Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section

QMiP champion those who have an advanced track record in work underpinned by qualitative theory, research and/or practice by nominating them and their work for competitive awards, invitations of esteem and key commissions of trust. 

In the past the QMiP committee have recommended qualitative psychlogists for keynote speeches at BPS conferences, including the BPS Annual and QMiP conferences.

Also, we have nominated qualitative psychologists for markers of esteem such as Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences and BPS awards.

Citations for Excellence in Qualitative Doctoral Research

The QMiP Citations for Excellence in Qualitative Doctoral Research recognise outstanding PhD/Doctorate research.

This award aims to celebrate high-quality qualitative doctoral level research and champion upcoming qualitative researchers. Submissions are invited from all areas of Psychology where qualitative methods are applied as the primary tools of investigation.

Winner of the first prize will receive:

• £100 cash prize
• An invitation to the QMiP bi-annual conference to orally present their research or present a poster
• Expenses to the QMiP bi-annual conference up to £150 (to cover registration, travel, and accommodation)
• The opportunity to publish findings in the QMiP bulletin (subject to peer review)
• Winners Certificate

Runners up will receive:

• £50 cash prize
• An invitation to the QMiP bi-annual conference to orally present their research or present a poster
• The opportunity to publish findings in the QMiP bulletin (subject to peer review)
• Runner up Certificate

Eligibility:

To be eligible for this award the candidate must:

• Have been awarded either a research or a practice doctorate by a UK university
• Submit their nomination to QMiP within 24 months of the doctorate being awarded

In addition, either the candidate or their supervisor must be a member of the BPS and QMiP. 

Review Process:

Applications will be judged by a panel drawn from the QMiP committee. All applications will be reviewed by at least two panel members with final decisions being ratified by the review panel chair. Reviewers will be looking for evidence of the following:

• A clear rationale as to why the project and the researcher should be considered for this award
• Indication of specific contribution to the field of research, which may include originality of approach and/or novelty of methodological application; theoretical contribution, and/or practical applications.
• The importance of the research in relation to previous and on-going research
• Dissemination of research through publications and presentations

The panel will award one winning Citation for Excellence and up to a maximum of four runners up prizes each year. The decisions of the panel are final.

How to Apply:

The doctoral citation submission portal is now open all year so that submissions can be made at any point.

On 31 October of each year we will collate the submissions we have received and begin the review process for that year's award.

Your application should include:

• A self-statement from the PhD/Doctorate candidate of up to 500 words
• A supporting statement from the PhD/Doctorate supervisor of up to 500 words.
• Details of any publications and presentations (poster or oral) completed during the PhD/Doctorate

Submit your application online here

QMiP Postgraduate Excellence Award

The QMiP Postgrad/ Masters Excellence Award celebrates excellence in qualitative psychology research for individuals completing BPS-accredited Masters (MSc, MA, MRes, and MPhil)/ Psychology Conversion course who have completed an excellent dissertation in qualitative psychology. 

QMiP members are invited to nominate a student from their 2023-2024 cohort. This could be the student with the highest grade for their research/ dissertation project, or a student who nominators believe has taken a novel, skilled or impactful approach. 

It is expected that award winners will have an outstanding MSc project, with potential to be translated into a peer-reviewed publication. The research can be in any area of psychology.

Prize

• We invite the winner to write an overview of their work for the Student Spot in the QMiP Bulletin (subject to peer review) 
• The winners will receive a certificate to recognise their excellent work 

Eligibility criteria

• No more than two nominations per course in any given year (in the case of more than two nominations, QMiP will expect the nominators to agree which should be nominated between them)
• QMiP want to hear from our members about what they think is excellent, so a strong nomination statement is vital.
• Student (nominee) must be on a BPS accredited Masters/ conversion course.
• The nomination (through the dissertation abstract and nomination statement) must make clear how the excellence in the dissertation is underpinned by qualitative theory and by either qualitative research or practice.
• The nominator must be a QMiP member.
• Awarded at least 60% for the dissertation component of the degree. Awarded a final classification of either a merit or distinction for the degree.
• The submission work must not have been published previously.

