North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership
Academia and Back Again!
Amy Stanning, Economic and Social History, Lancaster University (2021 Cohort)
I am now three years into my History PhD at Lancaster and as I am part-time I am hopefully about half-way through. I had quite a long gap between my first degree and my postgraduate work, so how did I get here?
I took my BA at King’s College in London. I was brought up in the North West and University gave an opportunity to move to the bright lights and all that the metropolis had to offer! I enjoyed my time in London although perhaps a bit too much for my academic performance!
Read MoreDon’t Let Doubts Stop you Returning to Academia.
Sharon Cooksey, Business & Management, University of Liverpool (2022 Cohort)
So, you are in your 30’s or 40’s, and beyond and you discover a spark of curiosity and an inkling that you might want to pursue a research idea into a PhD, and it just won’t go away… but so many doubts are flying around your brain… ‘I will be too old, I will be the odd one out, what can I bring, I’ve forgotten everything I learnt in my undergrad degree, I won’t be accepted/good enough’, etc., etc…
Read MoreMidWest Conference on British Studies.
Amy Stanning, Economic and Social History, Lancaster University ( 2021 Cohort)
I was fortunate to be invited to present my research at the 71st Annual Midwest Conference on British Studies which was held in Toronto, Canada. The NWSSDTP kindly funded my travel expenses for the trip and gave me the opportunity to present my work for the first time to a North American audience.
Read MoreNavigating Gatekeepers, Adapting Research Methods, and Managing Ethical Challenges in a Politically Complex Place
Nay Myo Htet, Educational Research, University of Manchester (2021 Cohort)
Researching in complex, political environments pose unpredictable challenges for PhD researchers and academics in the humanities. My recent experience in Mae Sot, a border town between Myanmar and Thailand, offers some insights into navigating such challenging terrains. This blog post aims to share my journey of conducting fieldwork in a political hotspot, focusing on three crucial aspects: accessing vulnerable participants and working with gatekeepers, adapting research methods to fit participants’ circumstances, and managing ethical challenges.
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North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership 