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Chris Martin is a Research Director at Ipsos MORI in charge of the Scottish Household Survey and the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey.

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
A psephologist - I loved the drama of politics. When, as a 9-year-old, I had to write a “day-in-the-life” story, I chose to be Jimmy Carter, traveling to Europe, by helicopter, to see if America could join the EEC. I was obsessed with elections. David Butler was a boyhood idol. My teenage bedroom in the 80s was festooned with newspaper cuttings of opinion polls, swingometers and diagrams of electoral seat predictors. It’s a real shame that election nights now lack drama - the exit polls are far too accurate.

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
Looking back, it is easy to see my trajectory towards where I am today. My dad (an educational psychologist) and my mum (a domiciliary family planning nurse in Easterhouse among other things) both argued with passion about how things should be and there was pretty much constant debate and a challenging of ideas in my childhood house. I also remember my dad writing shopping lists on old SPSS punch-cards and him showing us the machines that counted the holes. At school, I designed and carried out my first survey at the age of 15 as part of the in Scottish Higher Modern Studies syllabus. But I didn’t see that path at the time. It wasn’t until I’d finished my undergraduate degree in History, when I applied for a Masters at Surrey University in Social Research Methods, that I made my first conscious turn towards a career in social research.

Chris Martin is a Research Director at Ipsos MORI in charge of the Scottish Household Survey and the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey.

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
A psephologist - I loved the drama of politics. When, as a 9-year-old, I had to write a “day-in-the-life” story, I chose to be Jimmy Carter, traveling to Europe, by helicopter, to see if America could join the EEC. I was obsessed with elections. David Butler was a boyhood idol. My teenage bedroom in the 80s was festooned with newspaper cuttings of opinion polls, swingometers and diagrams of electoral seat predictors. It’s a real shame that election nights now lack drama - the exit polls are far too accurate.

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
Looking back, it is easy to see my trajectory towards where I am today. My dad (an educational psychologist) and my mum (a domiciliary family planning nurse in Easterhouse among other things) both argued with passion about how things should be and there was pretty much constant debate and a challenging of ideas in my childhood house. I also remember my dad writing shopping lists on old SPSS punch-cards and him showing us the machines that counted the holes.  At school, I designed and carried out my first survey at the age of 15 as part of the in Scottish Higher Modern Studies syllabus. But I didn’t see that path at the time. It wasn’t until I’d finished my undergraduate degree in History, when I applied for a Masters at Surrey University in Social Research Methods, that I made my first conscious turn towards a career in social research.

What was your first professional job?  And first project there?
My Masters at Surrey was great. After that, I was lucky enough to get a temporary position at the Centre for Educational Sociology (CES) at the University of Edinburgh. It was my first introduction to serious quantitative survey analysis, of Family Expenditure Survey data, and my first proper introduction to large-scale data collection, in the form of the Scottish School Leavers Survey.

Where did your career go next?  What motivated that/those moves?
I moved from a temporary post in the academic sector to a temporary post at Scottish Homes, a government agency, to work with the Scottish House Condition Survey team as an analyst. The team there understood the challenges of survey design and collection, and were also excellent at using the data to help inform policy. I was lucky to have a very minor role on the first report on Fuel Poverty in Scotland. From there, I moved to the commercial sector and System Three, who, together with Ipsos MORI, had recently won the first contract for a new post-devolution study called the Scottish Household Survey. The rest, as they say, is history.

What has been your best professional moment?
When the SHS team at Scottish Government recently produced a data comic based on the survey results (https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-household-survey-data-comic-inequality-2017/) I was really chuffed to become one of the cartoon characters.  

...and worst?
I’d happily never discuss envelope design for advanced letters with interviewers again.

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
No, but I am very grateful to a number of inspiring teachers. Christian Heath and Nigel Gilbert at University of Surrey, David Raffe at the University of Edinburgh, Celia McIntyre at Scottish Homes, and to Steven Hope at System Three and then Ipsos MORI.

Do you have a favourite quote?
I like the phrase from Robert Groves, “the tyranny of the easily measurable” as a reminder that accuracy is as much driven by good survey questions and good interviewers as it is by sample size.

What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?
I’d echo the words of my school guidance teacher. What do you most enjoy doing? Do that. People do best at things they enjoy doing.

Genna Kik is a Director at IFF Research Ltd.

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an optician in my teens, not sure when that changed!

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
During my second-year studying Economics and Geography at Sheffield University I did some research methods modules which I really enjoyed. I then chose to do a dissertation in my final year and used an Erasmus exchange to Finland to research differences in Finnish and British students views of European integration. This spurred me on to do a master’s in research methods.

What was your first professional job? And first project there?
After my MA I was a postgraduate researcher and teaching assistant in Sheffield, but I count my first professional job as a Research Officer in the Social Surveys Division at the Office for National Statistics, working on the English Housing Condition Survey.

