Emma Uprichard (Reader)

Academic profile

I joined Warwick and CIM in August 2012 having previously held posts at Goldsmiths, University of London (2011-2012); University of York (2007-2010); Durham University (2004-2006).

Research

Subject area

My work is driven by the methodological challenge of studying complex social systems across time and space (see for example this short project video on modelling future tempos for complex policyLink opens in a new window). This means I engage with many different quantitative, qualitative, mathematical and computational methods, practically, theoretically and philosophically, in order to use them to create desired change.

In terms of supervising students, my interests are broad and eclectic, but I am especially interested in supervising students in the methodological challenge of studying complex social systems and especially the challenge of working on time and temporality in some way.

Here are some other things I've been busy doing over the past few years:

2018-present: Member of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Serious Violence Research and Analysis Expert Advisory Group (EAG).

2018-23 -Alan Turing Institute Fellow Link opens in a new window developing data science methods for complex government policy and evaluation.

2017-23: Member of the UK Statistics Authority'sNational Statistician's Data Ethics Advisory Committee (NSDEC)Link opens in a new window.

2020-21: I led the Data Science initiatives across the University, now known as Warwick DataLink opens in a new window.

2017-19: Co-editor of the International Journal of Social Research Methodology; Link opens in a new windowI am still a Board member of the journal.

2018-present: Editorial board member for Complexity, Governance and NetworksLink opens in a new window.

2016-23: Co-Investigator, CECANLink opens in a new window - the 'Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus’ (led by Prof. Nigel Gilbert), which pioneers, tests and promotes innovative policy complex evaluation approaches across UK government departments. This national research centre is funded and supported by the ESRC, Dept. of Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Dept. for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Environment Agency (EA), and Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Previously, I led the University of Warwick's Nuffield/ESRC/HEFCE Q-Step bid (£1.3mil) and subsequently set up what is now the Warwick Q-Step CentreLink opens in a new window, part of a trail-blazing initiative designed to promote a step-change in quantitative social science training in the UK.

Selected Publications

A complete list of my publications can be found on my Google Citations profile.Link opens in a new window

Books

Book series co-editor (Routledge) - 11 titles

Complexity in Social Sciences - with David Byrne, Brian Castellani, Lasse Gerrits

This interdisciplinary series encourages social scientists to embrace a complex systems approach to studying the social world.

Books

Uprichard, E. (due 2027) Time and Method, Routledge.

Uprichard, E. and Martin, S. (2026) The Complexity of Pacing in Long Covid: A new approach to chronic illness, Bristol: Policy Press.

Byrne, D., Callaghan, G. and Uprichard, E. (2025) Global Crises: Complexity based research and practice for social transformationLink opens in a new window. Bristol: Policy Press.

Edited books

Lury, C., Fensham, R., Heller-Nicholas, A., Lammes, S., Last, A., Michael, M., Uprichard, E. (eds), (2018) Routledge Handbook of Interdisciplinary Research MethodsLink opens in a new window, Oxon: Routledge.
Byrne, D. and Uprichard, E (eds) (2012) Cluster AnalysisLink opens in a new window. Four Volume Set. Vol. 1: ‘Logic and Classics’; Vol. 2: ‘Useful Key Texts’; Vol. 3: ‘Cluster Analysis in Practice’; Vol. 4: 'Data Mining with Classification’. London: Sage.

Book chapters

Uprichard, E. (2018) 'Capturing and Composing: Doing the epistemic and the ontic together', in Lury, C. et al. Routledge Handbook of Interdisciplinary Research Methods, Oxon: Routledge, pp. 83-90.
Caves, L., Teixeira de Melo, A., Stepney, S., and Uprichard, E. (2018) 'Time Will Tell: Narrative expressions of time in a complex world' in R. Walsh and S. Stepney (eds) Narrating Complexity, Springer, Chapter 19, pp. 269-284.
Mahnke, M. and Uprichard, E. (2013) 'Algorithming the AlgorithmLink opens in a new window' in K. Reneacute and M. Rasch (eds), Society of the Query Reader: Re-actions on Web Search, Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures, pp. -270.
Byrne, D. and Uprichard, E. (2012) 'Useful Complex Causality', in H. Kinkard (ed), Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Social Science, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 109-129.
Uprichard E. (2009) 'Introducing Cluster Analysis - what can it teach us about the case?' In D. Byrne and C.C. Ragin (eds) The SAGE Handbook of Case-Based Methods, London: Sage, pp.132-143.
Mayhew, E., Uprichard, E., Beresford, B., Ridge, T., & Bradshaw, J. (2004) 'Children and childhood in the United Kingdom', In A. Jensen (ed), Children's welfare in ageing Europe, Trondheim: Norwegian Centre for Child Research, pp. 403–457.

