Category / REF Subjects

Positionality in qualitative research

international, open access, Publishing, student research, Women's Academic Network, writing

At the online editorial board meeting today [Saturday 29th June] of the Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology I had the pleasure of seeing Bournemouth University’s latest paper ‘The Importance of Positionality for Qualitative Researchers‘ ahead of publication [1].  The lead author of this paper is Hannah Gurr and this methodology paper is part of her M.Res. research project in Social Work.  Hannah is supervised by Dr. Louise Oliver, Dr. Orlanda Harvey and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS).

Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology is a Gold Open Access journal so when it appears online it will be free to read for anybody across the globe.

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health

Reference:

  1. Gurr, H., Oliver, L., Harvey, O., Subedi, M.van Teijlingen, E. (2024) The Importance of Positionality for Qualitative Researchers, Dhaulagiri Journal of Sociology and Anthropology 18 (1): 48-54.

ACM SIGCOMM Test of Time Award

 

Happy to share that our paper entitled “Probabilistic in-network caching for information-centric networks” published in ACM ICN 2012 has been identified as one of the top 1% most cited/downloaded papers in the ACM Digital Library from those published between 2012-2014 and was considered for the 2024 ACM SIGCOMM Test of Time Award. The research was part of the work conducted under the EU ICT COMET project.

The paper was co-authored by Wei Chai,  Yiannis Psaras (protocol.ai) and George Pavlou (University College London).

BU MSc Student, Sarah Clark, presents MSc dissertation research at BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference 2024

conferences, student research

Sarah, who is a BU MSc Student studying Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, presented research from her MSc dissertation on Friday 7th June at The BPS Division of Health Psychology Annual Conference 2024.

Supervised by Dr Emily Arden-Close, Sarah’s dissertation delved into the daily experiences of autistic individuals with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). This was lived-experience research as Sarah has both conditions herself, and therefore engaging with her study participants carried huge emotional relevance and importance to her personally.

The research found that traits commonly associated with autism, such as the need for routine and structure, significantly aid in planning daily activities and managing EDS symptoms. However, participants also highlighted the psychological challenges of having to adjust meticulously planned routines due to acute pain and fatigue flare-ups. This qualitative research underscores the complexity and challenges faced by those living with both hEDS and autism.

Sarah was diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (a rarely diagnosed genetic connective tissue disorder) in February 2020. This diagnosis came after fifteen years of physical symptoms which were misdiagnosed as Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. Sarah has an extremely rare co-condition called Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) and has studied for her Masters degree on a prescription liquid-only diet, unable to eat food.

Sarah was diagnosed with autism in May 2022, after realising she is autistic thanks to the lectures on autism on her MSc course at BU!

Acknowledging the transformative impact of formal diagnosis on her life, Sarah has embraced lifestyle changes and effective self-management strategies for her hEDS and various co-morbidities.

Sarah sits as a patient expert in the EDS International Consortium, Psychiatric and Psychological Aspects Working Group, and Sarah presented her BMJ paper, “Help me trust you after my misdiagnosis,” at The EDS Global Learning Conference in Dublin last August.

Alongside being a student here, Sarah also works at BU as a Student Ambassador, Digitial Marketing Ambassador and a member of BU PIER (as a member of the public). Passionate about medical education and raising awareness of rare health conditions, Sarah regularly engages in public awareness, volunteering, and charity fundraising.

Influenced by her own health journey and navigating the complexities of the healthcare system, coupled with Complex PTSD from childhood trauma, Sarah has developed a keen interest in various aspects of the diagnostic journey.

In March 2024, Sarah’s art exhibition “Seeking Meaning in Diagnosis” was held in the Atrium Gallery at BU. Sarah recently won the SUBU Award in the “Outstanding Contribution to Equality” category.

As well as being a patient expert, photographer and blogger Sarah is also a keen yogi and she was featured in Hotpod Yoga’s Move with Purpose Campaign, discussing her late-autism diagnosis.

To learn more about Sarah’s inspirational diagnostic journey – visit her website.

FHSS academics’ paper cited 1,000 times

international, Publishing, Training, writing

This morning ResearchGate alerted us that our paper published two decades ago ‘The Importance of Pilot Studies’ has now been cited one thousand times [1].  This methods paper in the Nursing Standard is very often used by authors quoting a  paper in their research methods section when they have done pilot or feasibility study for a larger-scale study. This paper is also our second top cited paper with 1,982 citations on Google Scholar and, interestingly enough, on SCOPUS it is not listed at all.

