‘Thinking Between the Lines’ in qualitative health research
By Meredith Hawking, Nina Fudge & Lucie Hogger
In September, members of the APOLLO Social Science Research Group hosted an exciting workshop for fellow researchers working with qualitative methods to improve health.
On 21st September the ‘Thinking Between the Lines’ (TBTL) network hosted a one day workshop at Toynbee Studios in Whitechapel for 30 early career researchers and PhD students working with qualitative methods in health research. In the morning, attendees were treated to some fantastic talks from guest speakers Dr Rachel O’Neill (LSE), Dr Jackie Walumbe (Oxford), Dr Mel Ramasawmy (UCL), and Dr Duncan Reynolds (QMUL), on topics spanning medical influencers on Instagram, reimagining pain care, using creative methods in research and artificial intelligence.
"It was very inspiring to hear from researchers; I got so many ideas for how to develop and grow my research further."
Kicking off the afternoon, a speed networking session sparked new relationships across institutions, with participants given two minutes to get to know each other in a fun and informal way. Dr Nina Fudge then led a practical session on Video Reflexive Ethnography which allowed us to learn about the method. Using clips from the Netflix series ‘The Chair’ as catalysts for conversation, we reflected on how to improve research culture in our own academic institutions. Finally, we tried out some creative methods to explore our own research projects and communicate our ideas.
“Networking can feel quite uncomfortable, so it was lovely to have a way of getting to know about the other attendees and their research. It meant that during breaks I was more inclined to step out of the comfort of just speaking to people I already knew. The talks were excellent, really well balanced and I learned a lot from each of them!”
There was keen support for future workshops and similar events which we will work towards developing as a team. The TBTL network exists to build connections between qualitative researchers across QMUL Institutes and other universities. We hold monthly meetings to provide a friendly space for sharing and discussing work in progress, being inspired and learning from each other, and engagement with qualitative methodology.
If you are interested in joining the TBTL network contact Meredith Hawking on: m.k.d.hawking@qmul.ac.uk