Specialist Training at the University of Leicester

ESRC-Funded Students Specialist Training at University of Leicester

ESRC-funded students with the Midlands Graduate School are welcome to join us for Specialist Training, free of charge.

The training currently on offer is unassessed, and delivered through individual sessions.

Available Sessions:

Making the familiar strange – observation and ethnographic practice

During this 3-hour session, we will discuss: the roots of ethnography; its strengths and weaknesses; writing ethnographic notes; issues such as positionality, power, ethics; examples of ethnographic research; and more recent developments. A number of practical activities will assist students to gain a good understanding of conducting ethnography and how to design an ethnographic project.

PGRs interested should contact Lisa Finch (lf107@le.ac.uk). Please note that availability of space will only be confirmed one week before the course.

Trainer: Dr Fawn Harrad-Hyde and Dr Joy Spiliopoulos

Date: Thursday 5 February 2026

Time: 09:00 to 12:00.

Delivery Method: In Person (limited spaces)

Reflexivity in Research

This Masterclass is intended to introduce students to the concept of reflexivity. The session will be comprised of presentations, discussion and practical exercises that will lead participants from reflexivity as a concept through to ways of ‘doing’ reflexivity in their research. In the course of the session, we will be drawing on examples of our own, and other’s reflexive practices in research to illustrate what reflexivity means in practice.

We will encourage students to discuss where they locate themselves as ‘researchers’ and what that might mean for their future research.

We will then move to thinking about practicalities and enable students to try out and explore ways of documenting and describing their praxis.

Trainer: Dr Fawn Harrad-Hyde

Date: Thursday 5 March 2026

Time: 10:00 to 12:00.

Delivery Method: In Person

Those interested in attending have to contact Lisa Finch at lf107@le.ac.ukwho will confirm if a space is available