PhD researchers at NCRM

 

Hub PhD researchers

 

Rachel Ayrton (2011- )

Title: Capable of trust - an exploration of the value of social trust in reducing poverty after violent conflict

Supervised by Professor Ros Edwards

Abstract: In light of the devastating impact of violent conflict in terms of poverty and freedoms in the world's poorest nations, when conflict ends it is crucial that conditions conducive to a sustainable peace are established. I will be investigating the role of trust in post-conflict environments by examining two sub-Saharan African contexts in comparative perspective. This project aims to contribute to theory on trust against a backdrop of recent conflict as well as exploring what research methods are most suited to the complexities of research in such potentially volatile situations.

Jaimie Ellis (2009- )

Title: Researching socially excluded groups

Supervised by Dr Rose Wiles and Professor Graham Crow

Abstract: This research is set to discover what innovative methods are appropriate to be used in conducting research with children with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) that captures their experiences and their social worlds. 11 students aged 11-15 years and diagnosed with ASC participated in the study and six methods were utilised. The students participated in

writing an essay about one’s perceived futures; taking photographs of people, places and objects which are considered special; designing and making a patchwork quilt to reflect one’s personality; and writing and performing a documentary about their lives. In conjunction with these tasks observations of the students were made as well as their parents/ carers and teachers interviewed.

Gosia Turner (2009- )

Title: Paradata in survey research

Supervised by Professor David Martin, Professor Chris Skinner and Professor Patrick Sturgis.

Abstract: The underlying theme of this research is ‘paradata’ which are the data about the survey process. Gosia uses the National Travel Survey data together with large paradata file that contains extensive information on interviewers like their personality traits, skills and what aspects of their job are important to them. Gosia's main area of interest is the interviewer effect, and she investigates if certain types of interviewers introduce more variance into the survey estimates than others. Also, she looks at the relationship between interviewer characteristic and satisficing behaviour demonstrated by respondents (e.g. 'yeah' saying) to see if certain interviewers encourage this sort of practice.

 

MODE PhD researchers

 

Berit Henriksen (2011- )

Title: Researching digital communication and learning within social networking environment

Supervised by Dr Neil Selwyn

Victoria Hurr (2011- )

Title: The kineikonic mode- Developing a multimodal theory of the moving image

Supervised by Professor Andrew Burn

 

NOVELLA PhD researchers

 

Stephanie Baum (2011- )

Title: Family Food Practices/Secondary analysis qualitative data

Supervised by Dr Rebecca O'Connell and Professor Julia Brannen

Catherine Walker (2011- )

Supervised by Professor Ann Phoenix and Dr Janet Boddy

Abstract: Catherine's PhD studentship forms part of the Family Lives and the Environment (FLE) project within the NOVELLA node. The FLE project as a whole will examine understandings of habitual practice, and narratives within families, in relation to climate change, climatic events, and the environment, and involves secondary analysis of qualitative data from the Young Lives study along with new data collection in India and the UK. Catherine's research will complement the work of the main study, through a focus on children's perspectives, with regard to the positioning of their perspectives within families, and their influence on families' everyday practices and their collective understandings of those practices.

Joe Winter (2011- )

Title: Electronic Constructions of Parenting Identities and Practices

Supervised by Professor Ann Phoenix and Professor Julia Brannen

Abstract: Joe will collect data on how parenting identities and practices are created in new ways in Computer Mediated Communicationss. Joe will engage in a virtual ethnography of sites such as MumsNet and fathers' sites and conduct electronic interviews with parents in transnational families. It is anticipated that parents for this group will be recruited through advertising on the internet. While the internet is increasingly being used as a mode of research interviewing, attention to both parenting practices and a comparison of how narratives collected via the internet compares with narratives collected face to face is methodologically innovative. It is likely that visual data will also be analysed.

 

PATHWAYS PhD researchers

 

Rohini Mathur (2011- )

Supervised by Professor Emily Grundy and Professor Liam Smeeth

Abstract: Rohini will investigate how computerised health records can contribute substantively to the social sciences, particularly around our understanding of ethnic inequalities in health and use of healthcare in the UK. The data will be primarily from the General Practice Research Database and linked datasets such as MINAP, HES and ONS Longitudinal Study.

 

TALISMAN PhD researchers

 

Stephen Clark (2012- )

Title: Modelling the impacts of demographic ageing on the delivery of health care services

Supervised by Professor Mark Birkin and Dr Alison Heppenstall.

Abstract: Working in partnership with the NHS Information Centre, this research will analyse what the most common procedures required by elderly populations are and how this demand varies spatially. From this, forecasts will be built (using a mixture of statistical and individual-based modelling tools) to explore (i) where the elderly population are likely to living in 10, 15 and 20 years and (ii) what the particular pressures are going to be on the NHS treatment centres.

Michael Thomas (2011- )

Title: Modelling individual and place variations in residential moves using commercial data and official statistics

Supervised by Professor John Stillwell and Dr Myles Gould

Abstract: This project will use lifestyle and socio-demographic information from a huge national Acxiom market research opinion poll to investigate migration behaviour. The project will use a multilevel statistical framework to model both hierarchically (e.g. individuals within areas within districts) and cross-classified (e.g. individuals within origins, and individuals within origins) data structures. It is only by using this approach that these linked research questions can be simultaneously answered. Data and modelling results will also visualised using GIS. Supplementary work using other secondary sources of official statistics will be used to benchmark and validate the research findings found using the Acxiom data, and together will also help broaden the evidence base relating to our understanding of migration in Britain.

 

Past PhD researchers at NCRM

 

Carmen Lau (2010), Investigating the experiences of Chinese children living in the UK (Realities node)

George Leckie (2008), Multilevel modelling of school differences in educational achievement (LEMMA 1)

Alexina Mason (2009), Bayesian methods for modelling non-random missing data mechanisms in longitudinal studies (BIAS II)

Caroline Young (2007), Methods of geographical perturbation for confidentiality protection (the Hub)