Pilot studies are a crucial element of a good study design. Conducting a pilot study does not guarantee success in the main study, but it does increase the likelihood of success. Pilot studies fulfill a range of important functions and can provide valuable insights for other researchers. There is a need for more discussion among researchers of both the process and outcomes of pilot studies. 

This paper is one of several methods paper focusing on pilot studies we have published over the past 22 years [2-7].

 

Professors Vanora Hundley & Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health

 

 

References:

  1. van Teijlingen E, Hundley, V. (2002) ‘The importance of pilot studies’ Nursing Standard 16(40): 33-36. Web: nursing-standard.co.uk/archives/vol16-40/pdfs/vol16w40p3336.pdf
  2. van Teijlingen E, Rennie, AM., Hundley, V, Graham, W. (2001) The importance of conducting & reporting pilot studies: example of Scottish Births Survey, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 34: 289-95.
  3. Simkhada, P, Bhatta, P., van Teijlingen E (2006) Importance of piloting questionnaire on sexual health research (Letter), Wilderness & Environmental Medical Journal, 17(4): 295-96. wemjournal.org/wmsonline/?request=get-document&issn=1080-6032&volume=017&issue=04&page=0295#Ref
  4. van Teijlingen E, Hundley, V. (2001) The importance of pilot studies, Social Research Update Issue 35, (Editor N. Gilbert), Guildford: University of Surrey.  Web:  http://www.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sru/SRU35.html
  5. Hundley, V., van Teijlingen E. (2002) The role of pilot studies in midwifery research RCM Midwives Journal 5(11): 372-74.
  6. van Teijlingen E, Hundley, V. (2005) Pilot studies in family planning & reproductive health care, Journal of Family Planning & Reproductive Health Care 31(3): 219-21.
  7. van Teijlingen E, Hundley, V. (2003) Pilot study, In: Encyclopaedia of Social Science Research Methods, Vol. 2, Lewis-Beck, M., Bryman, A. & Liao, T. (eds.), Orego, Sage: 823-24.

 

The Missing Persons Indicator Project: Research Collaboration for Knowledge Exchange

HEIF, Industry collaboration, international, Knowledge Exchange, Knowledge Transfer, Research Integritiy, student research

The Missing Persons Indicator Project, initiated several years ago by Professor Melanie Klinkner and Andreas Kleiser from the ICMP, has recently been enhanced by a visit to the ICMP, aimed at optimising knowledge exchange. Its goal is to showcase each state’s relationship with missing persons through comprehensive data analysis. This initiative began as a collaborative effort, with data gathering undertaken by undergraduate students at Bournemouth University, engaging students in real-world research and ensuring the project’s sustainability by welcoming new students each September.

Since its inception, the project has been fortunate to work with many enthusiastic students who have completed the first round of Structural Indicator 1. This indicator demonstrates the commitment of states to international legal instruments. The table below outlines the current indicators involved in our data collection process:

Context Indicator A qualitative assessment as to whether the state has experienced extraordinary events that may be correlated to a rise in missing persons cases.
Structural Indicator 1 The commitment shown by states to international legal instruments is an indicator of their duties and obligation in relation to missing persons.
Structural Indicator 2 Domestic legislation by states as an indicator of their duties and obligation in relation to missing persons.
Structural Indicator 3 Institutional framework(s) established by states as an indicator of their duties, obligation, and enactment of legislation in relation to missing persons.

Thanks to HEIF funding, the Missing Persons Indicator Project recently had the opportunity to employ four student volunteers over the past two weeks. Their task was to accelerate the data collation for these indicators. By working through each indicator on a state-by-state basis, they developed a comprehensive understanding of each state’s unique situation. This method also allowed them to recognise and utilise specific details that might recur across the different indicators.

Every day, a designated “data-checker” reviewed previously inputted data to identify and correct any anomalies. This rigorous review process ensures the data’s accuracy, ethical integrity, and suitability for international dissemination.

Throughout this process, the students have been deeply engaged, asking insightful questions that challenged our perspectives and prompted us to consider aspects we might have overlooked. The atmosphere has been a hub of activity and intellectual growth.

We are extremely grateful for the hard work and dedication of our student researchers. Their contributions have demonstrated that a student ‘data-lab’ is an excellent model for conducting research and achieving meaningful results.

As this term draws to a close, we are keen to alert teaching staff to the potential for their students to join the Missing Person Indicator project in September as we recruit a new cohort for the new academic year. To learn more about the project please visit our website!

