Our PHaR and PsyPAG crossover event

All the way back in, I think, November of last year we held a PHaR session discussing ideas for funding and exploring some ideas for the group’s future. From this Tiago Moutela (research assistant/PhD student at Aston) and I (William Day; graduate teaching assistant/PhD student in psychology at Aston) successfully submitted an application to a workshop fund ran by the Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group (PsyPAG).

The workshop, titled “exploring culture and experience: choosing methodologies in qualitative research”, ran at Aston University on the 26^th of April 2018. Most of the talks were recorded, and are linked to at the end this write-up.

We had hoped that the rather ‘broad’ scope of the workshop’s focus would enable both the speakers and workshop attendees the freedom and space to talk about their own research, and research interests; whilst exploring the possibilities offered by new and ‘innovative’ ways of collecting and presenting data. Although rooted in psychology, we intended to continue the interdisciplinary ethos of PHaR. As such, delegates from a variety of backgrounds attended including optometry, philosophy and the local police force.

First talk at #ExploreQualAston by Michael Larkin @ipanalysis on Foreground Context in Qualitative Research pic.twitter.com/OHahPH4bT1

— PERFECT (@EpistInnocence) April 26, 2018

Opening the day, in a talk titled “foregrounding context in qualitative research”, Dr Michael Larkin (Aston University) drew upon a wealth of examples (his son’s spatial explorations of a car being the, perhaps, most memorable) to explain how and why context in qualitative research is the topic of interest rather than a ‘thing’ to be excluded and controlled for. Instead, we should think creatively about how to access the relationship between an individual and their world; how different types of data can bring the different aspects of these relationships to the foreground.

The second talk of the day was by Dr Sarah Seymour-Smith (Nottingham Trent University). Titled “a synthetic discursive approach: research towards the co-production of a prostate cancer mobile application for African Caribbean men”, Sarah spoke candidly about her experiences of data collection; exploring the affect of her status as an ‘outsider’ within a community involved project. Of particular interest were issues experienced around dissemination, where participants actively wanted to be named and credited for their involvement in the project, and responses to perceived positioning (concerns that African Caribbean men were understood as being “homophobic”).

Before lunch we embraced some disciplinary clichés and handed out post-it notes. Attendees were encouraged to briefly write about methodological issues they would like to discuss, before sticking the post-it notes to adjacent walls and finding likeminded individuals. Despite some passing logistical mysteries, the exercise worked well as an ‘ice breaker’: described by one of the delegates as “an academic speed dating event”.

Amazing ideas here at #ExploreQualAston! Looking forward to discussing different aspects of qualitative research/collaborating ideas pic.twitter.com/mLstuQEwNC

— Shioma-lei Craythorne (@shioma_lei) April 26, 2018

Some great discussion going on! I’ve talked to so many wonderful people and heard so many exciting ideas that I’m desperate to do more qualitative work! #ExploreQualAston #QualitativeResearch pic.twitter.com/XM9tO6mtJY

— Kristina Newman (@KNewmanPhD) April 26, 2018

Lunch was accompanied by a series of artworks, loaned to the event by Katie Melvin (doctoral researcher, University of Leicester). Katie’s research interests primarily surround the relationships between bodies, and social and material circumstances. Her artwork serves both a tool to share ideas, but to also explore her own academic inspirations. 

Setting up the series of artworks from the wonderful @katiemelvi - 'Feeling-in-the-world'. Couldn't be more excited to start! #ExploreQualAston @AstonLHS @asron pic.twitter.com/A1rp2cBEMY

— Tiago Moutela (@tiagomoutela) April 26, 2018

Stunning artwork by @katiemelvi at #ExploreQualAston @PsyPAG ‘Feeling-In-The-World’ pic.twitter.com/Z5NFB1bO9D

— Shioma-lei Craythorne (@shioma_lei) April 26, 2018

We were also fortunate to have posters from Rebecca Clarke (Aston PhD student) and Harpreet Sihre (doctoral researcher, University of Birmingham).

We have two fabulous posters up too! @Harpreet_k_s @abeckyclarke #ExploreQualAston #posters pic.twitter.com/QbF5rZRXQP

— Kristina Newman (@KNewmanPhD) April 26, 2018

Rebecca’s work used interview and a thematic framework method to explore the views and experiences of paediatric healthcare professionals concerning weight management advice and support offered to children living with asthma. Harpreet’s prospective research seeks to understand the lived experiences of severe postnatal psychiatric illnesses in English speaking South Asian women, living in the UK. The responsibility of choosing a winner fell to our speakers and Harpreet’s poster emerged as first choice. 

