On March 9, VSR, ELS Academy and KU Leuven are organizing a pre-conference day, for and by PhDs. This PhD day will revolve around the research method of interviewing and the ethical aspects thereof, which will be explored through keynote presentations and various workshops. The day will be concluded with a festive gathering and is an excellent opportunity to meet PhDs and senior researchers involved in empirical-legal and social science research.

The pre-conference day will take place at the Faculty of Law and Criminology of KU Leuven, provided that the health situation in the Netherlands and Belgium allows for this. The pre-conference day precedes the annual VSR Conference, which will take place on March 10 and 11. More information about this conference can be found here.

The programme for this day is as follows:

10.00 – 10.15     Walk-in & Welcome

10.15 – 11.15       Keynote 1 – Daniëlle Chevalier (Leiden University) – Conducting an interview study: from preparations to conclusions

11.15 – 11.40      Coffee break

11.40 – 13.00     Workshops – From theory to your own research

Workshop 1: From research question to topic/question list

How do you translate your research subject into a topic list and/or question list? What type of interview study is most suitable?

Workshop 2:  From data analysis to conclusions (fact and norm)

How do you translate your factual findings to normative implications?

13.00 – 14.00    Lunch

14.00 – 15.00     Keynote 2 – Paulien de Winter (University of Groningen) –  Ethics & Ethical Review: ethical aspects and dilemmas when interviewing

15.00 – 15.20    Coffee break

15.20 – 17.00     Workshops – Implementing ethics in your research

Workshop 1:  Preparing your interview: ethical practices and dilemmas

What are key lessons to keep in mind when preparing and conducting your interview? What are the steps to gaining ethical approval?

Workshop 2:  Ethical aspects of interview analysis and presenting findings

How do you take ethical aspects into account when analyzing and presenting your interview findings?

17.00 – 17.15      Wrap-up

17.30                   Drinks

Registration is possible until February 14th through the following form. There are limited spots available (max. 30), so registration will take place on a first come, first served basis. The participation costs are 25 euro per person for the whole day. For any questions, do not hesitate to contact the organizers at: phddayleuven@gmail.com. Looking forward to seeing you all there!