Posters will be displayed throughout the Methods Fair - if you want to talk to one of the presenters the best time to catch them is during the lunch break
Writing as a Means of Activism: A Study of Saudi Women's Writing as a Tool for Empowerment
Aldossary, Hind - University of Manchester
This study explores the transformative role of writing as a means of activism within the context of Saudi women's literature, focusing on how it serves as a tool for women’s empowerment. Saudi women writers have increasingly turned to literature to voice their experiences, challenge societal norms, and advocate for gender equality in a historically patriarchal and conservative setting. Through an analysis of selected works by Saudi authors Badriah Al-Besher and Laila Aljohani, this study highlights the ways in which writing acts not only as a form of self-expression but also as a method of resistance against systemic gender discrimination and cultural constraints.
The research employs a feminist literary critique, emphasising the intersectionality of gender and culture within the narratives. It examines key themes such as the subjugation of women, the critique of male dominance, and the portrayal of women's resilience and agency. Overall, the research aims to underscore the significance of literature in shaping societal perceptions and influencing social reform, positioning Saudi women writers at the forefront of cultural and social activism.
The Western Media Representation of Saudi women
Alqasem, Alanoud - University of Manchester
This research investigates the portrayal of Saudi women in Western media, focusing on newspaper coverage in the United Kingdom, through the lens of feminist critical discourse analysis (CDA). Situated within the context of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to empower women and increase their participation in the workforce, the study examines how Western media frames the reform of women's rights in the Kingdom.
Drawing on existing literature, the study begins by highlighting the socio-cultural and religious factors that have historically shaped the status of Saudi women, emphasizing their limited rights and societal constraints. It then explores the emergence of governmental efforts to implement social, cultural, and economic changes. It examines how Western media coverage shapes perceptions of Saudi women's agency, autonomy, and participation in national development efforts.
Therefore, the research underscores the power dynamics inherent in media representations, noting the tendency of Western media to depict Saudi women as passive and oppressed. Through an analysis of online newspaper coverage, the study seeks to unpack the ideologies and discourses that inform these portrayals, considering the influence of gender stereotypes and the positioning of Saudi Arabia within the Islamic region.
Ultimately, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the intersection between media representation, gender dynamics, and cultural politics in the context of Saudi Arabia. The findings offer insights into the complexities of women's experiences and the implications of media framing for Saudi Arabia's global image, particularly concerning women's rights—a topic of enduring international interest and debate.
Adapting methods for participant pleasure: Focus Groups, TikTok Data, and Researcher Positionality
Burcham, Ava - University of Manchester
This poster discusses ways of centering participant enjoyment and pleasure in designing research methodologies, looking at two examples from the researcher’s PhD study. The poster is based on 16 online focus groups with fans of Harry Styles, which ran from February – April 2024, and the TikTok videos collected from participants of the groups. It first overviews the considerations the researcher took when planning her multi-method approach, how she understood her positionality as a fellow fan of Harry Styles, the challenges associated with standard practices of focus groups and social media data collection, and the key adaptations she made to these methods to suit her study and her participants.
The poster highlights the importance of adapting methods to each project; showcases how centering participant pleasure can help overcome challenges surrounding recruitment, attendance, engagement, and researcher bias; and puts ethical considerations at the forefront of research design. It finally explores how participants reacted to this design and how it impacted the researcher during the duration of data collection and analysis. In this project, centering pleasure in methodology is understood not only as an interesting way of thinking about research, but also as a key part of the advancement of feminist research epistemologies in the social sciences, arts, and humanities.
(Re)Remembering Qatar: Narratives of Cultural Memory through the intellectual landscape (1960s-1990s)
Al Suwaidi, Kaltham - University of Manchester
The thesis project investigates modes of cultural memory narratives in Qatar, seeking to examine the interpretations and constructions of cultural memory within the Qatari context. It will focus on the period from the 1960s to the 1990s, a period that witnessed economic and socio-political shifts due to the discovery of oil in the Gulf region. The research objective is to explore how Qatari cultural intellectuals who witnessed this pivotal era remember and narrate, as well as their ways of preserving alternative personal archives or libraries, and thus contributing to the emergence of parallel cultural memory narratives.
By employing cultural memory theory and interdisciplinary perspectives, the study traces marginal narratives and voices, focusing on the intellectual landscape's perception of the cultural memory. Narrative analysis will be the primary methodology for the thesis. Through utilizing fieldwork interviews, the thesis will explore recurring themes and modes of narratives constructed and reconstructed or maybe forgotten over time. Narrative analysis approach therefore will provide nuanced exploration of cultural memory in Qatar.
