Does the Certificate in Journalism Research Skills include data journalism?

Light coverage — basic spreadsheet work and FOI-released data analysis. For deeper data journalism, look at the Diploma in Journalism which includes a substantial data-journalism module.

How is the Certificate in Journalism Research Skills different from the Certificate in Investigative Journalism Basics?

They overlap. Research Skills is a methods-focused course centred on tools and registers. Investigative Journalism Basics is investigation-focused, covering research methods plus story planning, source protection and source-led work. Many students take both.

Will I make real FOI requests on the Certificate in Journalism Research Skills?

Yes. The FOI module is built around real submissions to public bodies. Most students leave with at least one substantive piece of FOI-led reporting in progress, plus a working understanding of the appeal route.

Can I take the Certificate in Journalism Research Skills fully online?

Yes. The online route covers all modules with live tutored sessions. Companies House, Land Registry and similar work is conducted online anyway, so the online format suits the course content.

Will the Certificate in Journalism Research Skills help with non-journalism research roles?

Yes — many of the techniques (FOI, Companies House, verification) transfer to think-tank research, NGO investigative work, due-diligence roles and policy research.

Certificate in Journalism Research Skills | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Journalism Research Skills at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a short, practical UK qualification in the research discipline a working reporter is expected to bring to every story. Across three to six months you will learn to file Freedom of Information requests, navigate Companies House, the Land Registry and the Charity Commission, verify documents and images, and build a contacts book that actually rings back.

Research is the unglamorous half of journalism that decides whether your story stands up. This Certificate is for reporters who want their research craft to be a strength rather than a weakness.

Key Features

FOI module — drafting, filing, escalating, appealing to the ICO.
Public registers workshop — Companies House, Land Registry, Charity Commission, Insolvency Service, the Gazette.
Verification module — image, video, document and source verification at working level.
Source-building workshop — finding, cultivating and maintaining sources ethically.
Three study modes — on-campus, fully online, or distance learning.
Articulation into the Diploma in Journalism Research and the Diploma in Investigative Journalism.

What You Will Learn

The Certificate in Journalism Research Skills is built around the research tasks a working reporter completes routinely.

Freedom of Information Act 2000 — the Act, exemptions, public-interest test, appeal process.
Companies House — filings, directors, persons of significant control, charges.
Land Registry — title searches, ownership chains, charges.
Charity Commission — public accounts, trustee details, complaints.
The London Gazette and Insolvency Service.
Verification — reverse image search, video provenance, document checking.
OSINT basics for journalists.
Source building — finding, cultivating, maintaining sources ethically.

Who This Course Is For

Junior reporters wanting to strengthen their research craft.
Bloggers and freelance writers ready to publish accountability work.
Press officers and corporate-affairs staff who deal with journalists' research requests.
Public-policy researchers using journalist-style methods in their work.

Career Pathways

The Certificate is a craft-strengthening credential supporting moves into accountability journalism and research-heavy reporting beats. Typical applications include:

Junior News Reporter (with research strength on the application)
Editorial Researcher (broadcast, longform podcast, current-affairs production)
Investigative Junior (specialist desk, non-profit investigations outlet)
OSINT Analyst (newsroom, NGO)
Fact-checker (publisher in-house, specialist fact-checking unit)
Continued Study (Diploma in Journalism Research, Diploma in Investigative Journalism)

The Certificate articulates into the Diploma in Journalism Research at LSJHML for students continuing.

Entry Requirements

Minimum age 16.
Secondary school qualification (GCSE/O-Level or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) for non-native English speakers.
No prior journalism experience required.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.