Programme: ESRC PGR Conference 2016

Presenter

Sylvia Walby, Lancaster University

Abstract

Statistics are sometimes treated as if they were authoritative ‘facts’.  The role of social science is to investigate, in a way that is both fearless and collegial.

We challenge the official view that the rate of violent crime is declining by reconstructing the methodology to count the amount and distribution of violent crime and changes in its rate over time.

We offer revisions to the estimates of violent crime produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) from the Crime Survey for England and Wales.

We remove the ‘cap’ that has traditionally limited to a maximum of 5 the number of violent crimes included in estimates.  Using this revised methodology we find an increase in the rate of violent crime, driven by an increase in violent crime committed by domestic relations and against women.  The change from decrease to increase occurs at the same time as the economic crisis, 2008/9.

The ONS is now reviewing its methodology; and we are cooperating in this endeavour.  The findings of this ESRC funded study are deployed to challenge and develop theories of violence, demonstrating the implications of mainstreaming gendered phenomena into concepts and theory.

Presenters

Professor Jane Elliott and Professor Gabe Mythen, The University of Manchester

Presenters

Chair: Professor Gabe Mythen, The University of Manchester
Speakers: Jane Elliott, Jennifer Hall, Jonny Darling

Presenters

• Ciara Kierans, University of Liverpool
• Steve Wakeman, Liverpool John Moores University
• Anna Chiumento, University of Liverpool

Abstracts

This session focuses on fieldwork and how it is conducted in different settings both home and abroad. The session is organised around three instances of fieldwork all of which are broadly ethnographic in character.

The first draws from an anthropological study based in Mexico on the topics of organ transplantation, poverty and the work of the state. It will emphasise methodological concerns around sense-making and the dilemma of interpretation.

The second study poses a series of reflexive questions about who we are as human beings within the research process. It draws on criminological research conducted in the UK on the subject of heroin and crack cocaine users and dealers (conducted by an ex-user and dealer of drugs himself). This study argues for a greater focus on the researcher’s biographical and emotive ’self’ in the context of conducting and representing research.

The last study is a multi-sited interdisciplinary project focused on the complexities of research ethics in South Asian humanitarian settings. This account will draw attention to the relationship between formal accounts of ethics and how ethics is actually put into practice in different field settings.

Presenters

• Jude Robinson, University of Liverpool
• Bernie Lyons, Platinum Leaf
• Louise Laverty, University of Liverpool

Abstract

Writing up can be hard, so in this discursive and interactive session we discuss some of the myths and realities of writing up a PhD, and share some strategies for identifying and overcoming any difficulties and maximising the skills and opportunities you have.

Presenters

• Will Medd, Coaching for Clarity, Courage and Commitment
• Mari-Lloyd Williams – University of Liverpool

Abstract

This session will introduce research leadership in both formal and informal forms. We will invite you to identify where you are already a ‘leader’ as a post-graduate researcher.

Then, in thinking about the possibilities of how you might develop as a leader, both within and beyond academia, we will make a distinction between developing leadership skills, enabling the leader within, and the relationships involved in being a research leader.

The session will include reflections from two research leaders followed by a Q and A with the audience.

PowerPoint presentation

• Research Leadership:  Inside and Outside Academia – Will Medd and Mari-Lloyd Williams (PDF)

Presenters

• Teela Sanders, University of Leeds
• Ruth Patrick, University of Liverpool

Abstract

The aim of this talk is to make the often allusive notions of the ‘impact agenda’ digestible and relevant for those doing doctoral studies.

Using examples from students’ work and drawing on how researchers integrate dissemination, knowledge transfer and communication strategies into their project planning, this talk aims to inspire those whose research speaks to a policy agenda, practice, and public debates. With ‘how to’ tips integrated into the talk, this session should enable students to think about how to apply their own project to external audiences to start to make the small steps to evidence based change.

Presenters

• Dave Richards, University of Manchester
• Robin James, House of Commons
• Caroline Kenny, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

Abstract

The session will discuss routes to influencing public policy through social science research. The three speakers will discuss their views on challenges and opportunities for researchers who engage with policy-makers. Dave Richards is a Professor of Public Policy with extensive involvement in influencing policy and advising select committees. Robin James is an experienced parliamentary clerk in the House of Commons. Caroline Kenny is the social science advisor at POST, Parliament’s in-house source of independent analysis of public policy issues related to science and technology.