Awarding criteria:

Applications will be judged by a panel drawn from the QMiP committee. All applications will be reviewed by at least two panel members. Reviewers will be looking for evidence of the following:

• Clear Rationale: The submission must include a compelling explanation that outlines why the dissertation and the student merit consideration for the award.
• Contribution to Research/ Field: The dissertation should demonstrate a contribution to the field of research (reasonable for postgrad level). This may be evidenced by: 
  • Originality in the research approach.
  • Novelty in the application of methodology.
  • Theoretical advancements contributed by the research.
  • Practical applications derived from the findings.
• Academic merit/ competence: The extent to which this person's work has demonstrated excellence in qualitative research methodology (for example using innovative techniques). 
  • The student should present a coherent argument, express ideas clearly, and discuss original findings.
  • Clarity in writing, well-structured content, and referencing are essential.
• Theoretical Underpinning: The dissertation should be underpinned by robust qualitative theory, demonstrating a deep understanding of the theoretical framework relevant to the research topic.
• Independent Work: The research presented must be the independent effort of the student, showcasing their ability to conduct and complete a research project autonomously.

The decisions of the panel are final.

If no submissions of sufficient merit are received, no award will be made. 

How to apply

The closing date for nominations is midnight 30 November 2024. 

Submit a nomination now

Nominations will be reviewed in early December, we hope to contact winners before the end of the year. 

Citations for Excellence in Undergraduate Qualitative Research

QMiP want to celebrate a wide range of qualitative theory, research and practice.  QMiP welcomes nominations from members for undergraduate students who have completed an excellent dissertation in qualitative psychology.

The winners will receive a certificate to recognise their excellent work and be invited to write up their dissertation for a subsequent issue of the QMiP Bulletin. 

Criteria

• No more than two nominations per course in any given year (in the case of more than two nominations, QMiP will expect the nominators to agree which should be nominated between them)
• QMiP want to hear from our members about what they think is excellent, so a strong nomination statement is vital.
• Student (nominee) must be on a Society accredited undergraduate course
• The nomination (through the dissertation abstract and nomination statement) must make clear how the excellence in the dissertation is underpinned by qualitative theory and by either qualitative research or practice.
• The nominator must be a QMiP member.

Guidance for nominations

You will need the following information

Nominee

1. Name
2. Title
3. Organisation/affiliation
4. BPS membership number (if applicable)

Nominator

1. Name
2. Title
3. Organisation/affiliation
4. BPS membership number

Key achievements of nominee (1,000 words in narrative format) - please enter the nomination statement in this field including thesis title and abstract

The nomination statement should outline the excellence in the dissertation drawing particular attention:

• How independently the student worked
• How the project is underpinned by qualitative research or practice
• How the project is underpinned by qualitative theory 
• Whether the project has utilised qualitative research methods in an innovative way

Supporting documentary evidence - please include Course name, institution, graduation date and official results date

Please note

The nomination statement should outline the excellence in the dissertation and how it is underpinned by qualitative research, theory and/or practice.

How to apply

Submit a nomination

The deadline for applications/nominations is 30 June 2024.

Judging process

Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of QMiP committee members. 

Dr Laura Kilby is an Associate Professor of Social Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Her primary research interests centre upon examining relationships between power, discourse and the social construction of marginalised identities and marginalised groups. She researches media and political constructions of ethnic and religious identities. She also examines minoritised identity construction related to gender, sexuality, and social class.

Laura is passionate about the continued progression of qualitative methods. She has published her approach to multimodal critical discourse analysis within psychology and she collaborates on the progression of qualitative methods and Open Science. Laura has served on the Qualitative Methods in Psychology section committee since 2017 and she is the incoming co-Chair for 2023-4.

Follow Laura on twitter: @Laurakilby2

Dr Sarah Seymour-Smith is an Associate Professor of Discourse & Masculinities in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. Sarah is a discursive psychologist and her primary research interests are concerned with the impact of masculinity/ties on men's health.

The second, and often related, strand of her research, examines face-to-face and online support groups. In 2017 Sarah was awarded a mid-career citation of Excellence from the BPS Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section.

In 2022 Sarah was awarded the Professor Marcia Worrell Mentoring Award by BPS Psychology of Women & Equalities section. Sarah has is a long standing member of the QMiP committee.