Dr. Catalin Brylla raises awareness of Research and Social Justice at the Society for Cognitive Studies of the Moving Image

conferences, Research Ethics

Dr. Catalin Brylla, Principal Lecturer in Film and TV and Deputy Head of CESJ, has chaired the DEI Committee for the Society for Cognitive Studies of the Moving Image since 2022, launching several initiatives.  At this year’s conference in Budapest, the DEI focus was on “Research and Social Justice”, featuring a roundtable discussion with Prof. Srivi Ramasubramanian (Newhouse School at Syracuse University) and Dr. Wyatt Moss-Wellington (University of New England). The roundtable, moderated by Dr. Ari Purnama, addressed the following questions:

  • How should media research relate to social justice issues in practice?
  • How do media representations of marginalised identities affect production, criticism, and perception of media?
  • How can media research be decolonised through marginalised perspectives, such as the Global South?
  • How can media research symbiotically involve the communities it studies, such as applying participatory research methods and knowledge exchange?

 

 

Another initiative has been a mentor-mentee programme that has provided support for early-career research on teaching, bidding and wellbeing, organised by committee member Dr. Kata Szita.

Brylla is currently developing with Prof. Jens Eder (Babelsberg University) a model to implement and study the social impact of documentaries, which they presented at the conference in Budapest:

The model is partly based on Brylla’s latest monograph ‘Documentary and Stereotypes: Reducing Stigma through Factual Media‘ (Palgrave 2023) and will be further developed in a research project that compares impact strategies in the UK and Germany.

Prof. John Oliver receives European media award

Prof.John Oliver was presented with the European Media Management Association’s highest award for “excellence in media management scholarship and practice” at the annual conference in The Netherlands.

The award also recognises Prof. Oliver’s contribution to the development of the association where he served on the Executive Board for many years and as the President between 2021-23.

Prof. Oliver commented that “whilst it is an honour to be presented with an individual award, it is also in recognition of the many people that have helped me develop my research and the contribution that many of the association’s members have made over the years”.

Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management academics – would you like to get more involved in preparing our next REF submission?

REF Subjects, Research assessment

We are currently recruiting for a Practice-Based Research Output Champion to help support preparation for our next REF Submission to Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management (UoA34).

The deadline for expressions of interest is 21st June 2024. 

This role is recruited through an open and transparent process, which gives all academic staff the opportunity to put themselves forward. Applications from underrepresented groups (e.g. minority ethnic, declared disability) are particularly welcome.

We are currently preparing submissions to thirteen units (otherwise known as UOAs). Each unit has a leadership team with at least one leader, an output and impact champion. The leadership team are supported by a panel of reviewers who assess the research from the unit. This includes research outputs (journal articles, book chapters, digital artefacts and conference proceedings) and impact case studies. We currently have vacancies in the following roles:

Practice-Based Research Output Champion – UOA34: Communication, Cultural and Media Studies, Library and Information Management

All roles require a level of commitment which is recognised accordingly with time to review, attend meetings, and take responsibility for tasks.

Undertaking a UOA role can be enjoyable and rewarding as two of our current champions testify:

“As UOA Outputs Champion you develop a detailed knowledge of all the great work that colleagues are doing related to the subject, and the different outlets used for disseminating their work.  As an outputs committee member, you also get to know what research is going on across BU, and it’s interesting to see the differences between disciplines.  It’s a good way develop your knowledge of the bigger picture of BU’s research, and also to understand the importance of REF and how it works in practice.  You do spend quite a bit of time chasing colleagues to put their outputs on BRIAN for REF compliance but hopefully they forgive you!”

Professor Adele Ladkin – UOA 24 Output Champion

“As a UoA 17 impact champion, I work closely with the UoA 17 impact team to encourage the development of a culture of impact across BUBS. I try to pop into Department / research group meetings when I can to discuss impact, and I’ve enjoyed meeting people with a whole range of research interests. Sometimes it can be tough to engage people with impact – understandably; everyone is busy – so it’s important to be enthusiastic about the need for our BU research to reach the public. Overall, the role is about planting the seeds to get researchers thinking about the impact their work might have in the future (as well as the impact they have already had, sometimes without realising!)”

Dr Rafaelle Nicholson – UOA 17 Impact Champion

How to apply

All those interested should put forward a short case (suggested length of one page) as to why they are interested in the role and what they think they could bring to it. These should be clearly marked with the relevant role and unit and emailed to ref@bournemouth.ac.uk by 5pm on 21st June 2024.

Further detail on the role and the process of recruitment and selection criteria can be found here:

Role descriptor

Process and criteria for selection

For further information please contact ref@bournemouth.ac.uk, a member of the current UOA Team or your Deputy Dean Research and Professional Practice with queries.

