Welcome to the ECPR Winter School in Methods and Techniques! Good research requires a solid methodology. The ECPR has always pushed this concept as part of its vision for the development of political research.The ECPR Winter School in Methods and Techniques (WSMT), which will be held for the first time from 11 to 18 February 2012 at the University of Vienna in Austria, will be an annual event, complementing the ECPR Summer School in Methods and Techniques (SSMT) , and for the same public of advanced students and junior researchers in political science and adjacent disciplines.The WSMT, specifically, features both introductory courses and more advanced courses (parallel courses -- all courses are taught during the same time slot), in a one-week format, while the intermediate-level courses are held at the SSMT in Ljubljana, in a two-week or a one-week course format.The WSMT also features some additional Software training courses, as well as a lively plenary and social programme