Dr Elida Cena is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Queen's University Belfast. She teaches qualitative methods to both undergraduate and postgraduate students and trains and supervises doctoral trainees and PhD researchers using qualitative methods. She has been a member of the QMIP committee since 2022, and also served as the Honorary Secretary for the past two years.  

Her published work includes papers on enhancing criteria in qualitative research and developing research that is both rigorous and reflexive. She also has a strong interest in culturally diverse students in higher education as well other minorities in society and employs various qualitative approaches in her work.

Dr Astrid Coxon is an online teaching fellow at King's College London, teaching on a new Implementation Science module (designed in collaboration with NIHR ARC South London and the University of East Anglia), and the MSc Psychology & Neuroscience of Mental Health (where she supervises synoptic projects using qualitative research methods).

Outside of academia, she is a person-centred psychotherapist in private practice, and a freelance proofreader. Astrid is passionate about accessibility and inclusion in higher education, particularly concerning the experiences of neurodivergent students and staff.

Astrid has been a member of the QMiP Committee since 2018, first as the Editor of the Bulletin, and now as the lead on the quarterly section newsletter.

Dr Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez is the current QMiP Bulletin journal Editor-in-Chief, and was previously an Associate Editor for the Bulletin before this.

Deborah is a Lecturer in Psychology at Middlesex University, where she teaches qualitative methods to undergraduates and postgraduates, and supervises doctoral students using qualitative approaches. Her research focuses on the use of multi-dimensional (such as pluralistic methods) and multi-modal (such as visual and creative methods) qualitative methods to understanding the complex human experience.

Deborah's research centres on relationships in the context of mental health wellbeing, particularly couple relationships. She also publishes on the use and applications of qualitative methods.

Follow Deborah on Twitter: @Deborah_Rod

Dr Cath Sullivan (CPsychol, SFHEA) is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. She has taught qualitative research methods and supported other lecturers teaching qualitative methods for over ten years.

Cath is a former Chair of the HEA's Special Interest Group on the Teaching of Qualitative Methods at Undergraduate Level and has been on the committee of the Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society since 2015.

Her published work includes qualitative research papers and pieces about qualitative methodology. She is joint editor of Doing Your Qualitative Psychology Project (Sage, 2012) and Doing Qualitative Research in Psychology (Sage, 2019).

Dr Candice Whitaker is a lecturer in Psychology at Leeds Trinity University.

As well as teaching qualitative research methods, Candice and is a critical scholar who predominantly utilises qualitative research methods to explore issues relating to men's health and wellbeing.

Candice has been a committee member for a number of years, first as the Postgraduate Representative and then as the Honorary Secretary.

Anastasia Rousaki is a Lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. She employs critical discursive psychology to address socio-political issues.

Her doctoral research explores adolescent sexting, consent and coercion through a focus on discourse, gender, ideology, power and hegemony. She additionally specialises in combining qualitative research methods with political theory and philosophy. Her published work explores areas of social psychology and cyberpsychology.

She has participated in various national and international conferences, has obtained small ECR bursaries and has been a committee member of (QMiP) since 2021.

Follow Anastasia on Twitter: @AnastasiaRousak

Dr Gillian Hendry (C. Psychol., FHEA) is a Psychology Lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, leading on qualitative methods teaching across both the undergraduate and Masters curricula and providing training for colleagues at other institutions who are new to qualitative teaching.

She was elected to the QMiP section as a Committee Member in 2023.

Her PhD work took a constructionist approach to the study of student group cohesion, though she more recently has turned to studying issues around inclusion and disability in higher education.

Dr Philippa Carr is a Senior Lecturer in Qualitative Research Methods at the University of the West of England. She is interested in the use of Discursive Psychology to explore talk in the media about wealth inequality.

Philippa has explored how the super-rich use talk about psychological concepts to legitimise extreme wealth in television broadcasts. She is interested in how people account for practices such as inheritance and tax avoidance that impede social mobility.

Her research has examined how entertainment documentaries can be analysed as a form of political communication using Discursive Psychology. Philippa's other research interests include gender identity is constructed in talk about public toilets.