Beginning with the potentially controversial point of seeing interviews analysed with some sort of thematic analysis as now banal and tedious, Professor Brendan Gough (Leeds Beckett University) ensured there would be no ‘post-lunch slump’ in attention. Brendan argued that given the ubiquity of the internet and the integration of our daily lives with social media, we, as researchers, should “go where the action is”. Why should we assume data needs to be collected in the same old ways? Looking at his work around men and infertility, Brendan demonstrated how online content (from message boards) can be integrated as creative and innovative data.

The day’s final talk from Dr Jo Brooks (University of Manchester) looked at the use of visual methods in qualitative psychology research. Focussing on the generation of visual materials as part of the interview setting, Jo showed how the Pictor technique can be an effective way to encourage reflection on relational interactions; possibly particularly salient in healthcare settings.

Hearing about the Pictor technique! @DrJoBrooks1 #ExploreQualAston #visualmethods #qualitativeresearch pic.twitter.com/Y3qYK2DOnK

— Kristina Newman (@KNewmanPhD) April 26, 2018

The final session of the day asked workshop attendees to reflect on their day; to think about how they may wish to include the ideas seen and talked about within their own work. What would be enriching? What methods might not add value?  

Reflections on an absolutely excellent workshop. Got me thinking about how to apply different methods in my own research.

Particularly ‘mereology’ talked about by @ipanalysis #ExploreQualAston #collectiveemotions #phdlife pic.twitter.com/Y3Ezf3kx9u

— Chris Day (@chrisrobsonday) April 26, 2018

Reflecting on our own experiences, as organisers, we look back on the day as a ‘success’. The feedback received suggests that we achieved what we had set out to: creating an environment in which thought-provoking, diverse topics were presented, alongside plenty of opportunity for group discussions. It was also a learning experience; I found, in particular, navigating the often mysterious-seeming, distant university departments difficult. Without the right job codes, account numbers or points on a risk assessment check; the unknown can be bring about a number of anxieties: we occasionally found ourselves removed from the aims of why we set out to organise the event, instead entangled by the ‘how’s’ of the necessary university processes. However our efforts did satisfied these bureaucratic hurdles, and the day came together as we had hoped. Here’s to next year’s PHaR/PsyPAG sequel…? (PHaRPAG2: PHaR harder?).  

We would like to particularly thank Michael, Sarah, Brendan and Jo for their significant contributions to the day as well as PsyPAG for the funding the day. We would also like to thank our fellow organiser Kristina Newman (PhD student, Aston University); PsyPAG sponsor Claire Melia (Keele University); Katie Melvin for sharing her wonderful art; Rebecca Clark and Harpreet Sihre for their posters; our undergraduate student helpers Yahya Adnan and Esra Yeter; everyone who attended; and our supervisors Dr Rachel Shaw and Dr Michael Larkin for their continued event organising advice and support.

Below are links for recordings (audio and slides only) of the talks:

• Dr Sarah Seymour-Smith: “a synthetic discursive approach: research towards the co-production of a prostate cancer mobile application for African Caribbean men”. On YouTube. Note: sensitive data extracts and photos have been removed from this presentation. Read more about Sarah's work on this project in: Seymour‐Smith, S., Brown, D., Cosma, G., Shopland, N., Battersby, S., & Burton, A. (2016). “Our people has got to come to terms with that”: changing perceptions of the digital rectal examination as a barrier to prostate cancer diagnosis in African-Caribbean men. Psycho-oncology, 25(10), 1183-1190.
• Professor Brendan Gough: "beyond interviews: innovations in qualitative research". On Youtube.
• Dr Jo Brooks: “using visual methods in qualitative psychology research”. On YouTube. 
• Unfortunately Michael Larkin’s talk did not record, however he has kindly shared a link to his slides.

For a reverse chronological account of the day, search Twitter for the hashtag “#ExploreQualAston”, or follow this link.

For more information on PsyPAG’s workshop fund, please visit: http://www.psypag.co.uk/workshops/

A version of this write-up was posted on the “Imperfect Cognitions” blog, and is available here. The blog, which is well worth exploring for anyone interested in themes at the intersection of philosophy, psychology, and psychiatry, is now linked with the University of Birmingham’s Project PERFECT.