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Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section

The Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section is for anyone interested in qualitative approaches to psychology and its impact on theory, research and practice.

About

The Qualitative Methods in Psychology (QMiP) Section of the BPS formed in 2005 against a backdrop of increased use of, and some initial resistance to qualitative methods in psychological research in the UK.

Immediately popular with BPS members, QMiP remains a large and vibrant community with over 900 members.

We engage in a host of activities to help raise the profile of research using qualitative methods, and to promote and celebrate the many and varied psychologists who are conducting qualitative research and developing qualitative methodology.

We also support members who teach qualitative psychology research methods.

QMiP further provides a recognised voice for the qualitative community to engage with and contribute to developments and structures that operate across the domain of contemporary Psychology in the UK including Open Science and REF.

QMiP holds a biennial conference which allows the community to come together and share expertise, engage in training, and present awards to help champion qualitative researchers at various career stages.

We produce a twice-yearly publication, the ‘QMiP Bulletin’, addressed to a range of philosophical, methodological and practical issues; and we offer a training and publications to meet the emerging needs of our community.

We are building international networks with organisations such as the APA’s Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology, the International Society for Critical Health Psychology and the nascent European Qualitative Research in Psychology group whilst also working collaboratively with other BPS Sections and Divisions.

Follow us on @QMiP.

QMiP aims to:

  • act as a network of qualified psychologists, extending collaboration possibilities, sharing expertise and offering training opportunities to members
  • champion and develop qualitative methods in psychology
  • raise the profile of teaching and research of qualitative methods in psychology
Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section

News

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Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section

Events

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Publications

QMiP Bulletin

The Qualitative Methods in Psychology Bulletin comes out twice a year and includes forthcoming events, reviews of conferences of interest to qualitative psychologists, stories of new initiatives for raising the profile of qualitative methods, research reports, book reviews and more.

Find out more about the Qualitative Methods in Psychology Bulletin

Latest articles - Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section Bulletin

  • Periodicals

Research-active therapists and therapy trainees: The need for continuity and clinical significance in our research - QMiP Bulletin

Volume: 1 Issue: 35

Author(s): Mick Cooper, Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez, Eva Fragkiadaki

Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section
  • Periodicals

Enjoying research in counselling and psychotherapy: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research - QMiP Bulletin

Volume: 1 Issue: 35

Author(s): Andreea Chirvase

Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section
  • Periodicals

QMiP at the European Congress of Psychology, 3rd-6th July, 2023 - QMiP Bulletin

Volume: 1 Issue: 36

Author(s): William Day

Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section
  • Periodicals

Benefits of a dual focus methodology utilising IPA and FDA in understanding meaning-making around the experience of psychosis - QMiP Bulletin

Volume: 1 Issue: 35

Author(s): Katy Baboulene, Carla Willig

Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section
  • Periodicals

Message from the Co-Chairs - QMiP Bulletin

Volume: 1 Issue: 36

Author(s): Laura Kilby, Sarah Seymour-Smith

Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section

QMiP Awards

Advanced Career Recognition

Currently closed.

QMiP champion those who have an advanced track record in work underpinned by qualitative theory, research and/or practice by nominating them and their work for competitive awards, invitations of esteem and key commissions of trust. 

In the past the QMiP committee have recommended qualitative psychlogists for keynote speeches at BPS conferences, including the BPS Annual and QMiP conferences.

Also, we have nominated qualitative psychologists for markers of esteem such as Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences and BPS awards.

Undergraduate Dissertation

Deadline: 30 June 2023

Citations for Excellence in Undergraduate Qualitative Research

QMiP want to celebrate a wide range of qualitative theory, research and practice.  QMiP welcomes nominations from members for undergraduate students who have completed an excellent dissertation in qualitative psychology.

The winners will receive a certificate to recognise their excellent work and be invited to write up their dissertation for a subsequent issue of the QMiP Bulletin. 

Criteria
  • No more than two nominations per course in any given year (in the case of more than two nominations, QMiP will expect the nominators to agree which should be nominated between them)
  • QMiP want to hear from our members about what they think is excellent, so a strong nomination statement is vital.
  • Student (nominee) must be on a Society accredited undergraduate course
  • The nomination (through the dissertation abstract and nomination statement) must make clear how the excellence in the dissertation is underpinned by qualitative theory and by either qualitative research or practice.
  • The nominator must be a QMiP member.
Guidance for nominations

You will need the following information

Nominee
  1. Name
  2. Title
  3. Organisation/affiliation
  4. BPS membership number (if applicable)
Nominator
  1. Name
  2. Title
  3. Organisation/affiliation
  4. BPS membership number

Key achievements of nominee (1,000 words in narrative format) - please enter the nomination statement in this field including thesis title and abstract

The nomination statement should outline the excellence in the dissertation drawing particular attention:

  • How independently the student worked
  • How the project is underpinned by qualitative research or practice
  • How the project is underpinned by qualitative theory 
  • Whether the project has utilised qualitative research methods in an innovative way

Supporting documentary evidence - please include Course name, institution, graduation date and official results date

Please note

The nomination statement should outline the excellence in the dissertation and how it is underpinned by qualitative research, theory and/or practice.