Follow Philippa on Twitter: @discursivephil

Dr Eva Fragkiadaki is a Senior Lecturer in Counselling Psychology and Programme Leader of the Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at University of the West of England, Bristol. She has worked as a psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer for more than ten years. As a qualitative researcher, she has worked on various projects collaborating with academics from universities in Greece, the UK, USA and the Netherlands.

Her scholarly interests include psychotherapy process research for chronic disorders, professional and personal development of therapists, and the work of psychosocial practitioners. More recently, she has engaged in the design and implementation of mixed method longitudinal research projects focusing on the application of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in the psychotherapy research field.

Her research aims to apply idiographic and process – based methods in the exploration of psychotherapy and psychological therapies effectiveness. She has published numerous empirical and methodology papers in national and international journals and books.

William Day is a Teaching Associate and deputy programme at Aston University (Birmingham, UK), supporting the delivery and assessment of taught materials across Aston's psychology programmes. Will is also undertaking his PhD supervised by Dr Rachel Shaw, Dr Michael Larkin and Dr Dan Shepperd.

Will's research seeks to understand individuals' experiences of living with chronic invisible or 'unseen' illnesses within the wider context of austerity-informed UK welfare reforms.

He adopts a 'pluralistic' approach; combining phenomenological and discursive approaches to consider both the micro and macro implications of government policies, from a health and social psychology perspective, exploring the holistic ways in which belonging, heath, stigma and wellbeing are constructed and experienced by individuals. Will joined the QMiP committee in 2021.

Follow Will on Twitter: @Wiiliu

Dr Peter Branney is an Honorary Life Member of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the Royal Society of Arts.

He has undertaken a programme of award winning, internationally leading work exploring how to improve experiences of healthcare through interventions that are local, proximal and distal to patients' interactions with services.

Past Chair of QMiP, Pete is currently open science lead, collaborating with other qualitative researchers to explore the possibilities of open science for qualitative methods, which includes one of the earliest studies into the topic, keynotes at the QMiP biennial conference and the UK Research Integrity annual conference, videos and a paper introducing key issues, a special issue in the British Journal of Social Psychology and a number of invited seminars, one of which was is available online.

Dr Jo Brooks is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Manchester. She is a previous Chair of QMiP and is currently sits on the QMiP committee as lead for the national 'Teaching Qualitative Psychology' (TQP) group.

She was lead author of the BPS guidance document 'Writing for the Research Excellence Framework 2021: Guidance for qualitative psychologists'. Jo is also a full member of the Division of Health Psychology.

Jo's research interests include experiences of receiving and delivering healthcare, patient and family experiences of living with and managing long-term/palliative illness conditions, the acceptability of treatment and health-promotion interventions and communication and collaboration in and across health and social care settings.

She specialises in qualitative research/ qualitative evidence synthesis and has a particular interest in developing inclusive approaches to research across a range of applied (healthcare and community) settings.

She has been involved (with Professor Nigel King and colleagues) in the development of the Template Analysis approach to qualitative data analysis and the visual elicitation interview tool, Pictor. She has published numerous articles on and using qualitative research methods and co-authored a number of qualitative research textbooks. 

Carolin Demuth is co-founder and president (2021-2024) of the Association for European Qualitative Researchers in Psychology (EQuiP). She is associate professor of Cultural and Developmental Psychology at Aalborg University where she is also director of the Centre for Cultural Psychology, director of the MA Cultural Psychology program, and co-organizer of the annual transdisciplinary winter school: culture, psychology, and qualitative research.

She is part of the QMiP committee as EQuiP representative. Her research interests lie in discursive and narrative psychology, multimodal video-analysis and dialogical approaches to language and mind.

She has published numerous articles on qualitative research methods and co-authored the Cambridge Handbook of Identity (2021) as well as the Routledge International Handbook of Innovative Qualitative Psychological Research (forthcoming).

Gareth is Chair of ISCHP (International Society for Critical Health Psychology) and QMiP's international representative.

• Eligibility to apply for a range of awards
• Receive a free copy of our regular publication the QMiP Bulletin
• Reduced registration rates to our biennial conference and regular training events
• Regular updates via our membership announcement e-mail list

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