Alasdair Thomson

Scoping Impact – An International Study of Contemporary Definitions and Conceptualisations of Impact by Funders of Social Science Research

Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / Alasdair Thomson

By Nathan Coombs, Hilary MacDonogh, and Eugénia Rodrigues. Incentivising and supporting the ‘impact’ of social science research has become an objective for funding bodies in the UK and worldwide over recent decades. Defining the impacts of social science research on the economy, policy and society is key to demonstrating that public expenditure on such research […]

Scoping Impact – An International Study of Contemporary Definitions and Conceptualisations of Impact by Funders of Social Science Research Read More »

The University As Infrastructure of Becoming: Re-Activating Academic Freedom Through Humility in Times of Radical Uncertainty

Leave a Comment / Blog post / Alasdair Thomson

In this blog, Nicolas introduces his new paper, co-authored with Dr Francisco Durán del Fierro, conceptualising the university as an ‘infrastructure of becoming’.

The University As Infrastructure of Becoming: Re-Activating Academic Freedom Through Humility in Times of Radical Uncertainty Read More »

What does ‘evidence’ mean to MPs and officials in the UK House of Commons?

Uncategorized / Alasdair Thomson

Marc Geddes, Co-Director of SKAPE, explores how MPs and officials interpret the idea of ‘evidence’ as part of their committee scrutiny in the UK House of Commons. In this blog, Geddes notes the legalistic setting in which ‘evidence’ is gathered, how this echoes similar notions found in courtrooms, and reminds us of the political nature of ‘evidence’ in policy settings.

What does ‘evidence’ mean to MPs and officials in the UK House of Commons? Read More »

Photo of a COVID-19 notice from the UK government that reads: "Coronavirus, Stay at Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives."

Reflections on the impact of Covid-19

3 Comments / Blog post, Uncategorized / Alasdair Thomson

This blog post is a summary of the SKAPE Seminar on 24 June 2020 on the impact of Covid-19 on the study of the relationship between science, knowledge and policy.

Reflections on the impact of Covid-19 Read More »

Image of a retro movie theatre sign reading 'The world is temporarily closed'.

Seven questions for studying science, knowledge and policy in a Covid-19 world

Uncategorized / Alasdair Thomson

From the beginning of this crisis, we have witnessed a growing importance of the questions of the role of science, knowledge and expertise in politics and society. As the SKAPE community, we have been exploring these themes from multiple perspectives for nearly a decade and during this challenging time, we would like to open up a discussion on potential impacts of COVID-19 on this field and offer a space for scholars working in different disciplines to engage in a debate. In this blog, we identify seven questions that emerge in this new reality and explain them in the UK context – though we are aware that our themes are not comprehensive nor that the UK is alone in this pandemic.

Seven questions for studying science, knowledge and policy in a Covid-19 world Read More »

Image of a pocket watch and an ink pen lying on top of an open book.

Governing, knowledge and time: a governmentality perspective

Blog post, Seminar series post / Alasdair Thomson

Marlon Barbehön reflects the intertwinement of time and governing practices, discussing how modern governance is simultaneously informed by particular conceptions of time while also re-producing constructions of time through governing techniques.

Governing, knowledge and time: a governmentality perspective Read More »

The top of a book with a sentence written across the side of the pages, reading 'From the real experts'.

Democratising expertise? Lay citizens in the role of experts

Blog post, Seminar series post / Alasdair Thomson

In this post, Eva Krick discusses the involvement of ‘lay’ or ‘citizen experts’ in knowledge and advice production through practices such as citizen science, service user involvement and certain forms of citizen panels.

Democratising expertise? Lay citizens in the role of experts Read More »

Image of a typewriter with a single page, reading 'Crisis'.

How British think tanks weathered the 2008 financial crisis

Blog post, Seminar series post / Alasdair Thomson

Marcos Gonzalez Hernando examines how think tanks were challenged and changed by the financial crisis.

How British think tanks weathered the 2008 financial crisis Read More »

Image of a person's hands typing on a laptop with a stethoscope lying next to the laptop on the table.

Beyond diagnosis? Shifting approaches in psychiatry

Blog post, Seminar series post / Alasdair Thomson

The use of biological ideas and techniques in the study of mental ill-health and the practice of psychiatry is nothing new. But just because it isn’t new doesn’t mean that’s the only thing that’s going on in research and in the clinic: many other notions (psychological, sociological, and so on) interpolate with somatic emphases in psychiatry.

Beyond diagnosis? Shifting approaches in psychiatry Read More »

Image of a classroom with two girls sitting at their desks with the sunshine streaming in from a woman behind them.

The role of socialisation in education governance: the case of the OECD country reviews

Blog post / Alasdair Thomson

Sotiria Grek discusses the OECD national education policy reviews in the context of shaping the public and policy debate on education governance in Sweden.

The role of socialisation in education governance: the case of the OECD country reviews Read More »