PowerPoint presentations

• PGRs and Pathways to Influencing Public Policy – Dave Richards (PDF)
• Parliament and academic research – Robin James (PDF)
• The Impact of Social Science Research on Parliament – Caroline Kenny (PDF)

Presenters

• Michael Mair, University of Liverpool
• Jonny Darling, University of Manchester

Abstract

The social sciences have always been empirical and theoretical disciplines: establishing and deepening knowledge of society, culture, politics, mind and economy, among others, through research has gone hand-in-hand with the elaboration of theoretical arguments, positions and approaches – each provides a spur to the other. In a period of rapid change in and across the social sciences, where the emergence of new forms of data mirrors changes in the nature of how people navigate the world, theory has acquired more not less relevance. As older certainties have been called into question, theoretical work has proven a critical resource for new ways of thinking, food for the social scientific imagination. It has enabled social scientists to think creatively about the problems they address.

Theory is not just an adjunct to the production of good research, then, it is central to it. The question is how can the new ideas social scientists are developing be taken to wider audiences, both within disciplines and beyond them? While researchers never have full control over the reception of their work, it is important to think about the way in which theory might add to the relevance or impact of social scientific research – something we will do in this workshop.

The aim of the workshop is to examine these questions as they arise in your work. After an introduction setting out some of the different ways in which theory makes a difference to research, we will work in break out groups to think through some of the openings for theory research presents. This will involve two principal activities. First, we will consider a number of cases in which researchers have sought to use theory as a means to shape and inform the impact of their work for different audiences. Here we will discuss the modes of communication and discussion open to using theory most effectively, and in what ways communicating research may itself have an impact on the creation of new theories. Second, we will discuss how theory is applied in your own research, and how you might begin to plan for the impact of your work with theory in mind.

Presenters

• Barry Goldson, University of Liverpool
• Marie Dutordoir, University of Manchester

Abstract

The workshop will address key questions relating to the processes of writing and submitting articles to academic journals.

Building upon the co-ordinators’ experiences within different social science disciplines – as authors, reviewers and editors – the workshop will consider ways of avoiding classic pitfalls and developing strategies for optimizing success in navigating peer review systems and getting work published.

Each of the co-ordinator’s will offer a short presentation and the workshop will provide ample time for questions, answers and discussion.

Presenters

• Eljee Javier, University of Manchester
• Steve Wakeman, Liverpool John Moores University
• Louise Laverty, University of Liverpool

Abstract

An academic portfolio is a thoughtful, organized, and selective collection of documents that illustrate what you’ve accomplished in terms of research, teaching, and service. Increasingly higher education institutions are using academic portfolios as a way for individuals to be evaluated as well as how institutions assess their staff.

In this session you will gain some insight into the importance of having an academic portfolio, advice on how to develop one, and hear from two academics who will reflect upon their own academic portfolios.

Eljee Javier will present an overview of what is an academic portfolio, why you should consider creating one, and some practical advice on how to go about practically putting an academic portfolio together. Steve Wakeman will reflect on the development of an online presence as a form of academic portfolio during his transition from PhD candidate to full-time lecturer.

It will be argued here that a meaningful academic portfolio can be built up through both our successes and failures in academic life. Louise Laverty (The University of Liverpool) will discuss the challenges of constructing an academic portfolio throughout the PhD process and reflect on managing the opportunities and barriers that arise.

Presenters

• Sarah King-Hele, UK Data Service
• Elaine Mackey, Administrative Data Research Network

Abstract

Open to students in any year of their PhD, this workshop will showcase the major ESRC-funded resources for data for research.  Data includes traditional forms of data (e.g. survey data including longitudinal data, census and qualitative data) as well as new forms of data (e.g. administrative, ‘big data’).  The workshop will cover:

• Finding data for your research question
• Finding supporting information e.g. survey questionnaires
• Different access routes to data e.g. accessing secure data
• Getting training and help

Presenters

• Will Medd, Coaching for Clarity, Courage and Commitment
• Louise Laverty, University of Liverpool

Abstract

This session involves interactive engagement with the challenges of PhD completion.

Using a coaching approach, you will be invited to look into what you are finding ‘gets in the way’, how you might be getting in your own way and experimenting with some tools to help you move forwards.

You’ll be challenged in the session to identify something you will do differently that will help you practically move towards completion.

PowerPoint presentations

• Completing your PhD – Will Medd and Louise Lafferty (PDF)

Presenters

• Paul Jones, University of Liverpool
• Narzanin Massoumi, University of Liverpool

Abstracts

This is not a paper about Delivering the Perfect Conference Paper. Rather, we are interested in understanding what academic conferences are and are for, and in the course of this discussion we aim to share some reflections – good and bad – about our experiences of conference-attending. Practical topics covered will include conference planning, conference hierarchies, networks, and contributing variously to publicly-engaged, politically-critical spaces.

