5. Presenting Research

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About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about ways of presenting research, focusing in particular on: (i) some key things for researchers to consider when presenting their research, such as the audience and their level of specialism, the time and other practical constraints, and the key information they want to convey; (ii) ways of involving participants in the presentation of research and showing the audience the wider context in which the project was conducted, for example through using visual art and film; (iii) ways of presenting complex numerical data to non-specialised audiences, such as through the use of charts, and some things to avoid when doing this.

Course

In this course, Professor Tim May (University of Sheffield) explores several important issues in social research, and the debates which surround them. In the first lecture, we consider key perspectives on epistemology – is it possible for research to uncover objective truths about society, and, if so, how? In the second lecture, we look at the place of theory in research through two contrasting approaches – the hypothetico-deductive model and grounded theory. In the third lecture, we think about the role of values in research, examining Max Weber’s concept of value-free sociology and its critics. Next, we reflect upon ethics and the ways in which constraints of funding, time and resources influence the research process. In the fifth and final lecture, we explore some things to consider when presenting research, and ways in which researchers can make their presentations participatory and engaging.

Lecturer

Professor Tim May is a Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield. He has a wide range of expertise relating to research methodologies, sociological theory, and the philosophy of social science. His recent publications include Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process (2021, co-authored with Beth Perry), Thinking Sociologically (2019, co-authored with Zygmunt Bauman), Reflexivity: The Essential Guide (2017, co-authored with Beth Perry).