SWDTP

The Decolonial Researcher
2025-05-09 10:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | Cardiff University, Colum Drive, Cardiff, Cardiff, United Kingdom
This course will offer an in-depth exploration of decolonising academia by asking: What are the possibilities when it comes to decolonial research?
This one-day course will be split into four sections:

Examining the decolonial critique of academia. This will involve exploring some of the main themes found within decolonial scholarship and activism with a specific focus on the decolonial critique of social science research.
Exploring some of the key predecessors of decolonial research which have had a significant impact on current thinking about decolonial research. More specifically, consideration will be given to the relationship between feminist research, Indigenous research, and decolonial research.
Considering various strategies which have been suggested to decolonise research. This will involve discussing some of the practical strategies that may be used when trying to produce decolonial research.
Offering a critique of decolonial research. This will involve recognising the limitations of decolonial research which make it an imperfect approach to conducting research.

By the end of the course, participants will:

Be well-versed in the decolonial critique of academia, particularly in relation to social science research.
Be able to identify the core principles and strategies which constitute decolonial research.
Be prepared to offer a lucid critique of decolonial research.

Please note this event is not run by the SWDTP. For more details and to book, please click here: https://www.ncrm.ac.uk/training/show.php?article=13944 [ncrm.ac.uk]

Making your literature review count
2025-05-12 11:00 - 12:00
The literature review is a key part of your doctoral thesis. It takes time to develop and builds an original argument. So, why not make it available to others by turning it into a peer-reviewed publication? In this session of our Conducting Literature Reviews webinar series, two early career researchers (ECRs) will talk about how they used their literature reviews in publications and gain recognition in their field.
Dr Nasrul Ismail is Senior Lecturer in Criminology in the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol. He is a co-editor of Justice, Power and Resistance (Bristol University Press) and also serves on the International Advisory Board for the International Journal of Prison Health. Nasrul also happens to be an SWDTP alumnus.
Dr Freya Wise is an SWDTP-awarded ESRC Research Fellow at UWE Bristol in the Centre for Advanced Built Environment Research (CABER) and a Visiting Fellow at The Open University.
Registration: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/swdtp/1651287

Introducing Critical Interpretive Synthesis: a systematic, inclusive and generative approach to reviewing the literature
2025-05-20 11:00 - 12:00
This session introduces critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) as a systematic approach to collating, reviewing and synthesising a diverse body of research evidence. CIS aims to produce fresh insights on an issue of concern, drawing on techniques that are common in qualitative inquiry, such as the ongoing refinement of research questions and an iterative process of data collection and analysis. I will share my own experiences of using CIS in solo and collaborative projects in the field of education (Mitchell, 2025). In this interactive session we will consider CIS in relation to other approaches to systematic review, comparing their logics and processes. We will consider the affordances and challenges of using CIS in a doctoral research project, and strategies for incorporating CIS within your own work.
This session is hosted by Dr Rafael Mitchell, Senior Lecturer in Comparative and International Education, and co-director of the Centre for Comparative and International Research in Education (CIRE) at the University of Bristol.
Reference: Mitchell, R. (2025). Using critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) for theoretical development: Mobilising African education research. In Sage Research Methods Cases Part 1. SAGE Publications, Ltd., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071984185
Registration: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/swdtp/1651269
