About this session

In this session we will delve into the role of reflection and reflexivity in qualitative research and particularly, how this influences the researcher and the quality of the research.

This is part six of a six-series course offered by the Knowledge Co-op, a unit in the Research Office that endeavours to support students with their community-engaged research.

What previous attendees have said about this series:

• “It has been really lovely to hear people processing the ideas we’ve explored through their own research experiences” (Buhle Maseko-Macarther)

• “Eye opening especially on the participatory nature of community-engaged research from the conception up to the implementation stage. Initially I had an outsider/expert view where the researcher 'assumes' the community issues and come up with solutions to work with community members” (Patrick Kapito)

• “It has been eye-opening as to how I need to proceed with engaging with the community as I am still in the research methodology phase” (Masturah Adams)

• “This course helped me understand that research has greater social impact when done with communities through collaboration, trust, and shared benefit. It also encouraged me to reflect on my own identity and biases, and how they shape the way I engage with communities in research.” (Emily Mashonganyika).

About the Presenter

Dr Nailah Conrad

She currently teaches a design thinking module at the School of International Training Graduate Institute in the USA, as part of the Cape Town leg of the Master's in Sustainable Development Practice. She was previously the convenor for UCT Health Science Faculty’s MPhil programme in Health Innovation, fostering empathy-driven innovation to tackle South Africa's healthcare challenges. As the lecturer for Health Innovation and Design, she guided students to innovate for health through the application of design thinking methodologies.She is an experienced design-thinking practitioner and researcher renowned for her human-centred approach to solving complex healthcare and other challenges. She excels in empathy-driven research, systems thinking, and collaborative problem-solving, enabling her to create impactful, human-centred solutions. She is an alumnus of the 2016 cohort of the Engaged Scholarship Programme that was offered through the Research Office. This has driven her research interest in community engagement through design thinking.

Which faculty/faculties is the workshop aimed at?

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