The thesis significance lies in its originality in approaching such modes of narrative in Qatar via the frame of cultural memory studies. It contributes to the growing body of literature that focuses on reinterpreting of the Gulf region histories from the margins, challenging official narratives or colonial histories.
Using text chat for qualitative research
Buckle, Karen Leneh - University of Manchester
Research participants, especially those with specific disadvantages, often find travel to a location such as a university daunting. Online events, now common due to the pandemic, help with the travel aspect, but in most cases, face to face meetings are being replaced by video meetings and webinars. This has provided new opportunities for disabled and otherwise disadvantaged people to access social interactions and research; however, online meetings hold their own challenges. For example, video meetings are often tiring, are prone to technical difficulties, and the reduced cues can make conversational turn taking more difficult.
An alternative that is not often considered is to have meetings mainly or exclusively in text. Text-only meetings have the benefit of less visual clutter, the ability to re-read comments that may have been missed or misunderstood, having more time to process and compose a reply, and less reliance on non-verbal signals. Text chat is not universally accessible and brings its own challenges and limitations such as dependency on a good level of literacy, visual processing demands, and increased duration of meetings, but with proper planning and preparation it can be a viable alternative to increase participation for those who struggle with live meetings, in particular those with hearing or speech impairments or who are neurodivergent. For researchers, text has other benefits such as a ready-made error-free transcript.
Issues such as choosing an appropriate text-chat platform and establishing ground rules and procedures to manage the flow of discussion will be included.
Adapting methods for participant pleasure: Focus Groups, TikTok Data, and Researcher Positionality
Burcham, Ava - University of Huddersfield
This poster discusses ways of centering participant enjoyment and pleasure in designing research methodologies, looking at two examples from the researcher’s PhD study. The poster is based on 21 online focus groups with fans of Harry Styles, which ran from February – April 2024, and the TikTok videos collected from participants of the groups. It first overviews the considerations the researcher took when planning her multi-method approach, how she understood her positionality as a fellow fan of Harry Styles, the challenges associated with standard practices of focus groups and social media data collection, and the key adaptations she made to these methods to suit her study and her participants.
The poster highlights the importance of adapting methods to each project; showcases how centering participant pleasure can help overcome challenges surrounding recruitment, attendance, engagement, and researcher bias; and puts ethical considerations at the forefront of research design. It finally explores how participants reacted to this design and how it impacted the researcher during the duration of data collection and analysis. In this project, centering pleasure in methodology is understood not only as an interesting way of thinking about research, but also as a key part of the advancement of feminist research epistemologies in the social sciences, arts, and humanities.
African Youth Activism at the Crossroads: research co-production to express the possible
Cocco Beltrame, Daniela - University of Manchester
This research focuses on African youth activists from informal settlements, and their multiple and diverse contributions to the conversation and action towards emancipation, as well as to social movements’ theory and practice. The broader intent is to situate their projects of becoming within the constraints of current poli-crisis, to highlight pockets of emancipatory possibilities.
This research is co-produced with the Kenya and Zimbabwe affiliates of Slum Dwellers International (SDI), a global network of slum dwellers driving a collective, bottom-up change agenda for inclusive cities. By exploring their aspirations and visions for the future and contrasting them vis-a-vis the older generations in the movement, we engage with the contextual drivers behind different horizons of possibility.
This work is situated within post-development scholarship, contributing both to the new field of possibility studies within emancipation literature, and to social movements analysis, particularly within the urban.
Through a participatory action research (PAR) process in Nairobi and Harare, groups of co-researchers engage in research co-production through an extended exercise including research question definition, research design, methodology selection, tool production, data collection, data analysis, action plan drafting, evaluation, and definition of next steps.
This poster highlights the rationale behind the co-production element, particularly foregrounding the details of the PAR process. It explains the methodology selection and suitability, the co-researchers recruitment process, their proposed engagement, and the array of potential methods and tools to be implemented during the collaborative process.
Framing Identities: Negotiating Anonymity and Representation in Photovoice Studies
Crossley, Megan - Lancaster University
In my ongoing PhD research , I use photovoice methods to explore how people seeking asylum or with refugee status living in the UK self-represent their lives during a heightened politics of migration. Using participant-produced photographs together with group and individual photo discussion sessions, the study visually documents and critically reflects on the experience of living under the asylum system and/or as a refugee in North-West England through rich, in-depth qualitative accounts.
