QUAHRC |

Impact in Qualitative Research Blog

The latest posts from our impact blog

Performance of Careful in the Darwin Ward, Kingston University (2016). The performers are (left to right) Archana Balal, Helena Rice, Viviana Rocha, Dominique Vannod and Thalia-Marie Papadopoulos. Still from recording by Anna Tanczos (www.SciCommStudios.co.uk)

Impact in Qualitative Research: Alex Mermikides on Generating Research Impact through Arts-Based Exploration of Nursing

Dr Alex Mermikides is the D’Oyly Carte Senior Lecturer in Arts and Health in the School of Medical Education at King’s College London. Her expertise is in contemporary theatre and performance, and she is interested in how this artform can be employed as research methodology (as well as pedagogical approach) in the context of healthcare, illness and disability. In this blog post, Alex outlines a project she conducted before coming to King’s, which involved making a performance about nursing. Unexpectedly, the project was submitted as an Impact Case Study in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework, achieving a 4* rating. Here she describes how this came about and shares some tips on maximising impact in the run up to REF 29.

Photo of Empty Asphalt Road Between Trees

Impact in Qualitative Research: Ella Parry-Davies on co-researching outcomes for domestic workers after trafficking and exploitation

Dr Ella Parry-Davies is a lecturer at King’s College London, where she works on social justice-focussed research in collaboration with experts-by-experience, primarily in the migration and anti-trafficking sectors. Taking up performance as a co-creative research method, she has worked most extensively with migrant domestic workers in the UK and Lebanon, and her book Intimate Inequalities: Performing Migrant Domestic Work is forthcoming with Northwestern University Press in September 2025. In this blog post she discusses the findings of research on the outcomes for workers who had survived trafficking and returned to the Philippines as their country of origin.

The Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set for Survivor Recovery and Wellbeing

Impact in Qualitative Research: Sharli Paphitis and Sohail Jannesari on prioritising the voices of human trafficking survivors to develop a holistic approach to recovery

Dr Sharli Paphitis is a Senior Research Fellow in Qualitative Research at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on epistemic justice, mental health, and community-based participatory methods. Dr Sohail Jannesari is a Research Fellow at King’s College London and a Senior Teaching Fellow at Imperial College London. His research focuses on migration and mental health, outcomes for survivors of human trafficking, creative, participatory and decolonial methods, equitable knowledge production, and research ethics. In this blog, they discuss the importance of prioritising the voices of human trafficking survivors to develop a holistic approach to recovery.

a wall of post it notes with someone writing on them

Join the waitlist: Introduction to qualitative methods summer school, 21-25 July 2025

a Palestine flag being held aloft during a protest

Recording now available: Health research under siege

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Working with Afghan Sanctuary Seekers: A guide for mental health professionals

Sun rising through clouds, beams of light shining through the clouds

New horizons and opportunities for qualitative research to improve mental health in later life

The Qualitative Applied Health Research Centre (QUAHRC) at King’s College London (KCL) promotes the rigorous and innovative application of qualitative research within the health field, raising the visibility of high-quality qualitative research and providing opportunities for knowledge exchange, training and support.

The Qualitative Open Mic Podcast

Our podcast asks why we do qualitative research, how do we do it well, and how it can be effectively applied

White theatrical mask on a pale background

21 May 2025

Neurodiversity Matters: Hannah Belcher on (un)masking and mental health research

Where does neurodiversity sit in relation to broader movements for lived experience led research? Sohail and Dr Hannah Belcher of the Service User Research Enterprise discuss the example of autistic masking and its relationship to mental health.

Podcast

A globe picked out in connected points of light across it

16 Apr 2025

Neurodiversity Matters: Morénike Giwa Onaiwu on antiracist advocacy

Has qualitative research been complacent about its ability to highlight marginalised perspectives? Sohail speaks to Dr Morénike Giwa Onaiwu about forthcoming anthology "Neurodiversity en Noir" and platforming Black neurodivergent voices.

Podcast

A rainbow umbrella photographed from below

19 Mar 2025

Neurodiversity Matters: Monique Botha on funding priorities and community justice

This month, Sohail interviews Dr Monique Botha about funding and priority setting, citational justice, emotion in research, and why letting community-led neurodivergence research out of its silo would benefit neurotypical and neurodivergent populations alike.

Podcast

Events

Upcoming seminars, journal club meetings, and other events at King's College London.

Pebbles on a beach, one of which has a question mark drawn on it

15 Jul 2025, 13:00 to 14:00

Developing good qualitative research questions: an NIHR RSS webinar

Join the NIHR Research Support Service (RSS) Hub at King’s College London for an interactive session designed to help you craft clear, focused, and purposeful qualitative research questions.

Online - Teams

21-25 July

Waiting list only: Introduction to Qualitative Methods Short Course

This year we're expanding our annual summer school, "An Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods", from four days to five. It will run from Monday 21 - Friday 25 July.

Denmark Hill Campus

Upcoming events

News

A colourful cartoon of figures engaging with different parts of the CommonGround resources

Peer Support in Action: Observations from the CommonGround community

The CommonGround research team share reflections on watching the birth and growth of a peer support online community for people with long-term conditions.

19 Feb 2025

A photo of the Denmark Hill campus of Kings.

Save the date for our expanded summer school

This year we're expanding our annual summer school, "An Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods", from four days to five. It will run from Monday 21 - Friday 25 July.

06 Feb 2025

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Research projects

CommonGround: Online peer support for preventing comorbid depression in people with long-term conditions

Refocus on Recovery

Developing and testing a recovery intervention in NHS Adult Community Mental Health Teams

hands typing on a laptop, with a stethoscope on the table in the foreground

Digital personalised cancer care planning

Coproducing personalised care in a digital age: using the Adversity, Restoration and Compatibility (ARC) framework to inform the co-design of a digital care planning tool for people with colorectal cancer