Leeds Beckett lecturer to open British Psychological Society conference

The Qualitative Methods in Psychology (QMiP) Section of the BPS is celebrating its 10th birthday at its annual conference in Cambridge from 2-4 September. Dr Branney is Chair of the Section.

This year’s conference is entitled ‘10 years of QMiP: Reflecting back, looking forward’ and is being held at Anglia Ruskin University. 

Speaking ahead of the conference Dr Branney said: "At our conference we shall be celebrating the work of the Section in championing and developing qualitative methods in psychology.  

“Freud's analysis of speech, Jean Piaget's semi clinical interviews of children and even Stanley Milgram’s audio recording obedience experiments illustrate that, while the Section is 10 years old, qualitative methods have a long and diverse history in psychology.  

“Acting as a network of qualified psychologists, we have extended collaboration possibilities, provided training and shared expertise to raise the profile of the teaching of qualitative methods in psychology and of research that is underpinned by them."

Dr Branney’s role as Chair includes chairing the committee of elected QMiP representatives who run the section.  Sections report to and advise the BPS Research Board, which oversees science and research policy, the funding of psychological research, the submission of evidence to public or private bodies and the promotion and advancement of psychological science.  Additionally, Peter sits on the BPS Representative Council that advises the Board of Trustees about the management and control of the BPS. Chairs of the Section are elected to lead for three years. 

Dr Branney will also sit on an expert panel to discuss qualitative researchers' responses to the UK Government Research Excellence Framework 2014 and plans to prepare for the next one.  He will lead a plenary in which past chairs will reflect on what the section has achieved before opening the floor up for discussion from conference attendees.

Peter is also presenting some of his research on hygiene in a symposium on neoliberalism.  His hygiene research was supported by the Centre for Applied Social Research's Leadership Scheme, which gave him time to conduct the work.
 

The keynote speakers at the conference will be: Dr Virginia Braun, University of Auckland, New Zealand, presenting ‘In and out of the qualitative box: reflecting backwards, sideways and forwards from/on the field of qualitative researching’; Professor Carla Willig, City University, London: ‘Can’t live with it, can’t live without it? Reflections on qualitative psychology’s ambivalent relationship with realism’; and Professor Paul Flowers, Glasgow Caledonian University, speaking on ‘Delivering impact through qualitative methods: Gay men and HIV testing’.