Episode #37: Indie Research with @DrHelenKara

In #InVinoFab podcast episode no. 37, we are joined by @DrHelenKara to talk about her work, life, and experiences with indie research, comics, and more! Helen Kara has been an independent researcher since 1999 and writes and teaches on research methods. She is the author of Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide (Policy Press, 2015). She is not, and never has been, an academic, though she has learned to speak the language. In 2015 Helen was the first fully independent researcher to be conferred as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. She is also a Visiting Fellow at the UK's National Centre for Research Methods. Her latest book is Research Ethics in the Real World: Euro-Western and Indigenous Perspectives (Policy Press, 2018). You can find more information about both of these books here: https://helenkara.com/writing/books/ During the episode we learn about Helen’s start to research in urban environments, being a copy editor, and Humanist funeral celebrant. Her windy path to research makes sense as she enjoys getting nerdy to find answers to questions and seeking out to learn more about a topic, problem, or experience. Helen is a collaborative researcher who shares and cares about how she positions herself, the ethical considerations, and creative process that goes into research. It was a pleasure to have a chat with her about her death/dying, being an independent scholar, and how to frame the research we’re investigating -- we hope you enjoy our conversation. Here are a few curated resources, reads, and things we discussed during this episode:Starting Your PhD  [FREE] http://knowmorepublishing.com/Finished Your PhD: What You Need to Know http://knowmorepublishing.com/So You’re Thinking About a PhD? https://techknowtools.com/2014/05/01/so-youre-thinking-about-a-phd/ Grounded Theory (Corbin & Strauss, 1990) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00988593 -- Red flag technique: might be words like “always” or “never” absolute words signalIntersectionality Score Calculator https://intersectionalityscore.com/ Rethinking Death - TED Radio Hour https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/464423367/rethinking-death Are you a Humanist? https://americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Safiya U. Noble http://algorithmsofoppression.com/ Book Reivew => https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2019/06/09/book-review-algorithms-of-oppression-how-search-engines-reinforce-racism-by-safiya-umoja-noble/Mastering the art of the narrative: using stories to shape public policy https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2018/07/18/mastering-the-art-of-the-narrative-using-stories-to-shape-public-policy/ Drama from health & safety - Goldstein & Wickett 2009https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1077800409343069?casa_token=w-rN7SiAkQ0AAAAA:geSVHUS3KvwZHiH8b25Ia5MrRhpQvVbWa65O5w7yYUC2um_UWfoML7ATKP7GDBN_46nN-CPmnjXnxAQualitative Interviewing Comic: Conversation with a Purpose https://helenkara.com/2018/06/12/conversation-with-a-purpose/Journal of Comics and Graphic Novels https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rcom20 Whizzer and Chips [archived] https://whizzerandchipscomic.blogspot.com/ Recommendations for #InVinoFab books & wine:Sparkling white wine from France: Blanquette de Limoux https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/253838883The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemison https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19161852-the-fifth-season Learn more about her work and read what sort of research she is writing about these days? Website: https://helenkara.com/Blog: https://helenkara.com/blog/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenKaraWriter/Twitter: https://twitter.com/drhelenkara Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drhelenkara/ Stay connected to the #InVinoFab Podcast:Hosts: Patrice (@profpatrice) & Laura (@laurapasquini); pronouns: she/herTwitter: https://twitter.com/invinofabInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/invinofab/