Location
AQUALM Accessible Qualitative Research: Reality and Practicalities
This Advanced Qualitative Methods training is open to all ESRC and non-ESRC funded students within the seven WRDTP partner institutions. Students are welcome from all seven interdisciplinary Pathways.
The concept of accessibility is fluid and within different contexts means different things. Nevertheless, the underlying premise is that an accessible product, service, environment or any other article should be used by as many people as possible however they encounter it. Accessibility within a qualitative research context carries extra complexity as it requires a synergy between the research design, ethics and participants’ everyday realities.
The session will focus on planning and implementation of qualitative social research – exploring how to turn a research design into a realistic, achievable, ethical and inclusive process. It will shed light on qualitative interviews and focus groups with broader implications for other qualitative methods. Using the Inclusive Public Space project as a primary case study, the session will provide a practical approach to the key stages of qualitative research and the strategic considerations crucial for inclusivity of various participant groups (e.g., disabled or older people, people with chronic illness, children, parents etc.).
The session will involve a combination of interactive activities such as individual and scenario exercises, and group discussions.
- Get a better understanding of the concept of accessibility and its fluidity in the context of qualitative social research;
- Recognise diversity of qualitative fieldwork- related situations;
- Creatively approach the implementation of inclusive and accessible interviews and focus groups.
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Speakers
Dr Ieva Eskytė is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Law, University of Leeds where she works on the ERC-funded project ‘Inclusive Public Space: Law, Universality and Difference in the Accessibility of Streets.’ Ieva’s academic experience and expertise lies within two key strands: qualitative research and accessibility. She has worked in several EU countries on projects concerning disability, decision making, migration, behaviour change, children’s social participation, consumer rights and access to retail markets, etc. She sits on several international advisory groups where her primary role is related to various aspects of accessibility.
Dr Maria Orchard is a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Law, University of Leeds and works with Dr Eskytė on the Inclusive Public Space project, to which she brings socio-legal and interdisciplinary research experience. She previously employed qualitative research methods to explore the experiences of disabled women with their respective legal systems in the context of domestic violence, investigating the role of different ‘legal facilitators’, including accessibility obligations, to help identify what was necessary for a particular participant to engage with the legal system in a meaningful manner. Her current work with the IPS project explores the relationship between law and an exclusionary public realm, the effectiveness and impact of such law, and the extent to which people are using it in practice.
It is recommended that attendees access the following readings prior to the training:
Barnes, C. (2008). An Ethical Agenda in Disability Research: rhetoric or reality?
Schelbe, L. et al. (2015). Youth participation in qualitative research: Challenges and possibilities, Qualitative Social Work, 14(4), pp. 504–521.
https://fsu.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/fsu%3A502955/datastream/PDF/view
This training session will be delivered via Blackboard Collaborate.
PLEASE NOTE: Our online training sessions will be recorded and will be available on the VIRE in an edited format for those students who cannot attend. If you wish to join this session but do not wish for your contributions to be included in the edited VIRE resource, please ensure that you select NO when prompted in the online booking form regarding recording.