When using visual methods, special attention needs to be paid to concerns about privacy, identity protection and using sensitive information. At the same time, participatory and creative methods are often lauded for addressing power asymmetries and granting participants ownership over their contributions to the research. Negotiating these tensions remains an underexplored aspect of this kind of research and so this poster considers the interplay of power, representation, and consent within the context of participatory and creative photovoice methodologies.
Through reflecting on encounters from my PhD fieldwork, this poster will explore how participants agentially and creatively maintained or refused ethical guidelines to remain anonymous in their photographs. Through facilitating such refusals the research not only demonstrated a robust enactment of informed consent, but also challenged assumptions around migration narratives and identities in research. Participants' willingness to participate while simultaneously altering or refusing the ethical parameters of anonymity in their images led to unexpected avenues of inquiry, particularly regarding the subversion of the categories of ‘refugee’ and ‘asylum-seeker' and the complication of assumptions around anonymity and confidentiality in research.
Ecosystem traits shape local people's perception of ecosystem degradation and restoration in socio-ecological systems
Dai, Huxuan - University of Liverpool
Co-authors: Felix Kienast, Trachung Balzang, Golog Drugkyab, Yifu Wang, Zhi Lü, Li Li
Community engagement underpins the success of ecosystem restoration. As the first step, however, local people’s adaptation depends on the way they perceive the trajectories of ecosystem degradation and recovery. We conducted photo-based survey to investigate pastoralists' perceptions of grassland degradation and restoration of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The study reveals that local perceptions are influenced by the features of the local ecological system: the perceived restoration urgency is higher when the spatial heterogeneity is high, and lower when the ecosystem is more unstable. Besides, where ecosystem instability is high, the community hold an extremely optimistic expectation towards the outcome of the restoration. We also found a significant tendency of local pastoralists to postpone the restoration regardless of the current status of the grassland degradation. Policy makers and restoration managers should be aware that the local communities may have different perceptions towards the urgency to act and the outcome of the restoration. To create incentives for community engagement, it is important to demonstrate the degradation is a nonlinear process. To calibrate local expectations, it is advisable to carry out onsite restoration experiments at local scale.
Uncovering the British Sewage Scandal and Regulatory Failure through the Power of Quantitative Data Analysis
Godwin, Eleanor - University of Liverpool
In the summer of 2023, the British sewage scandal emerged as a critical environmental and public health crisis, raising concerns about water quality, ecosystem health and regulatory oversight in England. With more media attention than ever before, there has been growing public outcry and demands for accountability of water companies. This paper seeks to illuminate the dynamics of the sewage scandal by using the comprehensive dataset provided by Violation Tracker UK. This powerful, novel and cutting edge tool aggregates regulatory enforcement data, shedding light on corporate violations across various sectors with ease, including environmental offences. The research methodology of this paper entails a systematic examination of violations related to sewage management and discharge practices recorded by Violation Tracker UK. By analysing the nature, frequency and severity of infractions committed by water companies in England, this paper identifies patterns, trends and systematic shortcomings in environmental regulation. Through this quantitative analysis, this paper interrogates the regulatory efficacy and the adequacy of existing environmental regulatory frameworks, concluding that environmental regulation is failing to hold water companies to account for polluting our waterways. This paper highlights how the data was collected as well as the vital insights which have helped civil society groups to catalyse action and drive systematic change. By doing this, the paper shows the invaluable nature of quantitative data analysis as a research method in the fight for environmental justice.
Uncovering adult family violence through 'messy methodologies': risk assessment and justice from the perspectives of police officers, practitioners, and victim-survivors.
Graham, Lily - University of Central Lancashire
Domestic abuse (DA) research is well-established; however, focus is predominantly on intimate partner violence (IPV). DA and IPV have thus become synonymous and professional practices, such as risk assessments, reflect this 'public story' (Donovan & Hester, 2014). In comparison, there lacks exploration of adult family violence (AFV). Risk assessments are often conducted at initial encounters between victim-survivors and professionals; thus, it is crucial they offer support. Their value is further reinforced when considering low conviction rates and high withdrawal rates of victim-survivors in the criminal justice system consequent.
