The Qualitative Open Mic

Neurodiversity Matters: Kai Syng Tan and Georgia Thom on creative practice

Qualitative researchers are increasingly turning to creative methods and methodologies to expand perspectives on health, healthcare, and divergent ways of being. In this

Neurodiversity Matters: Alyssa Hillary Zisk on Augmentative and Alternative Communication

Autistic people have a whole constellation of communication needs and styles, but these are not always understood or accommodated by researchers. This month, Sohail inter

Neurodiversity Matters: Daria Khanolainen on dyslexia and self-esteem

Neurodiversity and neurodivergence have been revolutionary ideas in autism research, and later in ADHD. But how do they apply to other diagnoses or experiences? This mont

Qualitative Open Mic: Anti-racist Qualitative Health Research - Bee Damara on theory

We are re-publishing Bee Damara's interview with the Qualitative Open Mic, which had been temporarily removed from our archive and was part of the Anti-racist Qualitative

Neurodiversity Matters: Victoria Castle on participatory research and neuroinclusive parenting measures

Parents get a lot of advice, and a lot of it is conflicting or inappropriate. Parenting research aims to be better than that – but is it, when neurodivergence is in the m

Neurodiversity Matters: Elizabeth Hauke on neurodivergent autoethnography and inclusive education

Autoethnographers use their personal experiences to explore wider issues, relationships, or situations. So what happens if you experience the world differently? Sohail sp

Neurodiversity Matters: Hannah Belcher on (un)masking and mental health research

Sohail interviews Dr Hannah Belcher, author of Taking off the Mask and lecturer in user-led research at King's. They cover some of the ethical complexities of the neurodi

Neurodiversity Matters: Morénike Giwa Onaiwu on antiracist advocacy

Has qualitative research been complacent about its ability to highlight marginalised perspectives? Sohail speaks to Dr Morénike Giwa Onaiwu about forthcoming anthology "N

Neurodiversity Matters: Monique Botha on funding priorities and community justice

Why is the funding agenda for autism research so far from what the communities concerned want? There’s a long tradition of prioritising neurobiological and genetic work o

Neurodiversity Matters: Damian Milton on double empathy and autistic worlds

Welcome to Series 7 of the Qualitative Open Mic! This series discusses the many ways neurodivergent perspectives can improve the quality, insights and impacts of qualitat

Qualitative Controversies: Johnny Saldaña on blue collar qualitative research

In an academic landscape dominated by formality and jargon, Johnny Saldaña brings a refreshingly raw perspective with his ideas on 'Blue Collar Qualitative Research'. We

Qualitative Controversies: Hyab Yohannes and Tesfalem Yemane on refugee-led scholarship

Why are there limited voices from sanctuary seekers in qualitative research about migrant health? Tesfalem Yemane and Hyab Yohannes bring a vital perspective on 'refugee-

Controversies in qualitative research: Amy Wells on challenging tokenistic involvement

The involvement of service users in research holds transformative potential, but what happens when it becomes mere tokenism? When is it better to step away? With insights

Qualitative Controversies: health research under siege

Amidst the ongoing occupation and genocide in Palestine, how do qualitative health researchers navigate their work and find their voice? What kind of research is it possi

Coming soon: Health research under siege: being a qualitative researcher in Palestine

Watch this space for the next episode in our controversies series - we're translating the transcript for this one into Arabic so we've got a slight delay and will have it

Qualitative Controversies: Peter West-Oram on government influence in research

In October 2023, then-minister Michelle Donelan accused members of UK Research and Innovation's EDI committee of holding "extremist views" based on their social media com

Qualitative Controversies: Ginger Johnson on emergency response

In this episode we challenge the misconception that qualitative research is too slow and narrow to influence emergency response planning. Despite the common preference fo

Qualitative Controversies:Tiarna Lee on the machine behind the method

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 innovati

Qualitative Controversies: Profit and pricing in academia with Kirsten Bell

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 we

Making interpretations: Joy Llewellyn-Beardsley on lived experience

This episode reflects on how lived experience can engender insights, support the interpretative process and enhance the trustworthiness of qualitative research. We consid