-226x152.jpg)
Events
NU Qualitative Special Interest Group Annual Symposium 2026
- Venue: Frederick Douglass Centre, Newcastle University
- Start: Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:30:00 GMT
- End: Thu, 15 Jan 2026 16:30:00 GMT
Theme: Contemporary Challenges in Qualitative Research
Abstract submission deadline: Friday the 21st of November 2025
Registration: Registration is open, there is a registration fee of between £10 and £20 depending on the category of delegate (details at the foot of this page).
Keynotes:
Opening keynote
Dr Tash Fothergill-Misbah: Tash is a postdoctoral researcher here at Newcastle University. She has a multidisciplinary background spanning biomedical sciences, anthropology, gerontology and global public health. Her research primarily uses qualitative, ethnographic methods, and increasingly participatory and creative approaches, to explore the experiences of ageing, and living with Parkinson's, in Africa. Tash's research is centred in values of social justice, with a strong emphasis on community engagement, involvement and empowerment, and she received the ‘Tom Isaacs Award 2023’ from Cure Parkinson's Trust for involving people with Parkinson’s in a participatory way in her research. Tash consults for the World Health Organization, is involved in global Parkinson’s advocacy and is an award winning documentary producer of 'Shaking hands with the devil' and ‘Uhuru’
Closing keynote
Dr Lucy Pickering is a Senior Lecturer in Medical Anthropology at the University of Glasgow. Her work explores themes of dirt, water and sanitation, and in particular the ethical dimensions of ethnographic research, researching with marginalised groups, and more recently ethical review and the role of Research Ethics Committees in producing ethical qualitative research. She convenes an interdisciplinary network on global health and environment at the University of Glasgow. Her current work is focused on developing concrete tools and guidance to help improve university ethical oversight, and, in collaboration with colleagues in Tanzania and the USA, exploring the health qualities of unjust water access in rural Tanzania.
Panel discussion:
- Dr Mwenza Blell, Dr Adam Badger, and Dr Emily Yarrow discuss "Qualitative Research 2056: What will the next 30 years bring us?".
Themed streams:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Qualitative Research
- Challenging Participants and Situations
- The Ethics and Dilemmas of Open Research.
- New, Niche, and Novel Methods
- Free topic stream
Prizes:
- Best Abstract (Selected from all submitted abstracts).
- Best in the Early-Stage Career Researcher/PhD Spotlight session (Selected from all presentations in the ESCR spotlight session).
Abstract submission:
Closed on Friday the 21st of November
Registration:
- You can register for this event using Newcastle University's Webstore from Friday the 24th of October 2025: https://webstore.ncl.ac.uk/conferences-and-events/faculty-of-medical-sciences/population-and-health-sciences-institute/newcastle-university-qualitative-special-interest-group-annual-symposium-2026
- Newcastle University staff and postgraduate students will not be able to use University pCards on WebStore. If you wish to use a Newcastle University account to pay for your registration please use an Internal Purchasing Requisition form and email this to QualSIG@newcastle.ac.uk for your registration to be logged.
- Registration fees:
External delegate £20.00 Newcastle University delegate £15.00 Postgraduate delegate £10.00 - If a lay co-applicant, public contributor, or public involvement and engagement panel member would like to attend this event they can do so for free, however, they will need to be nominated by their research/academic colleagues in order to be registered as a delegate. Please contact the QualSIG at QualSIG@newcastle.ac.uk in order to nominate.
This event is not for profit and the organising committee are all volunteers. Delegate fees will be used to cover the cost of hosting the event, including materials, catering, and other costs.