This poster explores how a ‘messy methodology’ expands knowledge of AFV and challenges the ‘public story of IPV’. Using quantitative and qualitative approaches to police data, this research examines interactions with AFV. The use of participatory ‘journey mapping’ methodology in focus groups with professionals is proposed to aid understanding of AFV-related decision-making, and furthermore, a feminist-relational discourse analysis explores connections with ‘public stories’. A feminist-interactionist framework seeks to emphasise the role of empathy and care, or “interactional justices” (Mulvill et al, 2018), in risk assessment decision-making. This challenges the masculine, linear and objective approach to ‘effectiveness’, dominant in domestic abuse and criminal justice policy.
Donovan. C, & Hester. M, (2014), Domestic violence and sexuality: what’s love got to do with it? Bristol, Policy Press
Mulvihill. N, Gangoli. G, Gill. A. K, & Hester. M, 2019, The experience of interactional justice for victims of ‘honour’-based violence and abuse reporting to the police in England and Wales, Policing and Society, 29:6, 640-656, DOI: 10.1080/10439463.2018.1427745
Abstraction: An Embodied methodology for studying embodied cognition.
Hayes, Jen - Lancaster University/London Metropolitan University
This poster will look at the use on abstraction of photographs as a technique for exploring embodied/enactivist cognition and learning during protests.
Interactions with photographic or other images are complex and themselves require a number of simultaneous cognitive processes. As individuals our understanding of photographs and the meanings we place on them are dependent on our own backgrounds, including the social, philosophical, and religious traditions in which we are raised (Marr, 2010, Hoffman, 2000). This returns us to the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, who posited that we don’t see things in images we are seeing meaning with and through them (Merleau-Ponty, 1993, Alloa, 2021).
Abstraction of the photographs had a twofold advantage it enables the researcher to explore the boundaries between individuals and the environment, thereby exploring the no-self and nondualist elements of enactivist theory (Lessard, 2020, Varela, Rosch & Thompson, 1991). This was done by creating and destroying boundaries by the use of different colour and different groupings of elements under that colour. It also engaged the researcher in an embodied way with the photographs and provides provision to illuminate to the reader the philosophical conclusions of the paper. Abstraction via Colouring is a mindful practice that is also congruent with the philosophy and epistemological assumption in this paper. (Holt, Furbert & Sweetingham, 2019)
Alloa, E. (2021) Thinking through images. A phenomenology of visual media. New York: Columbia University Press.
Hoffman, D.D. (2000) Visual intelligence: How we create what we see. WW Norton & Company.
Holt, N.J., Furbert, L. & Sweetingham, E. (2019) Cognitive and Affective Benefits of Coloring: Two Randomized Controlled Crossover Studies. Art therapy, 36(4), 200-208 .
Lessard, B. (2020) Metaphysics of Abstraction: Speculative Photographs in the Anthropocene. Resilience (Lincoln, Neb.), 7(2-3), 20-39 .
Marr, D. (2010) Vision: A computational investigation into the human representation and processing of visual information. MIT press.
Merleau-Ponty, M. (1993) The Merleau-Ponty aesthetics reader. In: Johnson, G. & M. Smith (eds.) Evanston, Ill: Northwestern Univ. Press.
Varela, f.J., Rosch, E. & Thompson, E. (1991) The Embodied Mind: Cognitive Science and Human Experience. 1st ed. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Towards Sustainable Livelihoods: Assessing Indigenous Land Rights and Forest Restoration Policies in Mexico through Multidimensional Analysis.
Hernandez-Montilla, Mariana - University of Manchester
In the era of global biodiversity conservation and forest restoration commitments, Mexico's community forestry sector stands out as a unique arena for investigating the alignment between Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) land rights and contemporary forest restoration frameworks. This study employs an innovative multidimensional approach, grounded in the Spatial Triad framework encompassing physical, social, and mental dimensions, to scrutinize the intricate interplay among people, places, and ideas in environmental governance and land use planning. By evaluating policy coherence across scales and sectors using vertical, horizontal, and cross-sectoral coordination dimensions, the research aims to pinpoint gaps and misalignments between IPLC protections and conservation objectives, and to unravel the translation of policy priorities into on-the-ground implementation and outcomes. The study underscores the paramount significance of integrating IPLC perspectives and knowledge systems into policy formulation and implementation processes, nurturing inclusive and equitable restoration approaches that promote ecological resilience and community well-being. As Mexico advances its restoration agenda, this research yields crucial insights into the multifaceted impacts of policies on IPLC-conservation dynamics, offering pathways to surmount challenges and capitalize on opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. Striving for policy harmonization, fostering cross-sectoral dialogue, and addressing knowledge gaps emerge as pivotal strategies for realizing ambitious restoration commitments. This research aims to exemplify the potential of innovative multidimensional approaches in tackling complex environmental governance issues and advancing sustainable development goals.
