Jack Pickering Email and Phone Number

In this role I was responsible for remotely interviewing participants, many of whom were homeless before the pandemic. This requires empathy and an understanding of their situation, while also remaining focussed on interview protocol and the requirements of the study. I also received safeguarding training as part of this role, and have to adhere to safeguarding protocols while conducting interviews. Alongside the other aspects of my work as a qualitative researcher, this experience has developed my understanding of how to address sensitive topics, which may need to remain confidential.

This research project involved investigating changes to various aspects of food consumption in order to make comparisons between regions with distinct agricultural profiles. I interviewed participants remotely, transcribed and processed interviews using Otter.ai, reported to managers regularly, and also commented on early findings. This role helped me to develop and become much more confident in my telephone manner and communication skills.

I applied for full-time funding for this position in 2016 from the Economic and Social Research Council, and was successful. In this role I was responsible for designing and delivering an in-depth qualitative research project. I was required to meet regularly with supervisors to provide updates on my progress, present my research to colleagues and other institutions regularly, and to meet internal and personal deadlines while maintaining high academic standards. The research involved participant observation over 5 months, with a group of market traders in Cardiff, which challenged and developed my interpersonal skills considerably. The analysis required for this research also meant that I had to learn how to use Nvivo, a qualitative analysis software package. Completing the project involved producing an 80,000 word thesis, and defending that thesis in front of a panel of academics in my field. While completing this thesis, I presented my research several times at the Royal Geographical Society annual conference, and at smaller conferences throughout the year. This role also included undergraduate teaching in small settings, of a range of subjects including GIS and statistical packages. This role means that I am now confident in my organisational skills, my ability to work to a high standard under pressure, and to communicate information effectively.

In this role I was responsible for transcribing interviews conducted by the project lead and performing basic qualitative analysis on these transcripts. This role significantly improved my transcription abilities, as few of the participants were first-language English speakers.Please see link below for more information.