Conference Agenda

This session offers a supportive space for researchers to consider the mix of capacities they bring to their work and to design one small practice they can try after the conference. The approach is whole-person and heart-centred. It names five elements in a circle, each linked to a way of knowing and acting: Earth (embodied presence and participation in practical activities), Water (emotional perception and reflective clarity), Fire (the heart – purpose and care), Air (analysis and clear language) and Space (openness and intuition). The model is descriptive rather than prescriptive; different people will find different mixes that serve them. The five-elements framing within a research context first emerged as a heuristic device in my study of ‘community’ in community-led housing, but here it is used as a tool to bring attention to the qualities and activities of the researcher.

Who the session is for

Researchers at any career stage and from any field who use qualitative approaches, including those who are curious but cautious about reflective or embodied practices. There is no ideal profile. Participants are invited to notice what already helps them, and, if they wish, to explore one new practice.

Session flow

1. Welcome and framing (10 min):

Brief introduction to the five elements and the session principles: there are many good ways to be a researcher; start with your strengths and choose your own area to stretch into.

2. Private self-mapping (10 min):

Participants mark a simple radar/circle for Fire/Water/Earth/Air/Space and note where their current mix helps their practice.

3. Menu of micro-practices (10 min):

The facilitator will outline how each element offers small, low-effort practices to try, for example:

o Earth (embodied presence and participation): one deliberate act of being there – joining a practical activity, walking the site or using the senses to notice materials, rhythms and movements; optionally, translate a recurring observation into a simple checklist.

o Water (emotional perception and reflection): a three-minute feelings/clarity memo after interviews or meetings.

o Fire (purpose and care): check alignment of your core purpose and vision at the start of a project; build in a one-sentence values check before a design or sampling decision.

o Air (analysis and clear language): identify your most effective media to work in for analytic tasks (visual, verbal, writing, etc); define one ambiguous term before coding; sketch a brief mind map.

o Space (openness and intuition): take a five-minute pause (quiet sitting or gentle walk) before major analytic decisions; allow time for daydreaming and a mix of recreational activities to bring in unexpected influences; keep a short insight log.

4. Optional pair/triad share (10 min):

Prompt: ‘One strength I appreciate; one practice I might try.’ Feedback only if requested.

5. Stations with examples (25 min):

Participants will have the chance to browse tables with simple materials they can adapt. One table will include illustrations from community-led housing (for example, prompts for mapping a shared situation, or a short ‘who/for what/with what authority/how recorded’ community guide). Another might invite attention to more-than-human aspects (tools, spaces, regulations, ecologies) and how a chosen practice might engage them. The specific examples will be confirmed closer to the time.

6. Commitment and close (15 min):

Participants will be asked to note the practice they will try, when they will try it and how they will gauge whether it helped. Those who wish can add an email to join a light-touch post-conference writing circle to share short reflections.

Accessibility and care

Materials will use clear layout and plain language. People will be welcome to move, rest or step out as needed. Quiet participation is valid and there is no requirement to speak. Where possible, examples will be offered in text and visual formats.

Expected outcomes

• A one-page Whole-Person Researcher Canvas that participants can take away and adapt.

• A personal plan for one micro-practice to test in their own setting.

• An optional writing circle to collect short reflections after the congress (for a blog post, zine or short memo).

• For those interested, access to example prompts and templates from the community-led housing study.

Facilitator

Anna Rose Hope, a researcher working with community-led housing in England. Research methods include constructivist grounded theory and situational analysis. Current interests: developing a toolkit for community in policy and practice; exploring how purpose, emotional clarity, embodied presence, analytic care and openness can be brought together in research, and how small, well-made practices can support collaboration.