Benefits and Challenges of Participatory Research in Higher Education
Hewertson, Helen - University of Central Lancashire
It has been increasingly recognised that it is important to connect with the communities we are doing research for (Amaya and Yeates, 2014; Fletcher-Watson et al., 2019). There is little benefit to these communities unless we prioritise their needs. In addition to this, the increasing focus on students as partners research and student engagement, shows there is a need for more participatory research (PR) approaches in Higher Education (Seale, 2010; Healey, et al., 2014). PR has been used most predominately in health sciences and community based projects (Cargo and Mercer, 2008; Amaya and Yeates, 2014; Caldwell et al., 2015), but to a limited extent in Higher Education (Walker, and Boni, 2020), even though the benefits and its ethical approach would be a good fit for many projects. PR is not without its challenges however, especially around logistics and time constraints (Amaya and Yeates, 2014). This can be the deciding factor for many undertaking research projects with limited time or budgets.
This poster will briefly explain the benefits and challenges of conducting a participatory research project around the mature student experience with undergraduate mature student researchers. It will enable further insight into how much participation is useful and whether it is worth considering embedding elements of participatory research into Higher Education research projects.
Textile Sociology. Textile Art in Sociological Research
Niziołek, Katarzyna - University of Białystok, Poland
The poster will showcase methodological experiences from an ongoing arts-based research project using textiles for sociological inquiry. Within the project’s framework, textiles are defined as a broad and open category comprising any material, cloth or fibre that can be utilised for sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidering, felting, braiding, twisting, etc. Through making large-scale textile artwork, we want to find out: (1) How is collective sewing, crocheting or weaving experienced by the participants of such a process? (2) What connections can be established with such creative work: between people, people and objects-in-the-making, people and the working space, people and time – the past, present and future? (3) In what ways are these – individual or even intimate – experiences and connections further linked to the macroscale phenomena, such as: class habitus, collective memory, cultural heritage, social identity, technological and ecological threats, political and geopolitical situation? The research process is based on participation and cooperation, with special focus on the material and performative aspects. We are working in a group of seven people – all equal participants in the project: two academic sociologists, four research participants from outside academia, and a photographer tasked to document the process. The research design comprises: making the textile artwork, talking-while-making, elicitation by means of personal memorabilia, thematic group discussions, note taking, and writing reflexive diaries. Altogether, the project is aimed at exploring and understanding the possibilities and challenges of the use of textiles and making textile art in sociological research. The artwork is intended to be publicly exhibited at the end of the project.
Integrating longitudinal socioeconomic survey and forest cover data: Assessing the impact of social forestry and marine protected areas on mangrove conservation and poverty alleviation in Indonesian villages
Nofyanza, Sandy - University of Manchester
Mangrove forests provide key environmental services essential for both wildlife and human populations. Yet, mangroves globally face considerable threats, with conversion for purposes like aquaculture and human settlements being prevalent. Here, we assess the impact of social forestry (SF) and marine protected areas (MPA) on mangrove conservation and poverty alleviation in Indonesian villages. Our analysis span over a 20-year period, encompassing more than 7,000 villages across the countries with existing mangrove ecosystems and those biophysically suitable for mangrove growth. We highlight two challenges in integrating large-scale, publicly available socioeconomic and environmental datasets to evaluate mangroves regrowth and poverty reduction simultaneously. The first challenge pertains to data consistency issues, particularly concerning administrative area splits or mergers. For instance, the number of villages in Indonesia increased by over 15,000 between 2000 and 2021, which also prompting the need to redefine village boundaries to ensure robust evaluation. The second challenge involves addressing time-varying policy implementation using a two-way fixed effect panel model with interaction terms (i.e., pre- and post-policy implementation), essential since SF and MPA are longstanding conservation policies but implemented in various areas at different times. Through our study, we aim to deepen our understanding of the interconnected factors that facilitate both mangrove conservation and improvements in human wellbeing. Our findings also help inform researchers and practitioners involved in similar policy spheres, fostering a more cohesive evaluation of the global agenda for forest-based climate mitigation, conservation, and advancement of community rights.
