The Qualitative Open Mic

Peter West-Oram, an expert on government influence in research, discusses the implications of political sensitivities on academic integrity. He highlights a recent controversy sparked by government accusations against a UKRI committee regarding their views on Palestine. Alongside Sohail, they tackle the complexities of culture wars in research and the legal challenges faced by academics. The conversation delves into how government funding affects research independence and the precarious position of scholars amid rising political pressures.

Ginger Johnson, an expert in qualitative research with a focus on emergency response planning, challenges the idea that qualitative data is slow and ineffective. She discusses the vital role qualitative insights play in understanding human behavior and community dynamics during crises. Ginger shares real-life examples of how qualitative research informed emergency responses, especially in refugee situations. She highlights the importance of local researchers and adapting research methods for immediate, sensitive interventions, proving that every narrative truly matters in emergencies.

Sohail speaks to Tiarna Lee to explore the frontier of AI's role in health research.explore the frontier of AI's role in health research. While technology offers innovative ways to approach analysis, it comes with its unique set of challenges. From ethical considerations to methodological accuracy, join us as we dissect the potential and pitfalls of integrating AI in research. We ask, “can you have qualitative health research without the heart and soul?” Tiarna is a third year PhD student at the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences. Her research focuses on evaluating fairness and biases in AI used for cardiac imaging. In her work, she has found that models trained with imbalanced datasets have a worse performance on underrepresented subjects, often minority ethnicities and females. She is currently aiming to find the sources of these biases so that she can then find a method to address and mitigate them.

In July 2023, all of the 44 editors of acclaimed Critical Public Health journal simultaneously resigned, citing concerns about Taylor and Francis' pricing system. They went on to found a new independent journal, the Journal of Critical Public Health. We speak to an editorial board member who resigned, Kirsten Bell. Kirsten sheds light on the intricate dynamics between profit, pricing, and the neoliberal influence on qualitative health research. 

This episode reflects on how lived experience can engender insights, support the interpretative process and enhance the trustworthiness of qualitative research. We consider the different kinds of experience that can enhance this process, the limits of individual lived experience, and what this means for researchers who don’t have personal experience of the phenomenon under study.

Constructivist grounded theory's origins lie in criticisms of classical grounded theory as overly objectivist and insufficiently reflexive when it comes to interpretive processes. Sohail and Elaine discuss this context before going on to unpack the whys and hows of interpretation in constructivist grounded theory, how researchers can make the vital leap from description of data to higher-level conceptualisation, plus the pitfalls to avoid along the way.

Exploring how visual art, poetry, and theatre can enhance qualitative research into sensitive topics. Delving into the use of creative methods like graphic arts for profound insights. Using photography and theatre plays to understand experiences and perspectives. Emphasizing the role of aesthetics in research and the importance of co-creation with participants. Utilizing artistic techniques in qualitative health research for addressing social issues.

Michael Larkin, a scholar in Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, discusses the history and theory of IPA, its approach to meaning, and the impact of new data collection methods. They explore the challenges and opportunities in qualitative health research, including the inclusion of lived experience perspectives and open science. Additionally, they provide resources for qualitative health researchers interested in IPA and discuss a recently updated book on the analytic process.

This podcast explores the challenges of interpreting qualitative data, the influence of background on individuals' paths to power, analyzing conversations in qualitative research, and the role of supervision in supporting researchers. The guest shares her expertise in qualitative research methods.

Nishita Nair, a researcher exploring the effectiveness of social research ethics codes, discusses the complexities and challenges faced in ethics codes and guidelines. The podcast explores the urgency to reform ethics committees in relation to qualitative research and emphasizes the importance of considering positionality and reflexivity. It also explores recommendations for enhancing ethics codes and processes in qualitative research.