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University of Oxford Centre for Socio-Legal Studies

Methodological Musings

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
A photo of a blank page

Overwhelmed by Data? Or Stuck Through Sadness?

In this post for Methodological Muisngs, Professor Tamara Hervey explores the feelings of overwhelm and sadness that can happen when collecting data during Socio-Legal research.

by Tamara K Hervey | 17 August 2022
A photograph of a ladybird

The Sublime of the Everyday: Moments of Disruption as Connection in Remote Interviews During Sensitive Research

In this post for Methodological Musings, DPhil student Ellie Whittingdale reflects on moments of disruption as connection during online interviews with sexual violence support workers.

by Ellie Whittingdale | 27 July 2022
A photo of post boxes

Two Lessons: Conducting Empirical Research on Violence Against Women

In this post, Professor Cristina Valega Chipoco reflects on two main lessons learnt during her first fieldwork experience carrying out research into violence against women.

by Cristina Valega Chipoco | 6 July 2022