• Gain confidence in interpreting basic and analytical outputs,
• Assess the quality, credibility and relevance of evidence
• Discuss the politics and ethics of research use,
• Identify situations of “politics-based evidence”, when evidence is sought to justify pre-decided policy positions,
• Use research strategically in policy, programme and dialogue processes,
• Build confidence to work with researchers, statisticians, and data analysts.

This is an essential course for anyone working on policies, programmes, negotiations, or advocacy efforts related to employment, labour markets, social protection, skills development, or social justice more broadly.

• Policymakers, government officials, and representatives from ministries in the fields of labour, employment, and the broader world of work.
• ILO and UN staff and development practitioners and consultants
• Representatives of Trade Unions and employers’ organisations
• Public investment, employment and labour market policy advisers
• Policy analysts working for national and global think tanks, financial institutions, research departments and foundations
• Individuals interested in or actively contributing to the provision of information, analysis, and recommendations crucial for policymaking and advocacy.

This course will be delivered online and divided into eight content modules, each accompanied by follow-up activities and assignments. It requires an overall commitment of 60 hours of active study/participation.

During the training, each of the 8 learning modules of the course has a fixed structure and includes the following components:

1. Online, with the group and ILO trainer and/or invited speakers (session of 120 min).
2. Individual self-learning, activities and assignments, as well as group activities.
3. Forum discussions, self-facilitated or facilitated by the ILO and ITCILO trainers.

This course introduces participants to the foundations of research methods in the context of labour market and social policy.

The course is structured around eight core modules:

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Identify and classify different types of research methods (quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods) and understand when and how each should be used in policy contexts.
• Formulate clear and relevant research questions aligned with real-world policy challenges and the priorities of workers, employers, and governments.
• Understand how data are generated in labour market and social policy settings, recognising the role of institutions, systems and stakeholders in shaping the evidence available.
• Use a range of data collection tools, including surveys, interviews, consultations and participatory approaches, and understand their strengths and limitations.
• Interpret research findings and statistical data with greater confidence, understanding key concepts such as correlation vs. causation, sampling, and bias.
• Assess the quality, credibility, and relevance of research and reports, distinguishing robust evidence from opinion, advocacy, or misinformation.
• Recognise the dynamics of selective use of evidence, including situations where evidence is selectively gathered or interpreted to justify pre-determined policy choices, and learn how to navigate these dynamics constructively.
• Collaborate effectively with researchers and data teams, knowing what questions to ask and how to use research strategically in your work.
• Apply evidence to support social dialogue, policy briefs, and negotiations, ensuring policies are grounded in facts, not just beliefs or assumptions.
• Build a stronger foundation for further learning, including advanced courses in research communication, impact evaluation, labour market analysis, and evidence synthesis.

At the end of the course, in order to evaluate the knowledge and skills learnt, participants will be required to submit an individual policy brief for review by the ILO/ITCILO specialists and trainers. Upon successful completion of this assignment, participants will receive an ITCILO Certificate of Achievement.

This course is part of the Diploma in Evidence-Based Public Policy, launched jointly by the ILO Research Department and the ITCILO’s Employment Policy and Analysis Programme.