Using Time-Use Diary Data: Hints & Tips
Olsen, Wendy - University of Manchester
Our aim is show that time-use diary data can offer many new opportunities for research. Time-use diary data is defined as a data-collection method which asks about the previous day, broken into time slots, using a random sample of individual participants. We see time-use data on paid and unpaid work time as critical to the transition to a four-day week. A 4-day week, in turn, could support a new economy that is resilient to the climate transition, uses less fossil fuels, and enables community participation.
Factually, time-use data can be used to measure all sorts of daily activities: sports, participation in clubs, family and personal leisure time, sleep, cooking, pet care, and childcare. Some analysts just aggregate the data then compare by social groups, eg by gender. Others examine the sequence of events, or the companionship during each activity.
There are a wide range of official uses of such data: how do schoolchildren behave after school? How do long-hours workers manage their cooking? How much multi-tasking is occurring? How far does good mental health coincide with low weekly working hours? Global organisations like ILO are using time-use data routinely now. We found a lot of minor hurdles in using time-use data. So here, we suggest a few visual diagrams (box plot, bar chart with confidence interval, violin diagram and bubble chart). We share code for most of these in Github repository (www.github.org.uk/WendyOlsen). Good wishes with your time-use analysis journey!
By Wendy Olsen, Sonny McCann, Jihye Kim, and Ziyang Zhou
Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyse historical newspaper coverage of the first Black footballers to represent the England men’s national team
Pearson, Lily - University of Manchester
This poster will share the methodology developed for my thesis chapter investigating the newspaper coverage of the first Black footballers to represent England’s men’s national team from 1978-1993. This methodology was developed as a consequence of online archival research yielding thousands of results. I was conscious that only quantitative analysis would effectively communicate the scale of this dataset (which contains these articles plus those from in-person archival research) yet wanted to demonstrate qualitative analysis of individual articles and use case studies to elaborate on the broader quantitative trends.
In creating the new methodology, I categorised each article according to several criteria, including: type of article, whether race is discussed, if the player is quoted. This process uncovered key trends within the dataset as well as points for comparison, especially chronological patterns.
This new methodology resulted in a combined approach to my analysis: firstly, statistics and figures will highlight trends identified within the coverage relating to both the types of articles and the frequency and chronology of the language and stereotypes used. Secondly, content analysis of individual articles will develop the key themes and patterns derived from the quantitative analysis, focusing on case study articles and key events as microcosms of broader trends in the coverage.
This methodology has provided the satisfaction that every article is considered within my analysis. I hope others will replicate this combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis, whether relating to historical sources with larger datasets or modern sources where case studies can complement overarching statistical analysis.
Topological Data Analysis Ball Mapper for Data Visualisation and more...
Rudkin, Simon - University of Manchester
Ever richer multivariate datasets enable us to capture more of society, but visualisation of the information contained within those datasets becomes challenging. Topological Data Analysis Ball Mapper (TDABM) offers a tool that visualises the data without losing information. Treating every variable as an axis, in much the way a scatter plot does with two variables, we can place each data point into a multi-dimensional space. Equivalence is drawn between the placing of points on a scatter plot in a two-dimensional space. A cover of the space is created using equal sized balls, such that all data points appear in at least one ball. These balls can then be visualized as circles on a two-dimensional page. The result is an intuitive cover of the joint distribution of the data. Using the size of circle to capture the number of points within the ball gives the density of the joint distribution. We colour the circles according to the value of a function on the points within the ball. The resulting map can be used to draw inference on outcomes across the joint distribution of the axis variables. As well as being a visualisation tool, the TDABM plot can also be used to plot residuals from statistical models to understand dependencies between the joint distribution and model fit. The value of visualisation is understood, TDABM provides a means to realise that value in multi-dimensional data. The TDABM algorithm is shown in an intuitive fashion, with examples of published and ongoing work shown.
Social Network Analysis and Visualising Women in Late Bronze Age Diplomatic Correspondence: The Amarna Letters Pilot Study
Siat, Kelee - University of Manchester
Late Bronze Age diplomatic interaction between Egypt and the wider Eastern Mediterranean is well established in the surviving Amarna Letters (c. 1360-1332 BCE). These texts are generally viewed as correspondence exchanged between male heads of state and officials; however, women or female agents within these texts are often overlooked.
As an accessible diplomatic archive, the Amarna Letters were chosen to be assessed for female agents and their contribution/role within these texts. Their examination requires a method of data analysis that shows the relationship between agents and the texts that link them. As a sociological computational tool, social network analysis (SNA) was considered for its ability to model network data into a visual graph. The increasing use of SNA in Egyptological research (Cline & Cline, 2015; Chollier, 2020) demonstrates its use as an interdisciplinary research method.
