JASR grants the following two certificates.

The Certificate of Social Researcher

The Certificate of Social Researcher is granted to undergraduate students who have not only acquired basic research methodology and analysis techniques but who have also attained understanding of social research processes ? from planning to reporting.

Students who have completed all of the qualified social research courses (Courses A to G, shown at right) and have graduated from a member university of the Certification Program will be granted this Certification.

The Certificate of Advanced Social Researcher

The Certificate of Advanced Social Researcher is a certification for professional researchers who are qualified as experts of social research. An individual who holds this certificate is assured to have the practical research abilities for planning, managing, conducting and reporting on a comprehensive research project incorporating various techniques, while also being adept at problem shooting and assessment of research project validity.

JASR grants the Certificate of Advanced Social Researcher (regular) to graduate students who, holding the Certificate of Social Researcher, have completed all of the required courses as stipulated in the Standard Curriculum (Courses H to J, shown at right) and who have written an advanced-level research paper in an area of social research at the time of completing the master’s degree. The Certificate of Advanced Social Researcher (by dissertation) can also be granted to academic researchers who have achieved highly professional results and to those in business who have already worked in advanced practical research in the field of social research.

The Certificate documents:
The certificate document of the Social Researcher (light brown on upper left), the Advanced Social Researcher (blue black on lower left) and contents of the certificate document (displayed on right)

JASR sets forth the Standard Curriculum, which represents a set of standard courses for social research education that enables students to learn social research knowledge and skills in a systematic method. Member universities of the Certified Social Researcher Program prepare a curriculum comprising each course category from A to J according to the Standard Curriculum and submit this to JASR for qualification.

JASR then proceeds to review all submitted course syllabi and if acceptable certifies that the courses are appropriate for the Certified Social Researcher Program. In academic year 2020, JASR certified 2,616 courses offered at 207 universities and 266 departments.

For more information

JASR holds seminars in courses S1 and S2 for graduate students who wish to achieve the Certificate of Advanced Social Researcher (regular), but did not have an opportunity to obtain the required Certificate of Social Researcher on campus. Course S1 corresponds to social research Courses A, B, and C, while course S2 is equivalent to Courses D and E; both are courses in the Standard Curriculum for the Certificate of Social Researcher. Graduate students are allowed to apply for the Certificate of Social Researcher at the same time as they apply for the Certificate of Advanced Social Researcher (regular) if they complete courses S1 and S2 and pass the relevant examination.

These seminars, although principally targeted at graduate students, are also open to non-students who aim to improve their social research abilities. For practitioners, completing these seminars is counted as filling a requirement to achieve the Certificate of Advanced Social Researcher (by dissertation).

Furthermore, for those who wish to attain the Certificate of Advanced Social Researcher (by dissertation), JASR holds a seminar on advanced social research every year. This is comparable in content to Courses H, I and J in the Standard Curriculum, and equivalent to the graduate school-level professional education on social research methodology. For a person in the graduate school or in business, the completion of this seminar is counted as filling a requirement to qualify for the Certificate of Advanced Social Researcher (by dissertation).

Apart from certification, the seminar on advanced social research provides useful learning opportunities for researchers and practitioners intending to improve their competence in social research by acquiring advanced quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques and practical skills.

In order to maintain and improve the quality of practical social research training that is so essential to social research education, JASR provides financial support to several qualified practical social research training courses (Course G) after screening, and grants funding (up to \300,000) to partially cover training expenses. An applicant for this grant must submit a concretely drafted implementation plan and proof of inability to meet full expenses for the practical social research training. In academic year 2019, the Association provided grants to 7 universities to back up their practical social research training courses.

JASR organizes symposiums and lecture meetings on professional research knowledge and techniques. Experts of social research from within Japan and abroad are invited as presenters. Every year in November JASR convenes two important events: a general meeting and a liaison professor meeting. Normally a symposium or a lecture meeting is also held on the same day.

To date, the following lecture presentations and symposiums have been convened:

For the purpose of promoting activities and academic pursuits in the field of social research, JASR has presented awards to Association members and advanced social researchers under the age of 45 every year since 2011.

Award for Excellence in Scholarly Research

This award is presented in honor of those who have continuously been working on their professional social research activities and achieved a level of excellence in their scholarly work (papers, books, research reports and international dissemination of information).

Award for Distinguished Articles

This award is presented to the authors of distinguished papers (including research reports and practical research training reports) that have appeared in the JASR journal, Advances in Social Research.

The award winners in 2019 (front row) and JASR directors (back row).

In order to improve the general quality of social research, JASR provides advice and training in planning, designing and analyzing the results of various surveys for organizations and institutions conducting social research.

JASR helps in training staff members at public agencies, enterprises and schools in understanding social research, acquiring basic methodology and techniques, analyzing data and interpreting analysis results. For example, JASR offers them training programs, introduces lecturers for their worksites or workshops and also provides them with instructional materials.

Journal of the Japanese Association for Social Research: Advances in Social Research

JASR has issued its journal, Advances in Social Research (in Japanese), biannually since September 2008. The journal aims to improve research quality and promote public understanding of the significance of social research. The journal serves as a general forum for social research, delivering information on the current global situation and addressing the challenges therein.

Association members automatically receive a subscription to the journal and it is also available for sale at bookstores. Thus, Advances in Social Research to the dissemination of useful information and knowledge regarding the significance of and trends in contemporary social research to people in academia, business and education, in the hope that it can strengthen the field ? from research design to report writing.

Advances in Social Research