Qualitative Methods Hub: The researcher’s lived experiences of researching lived experiences
My DPhil research focussed on the experiences of Christian postgraduate students through a convergent parallel multiple case study, employing one quantitative and two qualitative strands. In this presentation, I will focus on the qualitative elements of the research. I collected 165 responses to two open ended survey questions and conducted 53 semi-structured interviews at three case universities in England. In this presentation, I will briefly describe the project to give context to the research experience. I will then walk the audience through my research journey from recruitment through field work to analysis, with highlights of the real-life (i.e. not in the textbooks) challenges and surprises (and mistakes) which arise from insider research, analytical dilemmas, handling upset interviewees, the limits data protection places on qualitative research, etc. I will use examples and illustrations from my interviews, field notes and notes-to-self during analysis to illustrate the lived experience of the researcher exploring the lived experiences of others.
Date:
1 May 2025, 12:45
Venue:
15 Norham Gardens, 15 Norham Gardens OX2 6PY
Venue Details:
Seminar Room A and online
Speaker:
Szilvi Watson (University of Oxford)
Organising department:
Department of Education
Organiser:
Dr Velda Elliott (University of Oxford)
Part of:
Qualitative Methods Hub Seminars
Booking required?:
Not required
Audience:
Public
Editors:
Hannah Freeman,
Heather Sherkunov,
Kristina Khoo
