Methodological depth
Research design grounded in the standards of academic social science, from survey construction and sampling logic to experimental design and causal identification.
Empirica · Research design, public opinion, and causal analysis
Evidence you can defend when the stakes are real.
We help organisations design stronger surveys, run cleaner experiments, and interpret data with the level of care that important decisions deserve. The goal is not more output. It is better judgment.
Why Empirica
A small consultancy built for questions that cannot afford sloppy answers.
In a world where AI can generate answers instantly and off-the-shelf solutions are increasingly common, what matters is rigorous judgment: knowing what your evidence really shows, where it is weak, and how to improve it before you act.
Senior attention throughout
We take on a limited number of projects so each one gets sustained focus. No black-box process, no delegation to juniors, and no inflated overhead means lower costs and leaner budgets.
Clear advice, honestly delivered
Good analysis does not just point to what the data suggests. It also makes the limits visible, so decisions are based on evidence you can trust.
Services
Research support from design through interpretation.
We work with organisations that need reliable answers about publics, stakeholders, messages, or internal decision-making. Engagements can be narrowly scoped or built around a larger research programme.
01
Public opinion research and survey design
End-to-end support for questionnaire design, measurement strategy, sampling decisions, fieldwork planning, and statistical analysis. Ideal for understanding audiences, tracking attitudes over time, or informing policy and communications choices.
02
Survey experiments and message testing
Randomised tests embedded in surveys to identify what actually changes beliefs, reactions, or intended behaviour. Useful for evaluating frames, messages, concepts, and strategic alternatives before rollout.
03
Causal analysis of existing data
Quantitative analysis for teams that already have data but need stronger inference. This includes regression-based work, matching, panel strategies, difference-in-differences, and design review for internal research.
04
Strategic methodological advisory
A flexible advisory relationship for organisations running their own studies and wanting an external expert to review instruments, stress-test findings, and sharpen the research roadmap.
Ways To Work Together
Flexible formats, built around the problem in front of you.
Some clients need a focused second opinion. Others need a partner across an entire study. The structure can be light-touch or fully embedded, depending on what the work requires.
Diagnostic Session
- Clarify the core research question
- Review an existing survey, experiment, or dataset
- Identify methodological risks and next steps
- Leave with practical recommendations
Research Project
- Design and execute a bespoke research plan
- Support fieldwork and implementation decisions
- Analyse results with clear interpretation
- Deliver reporting built for decision-makers
Ongoing Advisory
- Regular access to methodological expertise
- Review of instruments and interim findings
- Support on evolving research priorities
- Priority turnaround for active projects
Process
A simple process designed to reduce noise early.
The first priority is usually not analysis. It is making sure the question, design, and evidence strategy are strong enough that the analysis will mean something.
Frame the decision
We clarify what you need to decide, what evidence would count, and where the biggest uncertainties sit.
Design the research
We choose the right combination of survey design, experimentation, or observational analysis for the problem.
Interpret with discipline
You get results translated into strategic implications, together with an honest account of limitations and confidence.
About
A research practice, not a research factory.
I’m Daniel Cruz Doggenweiler, a political scientist and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Copenhagen, with an affiliation at King’s College London. My academic work focuses on public opinion, survey experiments, and causal identification in the study of political attitudes and behaviour.
I started Empirica to bring that level of methodological care to organisations outside academia: teams that need more than a fast dashboard or a generic research vendor, and want advice grounded in evidence that will stand up to scrutiny.
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Copenhagen
Affiliated Researcher, King’s College London
PhD in Political Science, University of Copenhagen
MSc, University of Copenhagen · MA, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Specialist in survey experiments, public opinion, and causal inference
Associates
Trusted collaborators for projects that need additional depth.
Some engagements benefit from complementary expertise. When that is the case, we collaborate with trusted researchers whose work meets the same standards of methodological seriousness.
Dr. Kristina Pedersen
Postdoctoral Researcher · Copenhagen Business School and NYU CSMaP
Kristina specialises in computational political science, using natural language processing, large-scale text analysis, and quasi-experimental research to study political communication, media systems, and online behaviour. She brings strong digital-methods capacity to projects that combine survey evidence with platform or text data.
Josephine Arnfred
PhD Fellow · Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen
Josephine works on public administration, gender representation, and organisational behaviour, with particular expertise in survey experiments and institutional analysis. She is especially valuable for projects involving public-sector organisations, workplace dynamics, and representation-related questions.
Contact
If the question matters, let’s make sure the evidence does too.
If you have a project in mind, an existing study you want reviewed, or an important decision that needs stronger evidence behind it, send us an email. Initial conversations are straightforward and obligation-free, and Daniel responds personally.
daniel.cruz@ifs.ku.dkDirect contact. No forms, no funnel, no handoff.