Centre for Qualitative Research

Centre for Qualitative Research : Event Report

The 23rd International Human Science Research Conference
Brock University, Canada, 05-08th August 2004
Report by Professors Les Todres and Kathleen Galvin

The venue for this conference alternates every year between North America and a non-North American country. It originally started as a forum for psychologists but has become increasingly interdisciplinary over the years. Next year, our own Centre for Qualitative Research at HSC will host this event, something we are very pleased about, as it is a further acknowledgement of our contribution and impact in promoting the dissemination of Qualitative Research within an international context. This year, eighty five people registered for the conference and this included participants from Australia, Japan, Israel, Europe, and North America.

The conference theme was 'Embodiment and its Consequences in Human Science Research' a topic that focused delegates on the methodological and philosophical challenges of how to articulate embodied interactions and meanings. Presentations included topics on multiple sclerosis, the phenomenon of the weight loss industry, self-harm, employee turnover, hormone therapy for men, studying abroad, and the experience of immigration.

Bournemouth University was represented by Professors Kate Galvin and Les Todres. They presented a joint paper on their evolving research into the experience of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. For this conference, they focused on the methodological challenges of achieving both depth and breadth in interviewing and analysis. The presentation was well attended and provoked some encouraging and lively debate that will assist them in taking their research forward.

Professor Galvin spoke to the Business Meeting (with the help of some impressive slides of Bournemouth and the surrounding areas) to welcome delegates to the 2005 Conference at Bournemouth University. Delegates were enthusiastic about this prospect and American colleagues have undertaken to correspond with us in order to ensure an increased North American presence in 2005. This meeting also pursued the beginnings of an international alliance for Qualitative Researchers to co-operate in pursuing joint research projects which may attract international research funding.