Presenters

• Mark Elliot, University of Manchester
• Mark Birkin, University of Leeds
• Gwilym Price, University of Sheffield
• Alex Singleton, University of Liverpool

Abstract

New forms of data represent an exciting opportunity for the social sciences to conjoin with and embrace data science. As we move from static datasets to streams from the qual-quant divide to data mixtures requiring compound skills, the value of Interdisciplinarity has never been greater but importance of sound methods and theory lead interpretations of findings is no less important.

Our view is that new data and the social sciences are naturally aligned, and indeed complementary; one image of a data scientist is that of a researcher shaking an enormous tin of apparently murky data sludge and seeing what drops out.  Social science data, whether it is at the detailed micro level of experimental psychology or at the large scale level of socioeconomic or social media data streams, is inherently murky, dirty, ambiguous, contradictory and confounding. As a consequence social science (and related fields) is an imperfect science – it does not quite meet the stringent Popperian criteria of falsifiability. However, this is precisely the sort of data and the sort of epistemological fuzziness that data science is made for. In short, data science has the potential to make the social sciences fulfil their huge potential.

In this workshop, you will hear lightning presentations from four proponents of the use of new data and who in various ways have embraced data science – we hope to excite and intrigue you! We will be encouraging you to tweet questions during the presentations and then these will be picked up in a panel session at the end.

Presenters

• Fran Abrams, Education Media Centre
• Andrew Russell, University of Manchester

Abstracts

What are the benefits of working with the media to publicise your work? What are the possible pitfalls, and how can they be avoided? In this workshop Andrew Russell, Professor of Politics at the University of Manchester and Member of Board for the Campaign for Social Science, and Fran Abrams, Chief Executive of the Education Media Centre, will offer advice on where to begin, how to build good contacts and how to get your message across. Professor Russell, who has worked extensively with the media, will draw some lessons from his recent experiences as a psephologist and commentator during elections. Ms Abrams, who has worked with BBC Radio 4’s File on 4 programme and as a specialist correspondent on national broadcast newspapers, will offer tips on working with journalists. There will be an opportunity to ask questions.

Presenters

• Sarah Evans, British Library
• Allan Sudlow, British Library

Abstract

This workshop will introduce the British Library (BL) as a world-leading research library which aims to support and inspire research of all kinds. Participants be introduced to our collections and through a short piece of collective work, we will explore how the BL works as a huge collection of multiple archives.

Using examples from recent projects and acquisitions, this workshop will invite participants to begin to uncover the life of one individual (of contemporary social and political relevance), through interrogating different layers of the national archive.

We will examine a digitised oral history interview, a personal diary and political publications which show how multiple archives enable social researchers to explore and understand the relationship between the personal and the political.

This session will illustrate how the British Library holds a range of material, across formats and of interdisciplinary relevance, to support research at all levels.

Presenters

• Clare Holdsworth, Keele University
• Hill Kulu, University of Liverpool

Abstract

The past few decades have witnessed a significant increase in the amount of longitudinal data available to the research community. New panel and cohort studies have been launched, examples include the British Household Panel Study, the Understanding Society study, the Cohort Studies, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and several others. Although many recent studies use longitudinal data, often they exploit only limited information available in those rich data-sets.

The aim of this workshop is threefold:

1. Introduce the main UK’s longitudinal qualitative and quantitative data;
2. Discuss advantages of longitudinal analysis to address questions of causality in social science research;
3. Discuss the limits of longitudinal analysis.

Examples are taken from research on alcohol consumption and health, and housing conditions and childbearing decisions.

Presenters

• Bernie Lyons, Platinum Leaf
• Fatima Khan, Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Liverpool

Abstract

Leading busy and stressful lives means that we can get caught up in our thoughts – chewing over the past and worrying about the future. Attention shifts from what we are doing, to what we are thinking about what we are doing. Such ‘mind-full-ness’ can lead to anxiety and stress. Mindfulness refocuses attention to the present, and raises our awareness of our own thoughts, to better control them.

This session introduces the concept of mindfulness with some practical tools to start you off.

Presenter

• Mark Carrigan, Digital Sociology Consultancy

Abstract

500 million tweets per day. 3 million blog posts per day. Over a billion websites. The sheer scale of the digital sphere poses an obvious challenge: how can you ensure you are heard above the din? But the speed at which new platforms emerge, as well as the possibility that currently popular ones will die, pose further complications. Under these conditions, it can be hard to know where to begin.

This introductory session adopts an unusual approach to exploring the possibilities and pitfalls of engaging with social media as an academic. Rather than focus on particular platforms, we’ll discuss the familiar practices which we refer to when we talk of what academics do, as well as how they can be extended and improved through the use of social media.

Presenter

Professor Maja Zehfuss