COPR Early Career Researcher Symposium 2026
Researching Police: Subjects, Participants or Partners?
A Showcase of Early Career Research
Hosted by the Centre for Operational Police Research at the University of Warwick, this annual ECR symposium is a one-day event, open to all and free of charge.
This year’s Researching Police provides a platform for ECR and PhD researchers to share and discuss their work in a friendly and supportive environment. We welcome contributions from a variety of perspectives and disciplines, be that theoretical, empirical, criminological, psychological, sociological or others. Presentations should be 15-20 mins and sessions will be chaired by academic colleagues, providing feedback and a stimulus for discussion.
Doing policing research can be challenging from the processes of obtaining ethical approvals and gaining access, to the emotional labour of researching difficult spaces, and the lines between research subjects and collaborators is not always clear cut. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion, as well as networking with fellow ECR and PhD researchers.
The event is free of charge and modest bursaries are available to help cover the cost of travel for those without access to funding. Please contact Sandra Phillips for information in the first instance Sandra.Phillips@warwick.ac.uk
Submit your abstract by Monday 16th March 2026 to present your work, or simply register to come along and attend. You will be informed whether your abstract has been accepted by Monday 30th March 2026. The programme will be published shortly after.
Potential themes include but are in no way limited to:
research methods; gaining access; data sharing and collaborating with police; researcher independence; ethical challenges; restrictions on publishing/confidentiality.
We look forward to welcoming you to COPR!
Jackie Hodgson & Kim Wade
Co-Directors, COPR