🌟Exciting News in Complex Networks Research🌟

conferences, international, Women's Academic Network

I am thrilled to share that I have been honoured to receive the Scholarship for Events on Complex Systems (SECS) from the Young Researchers of the Complex Systems Society (yrCSS). This prestigious award will allow me to attend the upcoming Complex Networks 2024 conference in Istanbul, Turkey from December 10-12, 2024.

          

My PhD research focuses on “Complex Urban Road Networks: Static Structures and Dynamic Processes”, exploring the intricate dynamics of urban transportation systems. This field has always sparked my curiosity, and I am eager to delve deeper into this complex interplay of structures and dynamics.

In addition to this incredible opportunity, I am also a finalist in the multi-modal category of the TRA Vision Young Researchers 2024 Competition with my research project “Transport Capacity Planning for Mega-events”. It is truly humbling to be recognised for my work in this competitive arena.

I am grateful for the guidance and support of my PhD supervisor, Dr. Wei Koong Chai, whose expertise and mentorship have been invaluable throughout my research journey. I am excited about the upcoming conference, where I hope to further contribute to the field of complex networks research. Thank you for joining me on this incredible academic adventure!

Best wishes,

Assemgul Kozhabek

🌐🔬 #ComplexSystems #ComplexNetworks

See yrCSS: https://yrcss.cssociety.org/

Complex Networks 2024 conference: https://complexnetworks.org/

Resilience, Advocacy and Wellbeing: Voices from the Frontline

conferences





On the 17.05.24 Tilia Lenz, Senior Lecturer presented her research project ‘Reclaiming Resilience- voices from the frontline’ to the UCU Equality Research conference in Manchester. The hybrid conference was open to all and free to attend, attracting 250 delegates.

Resilience, Advocacy and Wellbeing- RAW is a CPD (Continues Professional Development) unit at Bournemouth University. In 2022 Tilia and Dr Rejoice Chipuriro facilitated an action research session (Susman and Evered 1978; Watkins et al. 2019) with 18 students to conceptualize and subsequently Reclaim Resilience! All participants were female and in leadership roles in Health and Social Care, seeking to learn more about RAW. The topic was important to them in practice, despite or because of the inequalities they were exposed to. This word cloud represents their physical and psychological symptoms of stress.



They reflected on their personal circumstances as woman with caring responsibilities and ‘of a certain age’- meaning 30s and 50s. Whilst the women were employed in England, half were of black or ethnic global majority and/or had an international background.

We concluded that those who are less likely to be discriminated against, due to gender, age, health, race and so on, do not find the topic of RAW relevant to them. In fact, it is those in positions of power who create the narrative that individuals are not ‘resilient enough’ and question performance as Galpin (2019) considers.

The themes we identified through the action research were clearly gendered, pointing out women’s health issues during the stages of menopause and the complexities for women with a migration or ethnic global majority background. It signified the inequality of gender and background of our participants within their perceived positions of power in their leadership roles. Tilia collaborated with the cartoonist Harry Venning to create a version of his well-known character Clare in the community, visualising the research findings.



The group challenged the politicisation of the term resilience through their reflective contributions, stories and shared experiences (Phillips and Bunda 2018) of prejudice due to gender, health and race.

Through Appreciative Inquiry (McArthur-Blair and Cockell 2018; Watkins et al. 2019; Arnold et al. 2022) and positive questioning about what could be, rather than focusing on the problem, the group was then empowered to consider actions as individuals and as leaders. They defined what RAW meant to them in their personal and professional lives, defining who practice in health and social care could be made safer through compassionate leadership and organisational cultures of kindness.

New guide to Practice-Based Research published today!

student research

Book cover image with title, subtitle, author. Background is variegated orange, with the white outline of a human figure holding an upside-down light bulb.Designing and Conducting Practice-Based Research Projects: A Practical Guide for Arts Student Researchers by Bournemouth University Associate Professor Lyle Skains is available from today.

The book is aimed primarily at upper undergraduate and Master’s students undertaking practice-based research in the arts, though it is also suitable for PhD candidates and researchers and supervisors new to practice-based research projects.

The discussion starts with definitions and a brief background to practice-related research in the arts and contextualization of practice-based methods within that frame. The bulk of the text is a step-by-step approach to designing, conducting, and writing-up practice-based research projects; each step is supplemented with examples of practice-related research, exercises for progressing methods design and evaluating research approach, and lists for further reading.

Designing and Conducting Practice-Based Research Projects has been requested and should soon be available through the Bournemouth University Library.