SNA was piloted early in the collection of research data from the Amarna Letters archive. Thirteen texts were sampled (EA 1-6, 8-13 and 17) and content analysis was performed to distinguish male and female agents who were either directly or indirectly identifiable within the texts. The SNA programme displays the relationship data of these entities in a visual graph representing female and male agents and their connection to the same network. From this pilot study, SNA was successfully used to visualise the presence of female agents within a wider diplomatic social network. Though there are limitations to SNA as a standalone method, here, SNA demonstrates itself as a valuable tool for analysis.
‘Participants’, not ‘subjects’: Using participatory and collaborative methods to promote ethical autism research.
Taylor-Bower, Ellen - University of Cambridge
Co-authors: Dr Stephanie Archer and Dr Kate Plaisted-Grant
Drawing upon ongoing PhD research into autistic experiences of sensory overload, meltdown, and shutdown, this poster will explore how we as researchers can use participatory and collaborative methods to respond to and respect marginalised and/or ‘vulnerable’ communities, while still producing high-quality and impactful research.
The poster will focus on two main areas:
1) De-mystifying the process of establishing and working with a Research Advisory Group to co-create both quantitative and qualitative social science research. Particular attention will also be given to the practicalities (as well as the benefits) of employing participatory and collaborative methods in the context of early-career and/or PhD research. This section aims to provide concrete recommendations as well as more general guidance on how researchers can incorporate participatory and collaborative methods into their own research practice.
2) Addressing the particular complexities of conducting participatory and collaborative research with neurodivergent communities, including the additional considerations we as researchers may need to be aware of when working with potentially ‘vulnerable’ and/or marginalised communities (both as a community member and as an outsider). This section also aims to demonstrate how participatory and collaborative methods can be particularly valuable for both researchers and participants when working with ‘vulnerable’ groups.
Overall, the poster aims to illustrate how participatory and collaborative methods can materially benefit autism research, and neurodiversity research more generally, while also enabling this research to have a positive real-world impact for these communities.
The Dos and Don’ts of Co-production Lessons Learnt From a Research Software Inclusivity Project
Tenquist, Miriam - University of Manchester
Research software is an essential and growing component of many academic fields, yet concerns persist about the lack of diversity in research software engineering (RSE) roles and the impact this has on the quality and utility of the research findings themselves. Co-production is a potential research paradigm for working with underrepresented groups in RSE to develop effective evidence-based initiatives. It aims to empower the underrepresented people within the research process itself, as well as considering the emotional burden placed on participants in identity based research.
In this work we present our learnings from a co-produced project to improve inclusivity in the RSE community. The project was conducted with a team of 4 individuals with lived-experience of being in a minoritised setting in collaboration with the Software Sustainability Institute (SSI), alongside 2 underrepresented RSE stakeholders. The research aimed to co-design empowering and inclusive research tools through a series of workshops, outreach activities, and reflective sessions. At the end of the project, two sets of research tools were produced: an interview guide to capture the enablers and barriers to women and non-binary people adopting an RSE identity and a focus group schedule to support development of inclusive RSE initiatives.
This poster reflects on a range of best practices and challenges encountered during the co-production process. While the project succeeded in building strong interpersonal relationships, inclusive communication, and empowerment, we highlight the importance of clear stakeholder aims, structured training opportunities, clarity of process, and dedicated time to carry out co-production.
Women-Led Startups: Ukrainian case studies together with UK experience
Tytarchuk, Iryna - University of Manchester
The research relates to approaches and tools for supporting women's startups and ensuring gender equality in business financing. The study aims to analyse and define the current gender landscape for startup finance with particular reference to the Ukraine and UK experience and the formation of principles on how these financial factors can be more gender-balanced.
Due to the scattered nature of information related to the diversity of businesses and startups, the research used different sources and data-gathering methods. The analytical basis of the study is an in-depth interview of 10 women from the startup area and an analysis of 100 online questionnaires about starting and running startups. The geography of the survey was Ukraine and the UK.
The results showed that in the UK, venture capital investment in startups with female founders is increasing, but progress is plodding. Women made up a smaller portion of the new founder population worldwide in 2023 in nearly every primary sector of the startup ecosystem, with medical devices as the lone exception.
Analysis of data results in Ukraine makes it possible to identify regional features, trend problems and difficulties in implementing gender approaches in starting and running startups.