Hidden tab - Do not delete or move - Needs to be on second position Journals

Bednarowska, Z. and Uprichard, E. (2025) 'Bringing interdisciplinary data science education challenges into the classroom'Link opens in a new window, Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/26939169.2025.2507366
Uprichard, E., Edwards, R. and M. Williams (2018) IJSRM’s 100th issue, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 21:1, 1-6, DOI:10.1080/13645579.2018.1398809
Halls, A., Uprichard, E. and Jackson, C. (2018) Changing Girlhoods – Changing Girl Guiding, The Sociological Review. 66, 1,https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0038026117710420.
Uprichard, E. and Dawney. L. (2016) Data Diffraction: Challenging Data Integration in Mixed Methods ResearchLink opens in a new window, Journal of Mixed Methods Research, Published online before print October 20, 2016, doi: 10.1177/1558689816674650.
Uprichard, E. (2016) 'Reply to Smith and Atkinson',

Special Issue in International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 'Celebrating 50 years of Cicourel's Method and Measurement in Sociology'. 19 (1): 131-136.
Moor, L. and Uprichard, E. (2014) 'The Materiality of Method: The Case of the Mass Observation Archive', Sociological Research Online, 19 (3): 10.
Uprichard, E., Nettleton, S. and Chappell, P. (2013) Food hates over the life course: an analysis of food narratives from the UK Mass Observation ArchiveLink opens in a new window, Appetite, 17: 137-143.
Uprichard, E. (2012) Describing Description (and Keeping Causality): The case of academic articles on food and eating, 1950-2009?Link opens in a new window, Sociology, 47 (2): 368-382.
Uprichard, E. (2012) Being Stuck in (Live) Time: The sticky sociological imagination.Link opens in a new window Sociological Review Monograph, Live Research Methods, Back, L. and Puwar, N. (eds), 60 (1): 124-138.
Uprichard, E. (2012) 'Sampling: Bridging probability and non-probability designs'Link opens in a new window, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 16 (1): 1-11.
Uprichard, E. (2012) 'Dirty Data Longitudinal Classification SystemsLink opens in a new window', Sociological Review, 59 (2): 93-112.
Uprichard, E., (2011) 'Narratives of the Future: Complexity, time and temporality' in Handbook of Methodological Innovations in the Social Sciences, Williams, M. and Vogt, P. (eds), London: Sage, pp.103-119.
Uprichard E (2010) Questioning Research with Children: Discrepancy between Theory and Practice?Link opens in a new window' Children & Society. 24(1):3-13.
Uprichard E (2008) Children as 'Being and Becomings': Children, Childhood and Temporality.Link opens in a new window Children and Society, 22(4): 303–313.
Byrne, D. and Uprichard, E., (2007) 'Crossing levels: The potential for numerical taxonomy and fuzzy set approaches to studying multi-level longitudinal change', Methodological Innovations Online, 2, 1.
Parker, S., Uprichard, E. and Burrows, R. (2007) 'Class Places and Place Classes: Geodemographics and the spatialization of class'Link opens in a new window, Information, Communication and Society, 10(6): 902-921.
Uprichard E and Byrne D (2006) 'Representing Complex Places: A Narrative Approach', Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 38(4). 10.1068/a37333

Other

Uprichard, E. and Jackson, C. (2017) 'Classification' in George Ritzer (ed) Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2nd Edition. Blackwell.
Uprichard, E. and Jackson, C. (2017) 'Data' in B. S. Turner (Ed.) Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory, doi:10.1002/9781118430873.est0618.
Uprichard, E. (2017) Complexity, in B. S. Turner (Ed.) Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory, doi:10.1002/9781118430873.est0596.
Uprichard, E., Penn, A., Barons, M., Liddon, A. Byrne, D.; Befani, B.; Wilkinson, H.; Smith, J.Q. (2016) Dependency Models. CECAN Evaluation and Policy Practice Note (EPPN) No. 4 for policy analysts and evaluators. https://www.cecan.ac.uk/eppn-no-04-dependency-models/.
Uprichard E (2015) 'Policy Briefing: A Smart City's Perspective', Link opens in a new windowDiscover Society. Policy & Politics, 23.
Uprichard, E. (2015) 'Most big data is social data: The analytics need serious interrogation', Philosophy of Data Science. Impact of Social Science blog. London School of Economics.
Uprichard, E. (2014) 'Big Doubts about Big Data', The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 2013.
Uprichard, E. (2013) 'Big Data - Little Questions?'Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window, Discover Society, Focus, 1.
Hackett, S. and Uprichard, E. (2007) Animal Abuse and Child Maltreatment: a review of the literature and findings from a UK study', NSPCC report. https://nationallinkcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/NSPCC-Review.pdf.
Pain, R. Uprichard, E., Warren, J. (2004) Lifemapping: Trajectories of exclusion and young people’s views on Identification, Referral and Tracking(IRT), Report to County Durham Identification Referral and Tracking Initiative, The University of Durham.
Uprichard E (2002) Class, Space and Community: A Workshop Conference. International Labor and Working-Class History 61. Cambridge University Press: 161–164. DOI: 10.1017/S014754790200011X.