How to apply

Submit a nomination

The deadline for applications/nominations is 30 June.

Judging process

    Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of QMiP committee members. 

    Doctoral Research Award

    Nominations now open.

    Citations for Excellence in Qualitative Doctoral Research

    The QMiP Citations for Excellence in Qualitative Doctoral Research recognise outstanding PhD/Doctorate research.

    This award aims to celebrate high-quality qualitative doctoral level research and champion upcoming qualitative researchers. Submissions are invited from all areas of Psychology where qualitative methods are applied as the primary tools of investigation.

    Winner of the first prize will receive:

    • £100 cash prize
    • An invitation to the QMiP bi-annual conference to orally present their research or present a poster
    • Expenses to the QMiP bi-annual conference up to £150 (to cover registration, travel, and accommodation)
    • The opportunity to publish findings in the QMiP bulletin (subject to peer review)
    • Winners Certificate

    Runners up will receive:

    • £50 cash prize
    • An invitation to the QMiP bi-annual conference to orally present their research or present a poster
    • The opportunity to publish findings in the QMiP bulletin (subject to peer review)
    • Runner up Certificate
    Eligibility:

    To be eligible for this award the candidate must:

    • Have been awarded either a research or a practice doctorate by a UK university
    • Submit their nomination to QMiP within 24 months of the doctorate being awarded

    In addition, either the candidate or their supervisor must be a member of the BPS and QMiP. 

    Review Process:

    Applications will be judged by a panel drawn from the QMiP committee. All applications will be reviewed by at least two panel members with final decisions being ratified by the review panel chair. Reviewers will be looking for evidence of the following:

    • A clear rationale as to why the project and the researcher should be considered for this award
    • Indication of specific contribution to the field of research, which may include originality of approach and/or novelty of methodological application; theoretical contribution, and/or practical applications.
    • The importance of the research in relation to previous and on-going research
    • Dissemination of research through publications and presentations

    The panel will award one winning Citation for Excellence and up to a maximum of four runners up prizes each year. The decisions of the panel are final.

    How to Apply:

    The doctoral citation submission portal is now open all year so that submissions can be made at any point.

    On 31 October of each year we will collate the submissions we have received and begin the review process for that year's award.

    Your application should include:

    • A self-statement from the PhD/Doctorate candidate of up to 500 words
    • A supporting statement from the PhD/Doctorate supervisor of up to 500 words.
    • Details of any publications and presentations (poster or oral) completed during the PhD/Doctorate

    Submit your application online here

    Committee

    Co-Chairs - Laura Kilby and Sarah Seymour-Smith

    Dr Laura Kilby is an Associate Professor of Social Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

    Her primary research interests centre upon examining relationships between power, discourse and the social construction of marginalised identities and marginalised groups. She researches media and political constructions of ethnic and religious identities. She also examines minoritised identity construction related to gender, sexuality, and social class.

    Laura is passionate about the continued progression of qualitative methods. She has published her approach to multimodal critical discourse analysis within psychology and she collaborates on the progression of qualitative methods and Open Science. Laura has served on the Qualitative Methods in Psychology section committee since 2017 and she is the incoming co-Chair for 2023-4.

    Follow Laura on twitter: @Laurakilby2

    Dr Sarah Seymour-Smith is an Associate Professor of Discourse & Masculinities in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. Sarah is a discursive psychologist and her primary research interests are concerned with the impact of masculinity/ties on men's health.

    The second, and often related, strand of her research, examines face-to-face and online support groups. In 2017 Sarah was awarded a mid-career citation of Excellence from the BPS Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section.

    In 2022 Sarah was awarded the Professor Marcia Worrell Mentoring Award by BPS Psychology of Women & Equalities section. Sarah has is a long standing member of the QMiP committee.

    Past Chair - Simon Goodman

    Dr Simon Goodman is the past Chair of the QMiP committee. Simon uses discursive psychology to address a number of issues. Much of this research explores the discursive construction of asylum seekers and refugees, focussing on the ways in which potentially prejudicial arguments against asylum seekers are presented as reasonable and non-prejudicial.

    In addition, his work focuses on what is, and what is not, considered to be racist particularly with regard to asylum seeking. His research also explores the (largely negative) experiences of asylum seekers in the UK and the ways in which they make complaints and resist their negative presentations.

