Improvising Methods: Experiencing Collaborative, Inventive, Apposite and Original Methods – call for participation
Have you been improvising methods, or finding yourself favouring site-responsive and apposite approaches over standard ones?
Maybe you’ve been creating new assemblages that generate knowledge in inventive ways, or experimenting with collaborative ethnographies, creating novel research collectives, incroporating novel material objects, or using creative or mobile methods that draw on the resources of your field sites?
Perhaps you just want to hear more about what’s involved with site-responsive and inventive methods from those with insights and stories to share.
If this sounds of interest, then we have an upcoming event for you!
The event
NCRM is planning a two-day in-person innovation forum to explore what happens when skilled researchers and practitioners are methodologically responsive to their field sites.
Having postponed this session earlier in the year, we’re thrilled to confirm that this event has been rescheduled and will now take place on 15-16 October 2025 at The University of Manchester.
The event, which is free to attend, will build on contemporary interest in engaging with site-responsive and apposite methods from multiple disciplines such as STS, sociology, the voluntary and nonprofit sectors. We encourage interest and participation from all facets of social research!
Programme
The programme will combine methodological workshops, talks and group discussion to unpack what it means – and takes – to improvise methodologically. Expected topics include exploring improvisation with collectives, enrolling sensory experiences and objects, exploring mobile methods, and more.
In particular, we are aiming to build a community interested in developing capacity for apposite, situated and sensitive methods in social research. We hope this will also include working together to produce an online collection that showcases, shares and critically appraises improvisation in method.
Register your interest
If this sounds like something you’d like to be part of, we’d love to hear from you. Please register your interest using our online form by 12:00 on Thursday, 4 September.
To help us build a balanced and engaging event, this form includes a request for a brief (150 words max) summary of your interest or experience (if any) in improvisational or inventive methods.
There is also space to let us know any specific topics you’re keen to explore as a group or if you want to help lead a particular discussion. We’re keen for this Innovation Forum to be participatory and collaborative, so please let us know your suggestions!
Further information
The event is free to attend.
Limited funding is available to help cover the cost of travel and accommodation for some attendees (for instance, for those based outside of Manchester and unable to cover these costs through other means). We can fund one night’s accommodation and a standard-class return train ticket. Please indicate your request for this support on the registration form. We will confirm whether your costs can be covered.
The full programme will be published here as further details are confirmed.
This project is being led by Dr Robert Meckin, of NCRM and The University of Manchester, and Dr Sophie Stone, of the University of Edinburgh.
If you have any questions, contact Sophie Stone (sophie.stone@ed.ac.uk) to find out more.
We look forward to hearing from you!