Projects and Grants

External Grants

2021-22: Alan Turing Fellowship. Intergenerational Tempos: Methods for Complex Policy and Data Futures.

2018-20: Alan Turing Fellowship.Linking and Modelling Tempos for Complex PolicyLink opens in a new window. See the short films, layers of changeLink opens in a new window and rhythmsLink opens in a new window about this work.
2016-23: Co-I. CECANLink opens in a new window- Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus. PI: Prof. Nigel GilbertLink opens in a new window. ESRC. Start Date: 01/03/2016. Project End Date: 01/03/19. Centre funding by ESRC renewed until 2023.
2015-16: IBM Faculty Award (PI): Big Data and Real Time Analytics: Ethics and Data Linkage. With Dr Maria Liakata and Dr Arne Strauss. $20,000.
2015: UNDP-CIM: Visualizing Climate Change Adaptation: Using 'Integrated Analytics' To Learn Lessons In Cabo Verde.$70,000. See further details hereLink opens in a new window.
2014-17: ESRC Seminar Series (PI): Complexity and Method in the Social Sciences: An Interdisciplinary ApproachLink opens in a new window, with D. Byrne and B. Castellani, Project Start Date: 15/02/2014 Project End Date: 15/02/2017. £30,000
ESRC First Grants: Food Matters: A Sociological Case Study of Food and Eating Across The Life Course in York C. 1945 - 2010, £138,500

Internal Grants

2015-16: Big Data and Integrated Analytics (PI), University of Warwick Research Development Fund. £5,500
2015: Women in STEM subjects: Complexity, Big Data and Method (PI), University of Warwick ESRC Acceleration Impact Award, and Athena Swan Equality and Diversity. £2,250
2015-16 Co-I: Where, When and Why Do Accidents Happen? A Preliminary Study for the Space-time Analysis and Causality Study on Traffic Accidents. (PI: Dr Naru Shiode). University of Warwick Research Development Fund. £15,900
2014-15: Talking Big Data (PI). University of Warwick ESRC Acceleration Impact Award. £10,000
2013-14: Complexity and Case-Based Methods Research (CCBMR), Funded by: Research Development Fund (RDF 13/14 DA). Project Start Date: 01/08/2013 Project End Date: 31/07/2014, £9,700
2013-14 PI: Time-Space Trajectories of Wellbeing and Place: An Interdisciplinary Approach. University of Warwick Research Development Fund ((RDF 13-14 SA). Start Date: 01/08/2013 Project End Date: 31/07/2014. £11,000

Teaching

Modules

At CIM, I teach the following modules

IM903 - Complexity in the Social Sciences
IM926 - Research Design, Practice and Ethics
IM952 - Big Data Research: Hype or Revolution?
IM950 - Scaling Data and Societies

My office hours are 3.30pm - 4.30pm on Tuesday and Friday. Please email to book an appointment.

Supervision

I have supervised the following research students:

Anton Gumenskiy: Time as Medium: Adaptation of the Russian-speaking Migrants in the UK - to complete Nov. 2027 (full-time)
Modupe Adeoyo: Complex Trauma - to complete Jan. 2027 (part-time)
Gary Armstrong: The diabetic assemblage - to complete May 2026
Andra Sonea: National Critical Infrastructure - to complete Oct. 2024 (part-time)
Lisa Stoltz: Exploring Visual Research through a Complexity Lens. Completed 2024 (full-time)
Han Wen: How Branding is Changing Everyday Life in China. Completed 2022 (full-time)
Nathalie Mezza-Garcia: Complex Governance and SeaZones: The Floating Island Project. Completed 2020. (full-time)
Paz Saavedra: Caring for the past in traditional practices of care. Completed 2020 (full-time)
Jo Trowsdale: Art-making as a site for education: a case study of The Imagineerium Project. Completed 2020 (part-time)
Samantha Martin: Coeliac Disease: Chronic Illness and Self-Care in the Digital. Completed 2017 (full-time)
Ali Dodson: Schelling’s Bounded Neighbourhood Model: A systematic investigation. Completed 2014.
Davita Gunbay. Children’s childhoods: Exploring childhood through children’s interpretations of television advertisements in North Cyprus. Completed 2012.

Public Engagement and Impact

2017-present. Member, Department for Education’s (DfE) Serious Violence Research and Analysis Expert Advisory Group (EAG).

2017-2023, Member, The National Statistician's Data Ethics Advisory Committee (NSDEC)Link opens in a new window between 2017-2023.

2014: Invited Panel. Big Data and Governance: balancing risks and rewardsLink opens in a new window. Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology, 6 Nov.

2013: Big Data gets big numbers at Warwick. Insite. University of Warwick Press Release.

Contact details

Email:

E.Uprichard@warwick.ac.uk

Phone:

+44 (0)78554 99829

Social Media:

X (Twitter) - @emuprichardLink opens in a new window

Mailing address:

Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies

Room B0.07

University of Warwick

CV4 7AL