    His other interests include online hate speech, the British public’s understanding of income inequality and high earners, and the ways in which the far right attempt to present their policies as acceptable and non-racist.

    Honorary Secretary – Elida Cena

    Honorary Treasurer- Astrid Coxon

    QMiP Bulletin Editor - Deborah Bailey Rodriguez

    Dr Deborah Bailey-Rodriguez is the current QMiP Bulletin journal Editor-in-Chief, and was previously an Associate Editor for the Bulletin before this.

    Deborah is a Lecturer in Psychology at Middlesex University, where she teaches qualitative methods to undergraduates and postgraduates, and supervises doctoral students using qualitative approaches. Her research focuses on the use of multi-dimensional (such as pluralistic methods) and multi-modal (such as visual and creative methods) qualitative methods to understanding the complex human experience.

    Deborah’s research centres on relationships in the context of mental health wellbeing, particularly couple relationships. She also publishes on the use and applications of qualitative methods.

    Follow Deborah on Twitter: @Deborah_Rod

    Committee Member – Cath Sullivan

    Dr Cath Sullivan (CPsychol, SFHEA) is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. She has taught qualitative research methods and supported other lecturers teaching qualitative methods for over ten years.

    Cath is a former Chair of the HEA’s Special Interest Group on the Teaching of Qualitative Methods at Undergraduate Level and has been on the committee of the Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society since 2015.

    Her published work includes qualitative research papers and pieces about qualitative methodology. She is joint editor of Doing Your Qualitative Psychology Project (Sage, 2012) and Doing Qualitative Research in Psychology (Sage, 2019).

    Committee Member - Candice Whitaker

    Dr Candice Whitaker is a lecturer in Psychology at Leeds Trinity University.

    As well as teaching qualitative research methods, Candice and is a critical scholar who predominantly utilises qualitative research methods to explore issues relating to men’s health and wellbeing.

    Candice has been a committee member for a number of years, first as the Postgraduate Representative and then as the Honorary Secretary.

    Committee Member - Anastasia Rousaki

    Anastasia Rousaki is a Lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. She employs critical discursive psychology to address socio-political issues.

    Her doctoral research explores adolescent sexting, consent and coercion through a focus on discourse, gender, ideology, power and hegemony. She additionally specialises in combining qualitative research methods with political theory and philosophy. Her published work explores areas of social psychology and cyberpsychology.

    She has participated in various national and international conferences, has obtained small ECR bursaries and has been a committee member of (QMiP) since 2021.

    Follow Anastasia on Twitter: @AnastasiaRousak

    Co-opted member - Dr Philippa Carr

    Dr Philippa Carr is a Senior Lecturer in Qualitative Research Methods at the University of the West of England. She is interested in the use of Discursive Psychology to explore talk in the media about wealth inequality.

    Philippa has explored how the super-rich use talk about psychological concepts to legitimise extreme wealth in television broadcasts. She is interested in how people account for practices such as inheritance and tax avoidance that impede social mobility.

    Her research has examined how entertainment documentaries can be analysed as a form of political communication using Discursive Psychology. Philippa’s other research interests include gender identity is constructed in talk about public toilets.

    Follow Philippa on Twitter: @discursivephil

    Co-opted member - Eva Fragkiakaki

    Dr Eva Fragkiadaki is a Senior Lecturer in Counselling Psychology and Programme Leader of the Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at University of the West of England, Bristol. She has worked as a psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer for more than ten years. As a qualitative researcher, she has worked on various projects collaborating with academics from universities in Greece, the UK, USA and the Netherlands.

    Her scholarly interests include psychotherapy process research for chronic disorders, professional and personal development of therapists, and the work of psychosocial practitioners. More recently, she has engaged in the design and implementation of mixed method longitudinal research projects focusing on the application of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in the psychotherapy research field.

    Her research aims to apply idiographic and process – based methods in the exploration of psychotherapy and psychological therapies effectiveness. She has published numerous empirical and methodology papers in national and international journals and books.

    Co-opted member - William Day

    William Day is a Teaching Associate and deputy programme at Aston University (Birmingham, UK), supporting the delivery and assessment of taught materials across Aston’s psychology programmes. Will is also undertaking his PhD supervised by Dr Rachel Shaw, Dr Michael Larkin and Dr Dan Shepperd.

    Will’s research seeks to understand individuals’ experiences of living with chronic invisible or 'unseen' illnesses within the wider context of austerity-informed UK welfare reforms.

