BU Research Blog | Social Science Research

14 December 2019

New publication by Orlanda Harvey (FHSS)

Centre for Excellence in Learning, international, PG research, Public engagement, Publishing, Student Engagement, student research, Women's Academic Network, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

This is the second time in a week that I have the pleasure of announcing a paper by our PhD student Orlanda Harvey. This PhD-based paper ‘Support for non-prescribed Anabolic Androgenic Steroids users: A qualitative exploration of their needs’ has been accepted by the scientific journal Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy (published by Taylor & Francis) [1]. Orlanda’s PhD is a mixed-methods study of social workers working with people using un-prescribe /recreational Anabolic Androgenic Steroid (AAS) in several high-income countries including the UK.

With her success in publishing Orlanda is a good ambassador for Bournemouth University’s PhD Integrated Thesis format. Such Integrated Thesis allows PhD candidates to incorporate material that has been published or submitted for publication to an academic peer-reviewed journal. Apart from the inclusion of such materials, the Integrated Thesis must conform to the same regulations as the traditional PhD thesis. Including Orlanda’s previously published review on AAS [3] she is well underway to putting together a well-balanced Integrated Thesis supported by her Faculty of Health & Social Sciences supervisors: Dr. Margarete Parrish, Dr. Steven Trenoweth and Prof Edwin van Teijlingen.

Of course, last week Orlanda already featured in the December of HED Matters as Early Career Researcher (ECR) with an article on ‘ECR Spotlight: From Social Work to Studying Steroids’ [2]. See also my BU Research Blog of four days ago (click here!).

Congratulations!

Prof . Edwin van Teijlingen

Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health

Reference:

Harvey, O., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E., Trenoweth, S. Support for non-prescribed Anabolic Androgenic Steroids users: A qualitative exploration of their needs, Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy (accepted). Doi 10.1080/09687637.2019.1705763
Harvey, O., (2019) ECR Spotlight: From Social Work to Studying Steroids, HED Matters 2(2):16-19.
Harvey, O., Keen, S., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E. (2019) Support for people who use Anabolic Androgenic Steroids: A Systematic Literature Review into what they want and what they access. BMC Public Health 19: 1024 https://rdcu.be/bMFon

14 October 2019

More pilots please!

PG research, Publishing, REF Subjects, Research Integritiy, student research, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

“More pilots please!” is not a call from British Airways, Ryanair or the Royal Air Force. No, it a reminder to students to do more piloting in their postgraduate research projects. Between us we have read many (draft) theses and examined over 60 PhD theses external to Bournemouth University, and it is clear to us that many students do not do enough pre-testing or piloting of their research instruments. Perhaps they did some piloting or feasibility work for their projects but don’t write enough about it. Or they present some feasibility or piloting in their thesis but haven’t added references to methodological texts.

The term ‘pilot studies’ refers to mini versions of a full-scale study (also called ‘feasibility’ studies), as well as the specific pre-testing of a particular research instruments such as data collection tools (i.e. questionnaire or semi-structured interview schedule). Pilot studies are key to good study design [1-6]. Conducting a pilot study does not guarantee success in the main study, but it does increase the likelihood of success. Pilot studies have several of important functions in research design and can provide valuable insights to the researcher on both tools and research processes. We think it is telling that our most cited paper on Google Scholar is not one of our papers reporting research findings but a methods paper highlighting the importance of pilot studies [2].

Professors Vanora Hundley & Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

References:

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.
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
van Teijlingen E, Hundley, V.(2002) ‘The importance of pilot studies’ Nursing Standard 16(40): 33-36. Web: www.nursing-standard.co.uk/archives/vol16-40/pdfs/vol16w40p3336.pdf
Hundley, V., van Teijlingen E, (2002) The role of pilot studies in midwifery research RCM Midwives Journal 5(11): 372-74.
van Teijlingen E, Hundley, V. (2003) Pilot study, In: Lewis-Beck, M., Bryman, A. & Liao, T. (eds.) Encyclopaedia of Social Science Research Methods, Vol. 2, Orego, Sage: 823-24.
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.

10 April 2017

ESRC Festival of Social Science 2017 – Get involved!

Public engagement, Student Engagement Joanna Pawlik

Why get involved in the ESRC Festival of Social Science this year?

Benefits: Fantastic for your academic profile

Activities can range from engaging people with social science concepts through staging debates to involving key stakeholders in shaping research priorities and directions. Done well, public engagement can build trust and understanding between the social science research community and a wide range of groups, from policymakers through to school children.

Public engagement can help you strengthen your research questions or improve the response rate to data collection methods. It can also build on and support the wider activities of your strategy. One of the most profound joys of public engagement is its unpredictability: fresh perspectives, challenging questions, lateral insights – all can help to sharpen thinking, release precious energy and creativity and unlock new collaborations and resources.

To apply, you will need to complete an application form, available on the staff intranet, stating details of the type of event you’d like to run. The application can be accessed via staff intranet

Please contact Joanna Pawlik (jpawlik@bournemouth.ac.uk) or Genna West (gwest@bournemouth.ac.uk) if you would like to discuss your event idea or for further information.

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