Later he obtained a doctorate in sociology at the University of Deusto in 1995, with the thesis "Ondasunekiko harremanak Justo Mokoroaren Repertorio de locuciones del habla popular vasca esaera bilduman", directed by the Basque sociologist Francisco Garmendia Agirrezabalaga.
In 2002 he received the Mikel Zarate essay prize awarded by the Royal Academy of the Basque Language for the book Euskal Herria globalizazioaren aurrean: XXI mendean eragina izango duten zenbait eragileren azterketa (Bilbao Bizkaia Kutxa, 2001).
[7][8] As a researcher he is a member of Euskobarómetro, the electoral analysis group of the University of the Basque Country.
[9] From 2009 to 2016 he was a member of the Ethics Committee for Research with Human Beings (CEISH) of the University of the Basque Country.
[18][19] He is also part of the team of the UNESCO Chair of Human Rights and Public Powers at the University of the Basque Country.