    He adopts a 'pluralistic' approach; combining phenomenological and discursive approaches to consider both the micro and macro implications of government policies, from a health and social psychology perspective, exploring the holistic ways in which belonging, heath, stigma and wellbeing are constructed and experienced by individuals. Will joined the QMiP committee in 2021.

    Follow Will on Twitter: @Wiiliu.

    Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead representative - Mohammed Malik

    Dr Mohammed Malik is the current QMIP lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Mohammed is a Lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University where he delivers teaching on qualitative methods.

    Mohammed is interested in the body image of middle-aged men, as reflected in his published work and is currently looking at the impact of hair loss on men’s body image. Mohammed is also the lead for Fashion Psychology at NTU running both a third-year lab (where he supervises projects mainly using qualitative methods) and elective module in the same area.

    Mohammed’s efforts to promote EDI outside of QMIP include his involvement with the LGBTQ+ research group at NTU as well as his involvement in a series of research projects largely exploring the experiences of South Asian Gay men.

    Follow Mohammed on Twitter: @DrMo_Malik 

    Newsletter Lead Representative – Astrid Coxon

    Dr Astrid Coxon is an online teaching fellow at King's College London, teaching on a new Implementation Science module (designed in collaboration with NIHR ARC South London and the University of East Anglia), and the MSc Psychology & Neuroscience of Mental Health (where she supervises synoptic projects using qualitative research methods).

    Outside of academia, she is a person-centred psychotherapist in private practice, and a freelance proofreader. Astrid is passionate about accessibility and inclusion in higher education, particularly concerning the experiences of neurodivergent students and staff.

    Astrid has been a member of the QMiP Committee since 2018, first as the Editor of the Bulletin, and now as the lead on the quarterly section newsletter.

    Social Media Representative - Kristina Newman

    Kristina is AMiP's social media lead.

    QMiP Open Science Working Group Lead - Pete Branney

    Dr Peter Branney is an Honorary Life Member of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the Royal Society of Arts.

    He has undertaken a programme of award winning, internationally leading work exploring how to improve experiences of healthcare through interventions that are local, proximal and distal to patients' interactions with services.

    Past Chair of QMiP, Pete is currently open science lead, collaborating with other qualitative researchers to explore the possibilities of open science for qualitative methods, which includes one of the earliest studies into the topic, keynotes at the QMiP biennial conference and the UK Research Integrity annual conference, videos and a paper introducing key issues, a special issue in the British Journal of Social Psychology and a number of invited seminars, one of which was is available online.

    TQP Representative – Jo Brookes

    PSyPAG Representative- Charlotte Taylor Page

    EQUiP representative - Carolin Demuth

    Carolin Demuth is co-founder and president (2021-2024) of the Association for European Qualitative Researchers in Psychology (EQuiP). She is associate professor of Cultural and Developmental Psychology at Aalborg University where she is also director of the Centre for Cultural Psychology, director of the MA Cultural Psychology program, and co-organizer of the annual transdisciplinary winter school: culture, psychology, and qualitative research.

    She is part of the QMiP committee as EQuiP representative. Her research interests lie in discursive and narrative psychology, multimodal video-analysis and dialogical approaches to language and mind.

    She has published numerous articles on qualitative research methods and co-authored the Cambridge Handbook of Identity (2021) as well as the Routledge International Handbook of Innovative Qualitative Psychological Research (forthcoming).

    ISCHP Representative - Gareth Treharne

    Gareth is Chair of ISCHP (International Society for Critical Health Psychology) and QMiP’s international representative.

    Join

    Membership of the Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section is only open to members of the British Psychological Society.

    If you are not already a member, you can join the Section at the same time as applying for membership of the society.

    Apply to join the society

    Benefits of belonging

    Benefits of Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section Membership

    • Eligibility to apply for a range of awards
    • Receive a free copy of our regular publication the QMiP Bulletin
    • Reduced registration rates to our biennial conference and regular training events
    • Regular updates via our membership announcement e-mail list

    Member Announcement Email List

    The Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section uses its membership announcement email list to inform its members of activities and initiatives that are relevant to their interests and to make requests for engagement on topical issues. 

    By becoming a member of the Section you are automatically added to the announcement list.

    To receive these emails you will need to:

    1. become a member of the Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section
    2. opt into receiving email communication and provide a working email address

    These preferences can be updated by logging into your member portal.

    If you have any queries, please contact Member Network Services.

    To assist us in responding to your query please make sure to include your membership number and quote 'Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section announcement email' in the subject line.

    Getting involved with the Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section Committee

    The Qualitative Methods in Psychology Section relies on a wide range of people getting involved, and the work of the Section is largely achieved through the dedication of unpaid volunteers.

    Our volunteers come from a wide range of different backgrounds, whether they be practitioners or academics, or full members or students members, and together form an open and inclusive community.