ESRI Research (Methodology) Seminar "Between Ivory Towers and Earthen Trenches: Developing Rigorous Research in Real World Settings"

Venue: The ESRI, Whitaker Square, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2

Speaker: Suzanne Guerin, School of Psychology, University College Dublin.

The emphasis on evidence-based practice stresses the importance of conducting rigorous and credible research across a range of disciplines and in a variety of contexts. At the same time it is necessary for research to be authentic, both in terms of its meaning to the communities and settings within which it is conducted, and its relevance to the stakeholders for whom the research may have significant implications. The aims of this presentation are to discuss the challenges evident when conducting research in applied or real world settings and to consider the solutions available to researchers. The presentation will consider the continuum of designs and methods necessary to tailor research and evaluation to these complex settings, the particular challenge of these contexts for research ethics, and the guidance offered by frameworks such as the UK Medical Research Council's guidelines for the evaluation of complex interventions.

Suzanne Guerin PhD is the Director of the Centre for Disability Studies and a lecturer in research design and analysis at the UCD School of Psychology. She teaches on a range of aspects of research design including qualitative and quantitative methods, research ethics, and critically evaluating published research. Suzanne has a keen interest in applied research and particularly the need for approaches to research that balance the standards of empirical research with the complexities of the settings in which applied research is conducted. As a result of these interests she has conducted research in a range of settings, working with multi-disciplinary research teams and organisations including the Tallaght West Childhood Development Initiative, the Barretstown charity and St Michaels's House Intellectual Disability Service.