Abi O’Connor & Ronnie Hughes, Sociology, University of Liverpool, 2018 Cohort

Our podcast series, Sustainable and Resilient Cities: Liverpool, explores work being carried out by PhD researchers during the COVID19 pandemic, highlighting how many are carrying out research that will help respond. and inform and maybe even influence what the City Region is doing to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic.

This is a series of conversations about stuff that not only matters to us as researchers but might also be of interest to a wider audience. That is why we have chosen this method of getting postgraduate conversations out to a wider world.

Whilst the majority of us began our PhDs before the pandemic, we are finding that much of the empirical research so many of us are adjusting and adapting to carrying out, might well be of practical use in the rapidly changing circumstances we are all living through. As we are currently conducting research, we have access to knowledge and opinions of the complexities, difficulties and change to research methods. Under normal circumstances, this might have been shared and discussed within our departments and universities. As this is not currently possible, we think disseminating our work via a podcast series, across popular and publicly accessible platforms, and to diverse audiences both within and outside the academy, makes absolute sense.

We began this podcast series to create a platform for conversations with one another, other PhD students from both our own university and across the region. The podcast space has become particularly important in the absence of being able to come together on campuses, as we suspected it might. Students who have already featured in episodes are telling us that their interviews have helped them develop their thinking and writing, as well as open new opportunities for collaborations with those listening.

So, we would encourage anyone who would like to discuss their current work in an episode of the podcast to get in touch. PhD students in any discipline, at any stage of your studies, all are welcome.

What we are calling ‘Series 2’ of our rolling programme of podcasts will be focusing on ‘Doing a PhD amidst a global pandemic’. Episodes will explore issues like writing during lockdown, changes we are having to make to research methods and data collection, balancing working from home with other responsibilities, like care-giving or parental responsibilities. We would be interested to hear if you have any other suggestions.

We think there is strength and value in good conversations that is missing from our lives now that we cannot meet by chance in our universities. And we are enjoying the conversations we are having with each other in planning and producing the episodes so far, as well as the conversations with everyone else. You can hear for yourself by following the link below. So, if you would like to add your voice and your research to what we are doing, then get in touch. We would love to hear from you.

The podcast is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts. Our webpage with more information and links to the episodes is available here: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/humanities-and-social-sciences/research/research-themes/sustainable-cities/emerging-stronger/

Abi O’Connor : aoconnor@liverpool.ac.uk ; @abioconnor_

Ronnie Hughes: R.D.Hughes@liverpool.ac.uk; @asenseofplace1