Principal Investigator: Dr Kate Carruthers Thomas Project Dates: March - September 2021
This project gathers and analyses data from participants of THIRDSPACE: a temporary online academic writing community for female academics hosted by the Society for Research in Higher Education (SRHE). The research investigates participants' motivations and experiences of THIRDSPACE and examines:
the challenges participants encounter in producing high-quality academic writing and the impact of the COVID pandemic/lockdowns, including in working contexts newly characterised by distance, fragmentation and increased workloads,
the potential for online writing communities to create links beyond institutional and national boundaries, share resources, challenges and successes,
specific outcomes of participation including changes to academic writing practices, sense of identity,
wider implications for academic career development and gender equality in the academy.
method
1. post-programme online questionnaire collected via Qualtrics. 2, 1-1 semi-structured interview conducted online with up to 10 participants. Interviews will be recorded, transcribed and transcripts returned to interviewees for verification.