“The white oil”: The Role of ideas in the Governance of Lithium in Latin America
Valle Riestra, Esteban - University of Manchester
This research project aims to analyse the role of ideas in policy reforms and social mobilizations related to the governance of lithium in Latin America. As the demand for renewable energy technologies continues to rise, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia have garnered global attention for their leading positions in production and reserves of this mineral—a crucial resource in the manufacturing of energy storage devices. These countries have recently implemented reforms to capitalize on the economic opportunities presented by the surge in demand. Their strategies range from increasing public control over resources to attracting foreign investments. At the same time, movements opposing the expansion of the extractive sector have emerged within these countries, aiming to protect the environment and the livelihoods of local communities. Drawing on the literature on political settlements, this project argues that ideas play a central role in shaping policy choices and help explain why specific actions are chosen over other viable alternatives. To collect this information, the project will utilize interviews with key informants and employ case-centric process tracing techniques to trace the origin and development of ideas promoted by governments, corporations, communities, and civil society organizations.
Queer(ing) Narratives of Compulsory Psychiatric Treatment using a Methods Fusion
Wilson, Keiran - Birkbeck College, University of London
This poster presents the methodology for my doctoral thesis which explores the experiences of queer people who have been involuntarily hospitalised for psychiatric treatment under the Mental Health Act in England. Despite robust literature examining inequalities in Mental Health Act detention based on protected characteristics, there is very little research on LGBTQ + experiences of the Act. Mainstream approaches to studying LGBTQ+ mental health are often limited to quantifying general mental health outcomes and also fail to centre queer voices. Therefore, this project positions the production of queer narratives as a site for exploring the relationships between identity, power, and carceral logic within compulsory psychiatric treatment.
In the spirit of imaginative criminology (Seal & O’Neill, 2019), this project uses a fusion of visual timeline mapping (Kolar et al., 2015), episodic narratives (Mueller, 2019), and phenomenological analysis (Smith et al., 1999) to examine the operations of carceral power in psychiatric wards through queer experiences. In this presentation, I will summarise each element of the methodology, trace the epistemological connections between them, and explore the utility of the overall methodological product not only for understanding queer experiences, but for challenging traditional ways of producing criminological knowledge more broadly.
Comparing Teachers' Epistemic Frames and Their Roles in Technology-Mediated Task-Based Language Teaching: A Cross-Cultural Study in China and England
Yang, Han - Keele University
This micro-ethnographic case study, which differs from traditional ethnographic methods, allowing for a more focused and detailed examination of specific educational environments, investigates the divergent epistemic frames of teachers in China and England and how these influence their approach to technology-mediated task-based language teaching (TBLT). Grounded in Epistemic Frame Theory, this research examines the integrated structure of skills, knowledge, identities, and values held by language teachers, providing insights into their pedagogical practices and decision-making processes.
Currently this research still is in the data collection phase. By employing a comparative analysis, this study highlights how cultural and educational contexts shape teachers' epistemic frames and subsequently, their utilization of digital tools in language instruction. The methodology involves in-depth interviews, and participants observations, offering a comprehensive view of the interplay between teachers' epistemic frames and their engagement of technology-mediated TBLT method.
In this research, context is critical, as it influences how teachers perceive technology-mediated TBLT method, affecting everything from classroom interaction to curriculum design. By highlighting teachers' epistemic frames nuanced differences and similarities, this research shows that the evolution of research methodologies must consider the complex, layered realities of educational environments to stay relevant and effective. This approach not only enriches our understanding of epistemic frames in diverse settings but also advances our capability to craft more responsive and culturally-aware educational technologies and strategies.
Use of compositional covariates in linear regression: problems and solutions
Zhao, Tianchang; Sutton, Matt; Maecock, Rachel - University of Manchester
Compositional variables such as proportions by age group are commonly included as covariates in aggregate-level health research. Since these proportions sum to one and only contain relative information, directly including them as covariates violates the fundamental assumptions made in linear regression analysis. We explain the compositional nature of such data and, using practice-level elective admissions rates in England as an example outcome variable, demonstrate the consequences of directly using proportions in regressions. We also provide an overview of compositional data analysis (CoDA) techniques with a focus on isometric log-ratio (ILR) transformation. Applying ILR to our example data shows that the regression results can differ significantly from those obtained using raw proportions. Health economists should apply appropriate CoDA methods when using compositional data in their research.