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University of Oxford Centre for Socio-Legal Studies

Methodological Musings

A hand holding a smartphone

Exploring Facebook as a Research Tool

In this post, Caitlyn McGeer (Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, Oxford) explores the use of social media advertisement to reach otherwise hard-to-reach participants.

by Caitlyn McGeer | 2 August 2023
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Shrinks, Priests, and Academic Soul-Searching: Epistemic Reflexivity in Socio-Legal Research

In this post, Moritz Schramm (Humboldt-University of Berlin) reflects on the value of epistemic reflexivity in an academic context dominated by doctrinal research.

by Moritz Schramm | 5 July 2023
A book with coloured bookmarks sticking out

On My Unexpected Foray into Textual Analysis (And the Value of Methodological Flexibility)

In this post, Aadarsh Gangwar draws on his experience researching the recognition of queer asylum seekers in Switzerland to explore the value of textual analysis to the ethnographic researcher

by Aadarsh Gangwar | 7 June 2023
A notebook with handwriting on a table

South Africa’s Group Areas Act and Quotidian Resistance in a Small South African Town

In this post, Dr. Faeeza Ballim reflects on the use of diverse historical sources to uncover official reasoning and local agency influencing South Africa's Group Areas Act.

by Faeeza Ballim | 10 May 2023
A group photo showing research participants.

Inwards and Outwards: An Ethnographic Reflection on the Plural Legal System in Rural Ghana from the Perspective of a Ghanaian Scholar

In this post, Dr. Thompson Gyedu Kwarkye explores autoethnography as a Socio-Legal method by reflecting on his experience researching female traditional leaders in Ghana's plural legal system.

by Thompson Gyedu Kwarkye | 12 April 2023
Two men discussing while looking at a smartphone.

Unfreedom of Information in Private Entities: What Can We Do When Vital Research Participants Won’t Talk to Us?

In this post, Anushka Mittal discusses interviews with former employees as one method to access data when a corporate environment restricts research access.

by Anushka Mittal | 22 March 2023
A notebook open to a blank page with a pencil on top and an eraser on the side.

Ceding Authority: Reflections on the Value of Unstructured Interviewing

In this post for Methodological Musings, Professor Linda Mulcahy reflects on the value of unstructured interviews and 'ceding control' to the interviewee to tell their story.

by Linda Mulcahy | 8 February 2023
A person wearing a suit and tie and looking officious

First Impressions Count: Self-Presentation in Qualitative Interviews

In this post for Methodological Musings, John Taggart reflects on the importance of first impressions and self-presentation in Socio-Legal interviews.

by John Taggart | 11 January 2023
A photo of a hand stopping wooden blocks from falling

Contemporary Reflections on the Push and Pull of the Policy Audience by Two Feminist Methodologists

In this post for Methodological Musings, Professor Linda Mulcahy and Dr Anna Tsalapatanis reflect on the implications of the push and pull of policy engagement when doing Socio-Legal work.

by Linda Mulcahy & Anna Tsalapatanis | 7 December 2022
A photograph from Anwita Dinkar's fieldwork, showing houses along a street in India

Overcoming Class Boundaries During Empirical Research with Vulnerable Communities

In this post for Methodological Musings, PhD student Anwita Dinkar reflects on her fieldwork experiences carrying out research with vulnerable communities, navigating the place and presence of class.

by Anwita Dinkar | 9 November 2022
Artwork by Aastha Prasad

Connecting the Past and Present: An Anecdote from the Dangs

In this post for Methodological Musings, DPhil student Aastha Prasad reflects on the construction of identities and ways of belonging through stories about the past, among Adivasi communities.

by Aastha Prasad | 12 October 2022
A photograph of robotics

‘Lawyer’ in the Lab: Navigating the ‘Extreme Robotics Lab’ as a Socio-Legal Researcher

In this post for Methodological Musings, Angela Eggleton reflects on the practice of 'discipline hopping' and the methodological insights encountered whilst undertaking research as a lawyer in a lab.

by Angela Eggleton | 7 September 2022