Cyhoeddiadau

An interview transcript can be a rich source of geographical references whose potential are not always fully realised in their conventional analysis. Geo-referencing techniques can be used to assign a spatial footprint to place names, adding value to these data and allowing the geographic information within them to be exploited when coupled with GIS technology….

Film as a research method for collecting and analysing visual data has a long and rich history within the fields of anthropology and ethnography. This approach is less commonly used within the social sciences and still less within the political sciences. This paper goes some way towards defining the parameters of visual methodology in the…

This paper reports on on-going exploratory research into the prevalence and patterns of social media use by trade unions in the United Kingdom. Social media platforms, like Twitter, are used by unions to organize and mobilize existing and potential members by communicating relevant content, which often engages politicians and the news media. However, there is…

Public libraries make an important contribution to the wellbeing of local people often acting as community hubs by reducing the isolation felt by vulnerable members of society through promoting social interaction and supporting the wider needs of local communities. However, access to libraries is threatened in Wales, as elsewhere in the UK, by uncertainty stemming…

In parliamentary democracies, a key question for citizens and social scientists alike is, “who speaks on behalf of different social groups and on different policy topics?” This informs not only an understanding of how democracy works but also the workings of the formative phase of public policy-making. This allows us to understand a range of…

In ‘Seeing the Need: Urban Outreach as Sensory Walking’, Tom Hall and Robin Smith team up to lead us on an urban patrol in Cardiff. Their chapter reports on the work of outreach and street care in the city, showing how a small team of council workers, whose job it is to make repeated tours…

The article explores E.M. Forster’s story The Machine Stops (1909) as an example of dystopian literature and its possible associations with the use of technology and with today’s cyber culture. Dystopian societies are often characterized by dehumanization and Forster’s novel raises questions about how we live in time and space; and how we establish relationships…

This dataset exemplar outlines the process of analysing focus groups. It uses transcripts from research undertaken with 14- to 17-year-olds in Wales. The process of analysis, including the coding, categorising and theming, took place during July 2015. The aim was to explore the way political issues and concerns contribute to conceptualisations of politics among young…

Employers, workers and governments all have a stake in improving intrinsic job quality since it can help to raise worker well-being and lower the social costs of ill-health. This article provides a unique insight into factors triggering changes to two key aspects of intrinsic job quality – the skills used and developed at work, and…

The third in a series of podcasts entitled Talking Research, looking at various research methods.