Perceptions matter: how participant perceptions shape our research data

The Society, Work and Development Institute will host Dr Robin Turner to present this research seminar.

Turner is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Butler University (Indianapolis) and SWOP Research Associate. The inferences participants draw from our dress, diction, gender presentation, imputed race, apparent disability or lack thereof, and other observable attributes have an effect on our interactions.

In affecting how research participants behave in our presence and respond to our questions, participants’ perceptions of researchers influence all the data generated through interpersonal interactions.

How should researchers address researcher-participant interactions? Drawing from his field research in southern Africa, India and Uganda, Turner will argue in this seminar that all empirically-oriented political scientists should attend to the interactions between researchers and research participants because failing to do so impairs our inferences.

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