Within the DigiCreate project – Intercultural Digital Dialogue and Networking in Cultural and Creative Industries for Young People – partners have developed the Research Methodology and Feasibility Study Guide, a key publication supporting the validation of the DigiCreate methodological framework and the preparation of future training and mentoring activities.

This guide provides a structured research framework that enables partners to collect reliable and comparable data across all participating countries. It ensures that the project’s educational tools, mentoring models, and digital learning activities are based on real needs and evidence from young people engaged in, or aspiring to enter, the cultural and creative industries.

Purpose of the guide

Young people working in creative fields often face barriers such as limited access to training opportunities, digital gaps, financial constraints, and unequal participation in non-formal education. The DigiCreate project responds to these challenges by promoting inclusive digital learning, intercultural exchange, and skills development tailored to the realities of young creatives across Europe and the Western Balkans.

The Research Methodology and Feasibility Study Guide was created to support this process by defining how partners will explore youth needs, identify skill gaps, and assess the feasibility of implementing mentoring and training programmes in their national contexts.

What the guide contains

The publication outlines the full research process used in DigiCreate, including:

• Clear research goals and key questions focused on youth skills, barriers, and opportunities in the creative sector

• A mixed-methods research approach combining desk research, online questionnaires, focus groups, and feasibility studies

• Sampling guidelines ensuring diverse participation of young people aged 18–30 from different educational, cultural, and professional backgrounds

• Standardised tools for data collection and analysis to ensure consistency across partner countries

• Feasibility study criteria assessing technical, organisational, financial, legal, and stakeholder aspects necessary for successful implementation of project activities

By using a shared methodological framework, the DigiCreate consortium ensures that research findings are comparable, reliable, and useful for shaping future project outputs.

How the research supports DigiCreate activities

The research process follows a step-by-step approach. First, partners conduct desk research and online surveys to gather broad quantitative data on youth experiences and needs. This is followed by qualitative focus groups that explore participants’ perspectives in more depth. Finally, feasibility studies assess the practical conditions required to implement mentoring programmes and digital learning activities in each country.

The results of this process will directly inform the development of DigiCreate training curricula, mentoring structures, and digital learning tools. In this way, the guide plays a crucial role in ensuring that all project outputs are inclusive, relevant, and adaptable to different national contexts.