Where did your career go next? What motivated that/those moves?
My move to ONS never became permanent, my husband stayed in Sheffield and I commuted between Wales and Sheffield, renting during the week. In 2008 I was promoted to Senior Research Officer, we’d finally decided to relocate to Wales when two Civil Service research jobs near Sheffield came up. Within a couple of months, I’d moved back and started as Research Manager at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). I worked on labour market and skills studies, and evaluations that informed skills and education policy and practice, including two large-scale employer surveys – the UK Employer Perspectives Survey (18k employers) and UK Employer Skills Survey (90k employers), with the team at IFF as contractors. In 2016, UKCES closed and IFF were recruiting an Associate Director so I explored whether it would be feasible to take the post as a home-worker as the company is in London and I didn’t want to relocate my daughters. I now work four days per week, traveling to London 1-2 days per week and the rest from home in Sheffield - I love it. I work on a wide range of quant and qual projects as part of the IFF team I’d enjoyed working with for many years while at UKCES, and I have clients and project partners from my network of ex-colleagues and academics.

What has been your best professional moment?
I’ve been fortunate to have some great professional moments over the years, I’ve travelled and spoken at research conferences in Prague, Warsaw, Milan, Zaragoza, and Madrid, and last year visited the Middle East for a project. One of my best moments in the last couple of years was when we won the contract for the ONS Annual Survey of Goods and Services, a statutory survey of 40k businesses involving a complex online survey and inbound call centre, it has been a great team effort to win and deliver.

...and worst?
Finding out UKCES was losing funding and I was losing my job was my worst professional moment. I was on maternity leave and it was very stressful facing a job hunt after a year out… it all worked out for the better though!

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
I’ve worked with some fantastic researchers – past and present. If I had to pick one though it would be Professor Mike Campbell, who sadly passed away a couple of years ago. Mike was Director of Research when I joined UKCES, more of an economist really, he was hugely inspirational – passionate about skills and labour market research, an excellent speaker and teacher, and a lovely guy.

Do you have a favourite quote?
I don’t have a favourite, but I do quite like this one…

“Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don’t get so worked up about things” Sir Kenneth Branagh

What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?
It’s a fascinating career, you’re always learning something new and you can get a lot of variety if you want it. For those outside of London, finding opportunities can sometimes be tricky, however it is possible to carve out a career outside of the capital…especially if you’re prepared to get creative with your commute!

Dr Asimina Vergou is an Evaluation manager at the National Lottery Heritage Fund

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
My only memory of aspiration when I was little, is that I wanted to become an architect; an indication of my interest to combine structure and artistic creativity which still permeates everything I do.

What was your first professional job?  And first project there?
Being Greek, I did my undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and an MSc in Ecology and Sustainable Ecosystems Management in my home country. My first professional job was conducting Environmental Impact Assessments for small and medium enterprises as a consultant. Although I was happy to get a job relevant to my qualifications, I could also describe this as my worst professional experience. I soon realised that the commissioning of the studies was more of a tick the box exercise for the companies rather than genuinely looking to make their operations more environmental friendly. As a result, I pursued a postgraduate teaching degree to redirect my career.

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
One of my critical career moments was leading the development of the environmental education programme at the Balkan Botanic Garden of Kroussia, part of the National Agricultural Research Foundation in Greece. This very creative job, closely linked to my passion for environmental education, inspired a life-long love for plants and a PhD to explore how people learn when they visit botanic gardens.

Thanks to a Greek State’s Scholarship I conducted my PhD research at the University of Bath, Centre for Research in Education and the Environment. During my ethnographic fieldwork I spent 9 months living onsite at Wakehurst Place, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. That experience defined my understanding of what indepth data collection means, and the importance of immersing in the field.

Where did your career go next?  What motivated that/those moves?
Following a few short term project research positions during my doctorate studies, and some application rejections for academic posts, I went on to work for Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) a charity that networks botanic gardens around the world and advocates for plant conservation. As the Education Programme Coordinator, initially, and later on as the Head of Education, I was involved in managing, coordinating and fundraising for large consortium EU projects, growing botanic gardens social role and botanic gardens educators capacity to engage people with plants. My work continued to be strongly linked to research, by working with researchers to develop new initiatives, by using education research to drive improvements in botanic gardens education practice, and by evaluating gardens’ education practice. Leading the Education department at BGCI has been the highlight of my career so far, by giving me the opportunity to influence botanic gardens’ education internationally and become a member of a very creative, committed and knowledgeable community.

My growing interest in improving practice through evidence and understanding fundraising from a funder’s perspective led me to my current position as the Evaluation manager at The National Lottery Heritage Fund. My role is focused on commissioning large scale programme evaluation, of the impact of the Heritage Fund’s funding. I especially value the opportunity of leading programme evaluation with the aim to inform government policies such as in the parks sector, and also to develop my own expertise on current heritage sector areas such as placemaking, wellbeing, resilience and youth engagement.

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
My social research hero is my PhD supervisor, Emeritus Professor William Scott. He has been my ‘academic’ father, supporting me throughout the struggles of the PhD, instilled a commitment to methodological rigour in me, and refined my critical thinking. He is truly inspirational in the way he has influenced both the international and the UK field of environmental and sustainability education with his academic leadership, at all levels; from policy/government to the every day practice of the environmental educators.

What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?
The landscape of a social research career in the UK, is varied, ranging from a traditional academic career to working for consultancies, charities, funders and the government. My practical advice, for someone in their early career, is to ‘research’ regularly job opportunities advertised to get an understanding of what are the social research career options, i.e. different types of organisations, different types and different level of jobs, and the skills that these require. This will focus your career thinking and help you develop of a strategy being successful.

Dr. Stephanie Aston is Senior Research and Evaluation Manager at Samaritans

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
For most of my childhood I wanted to be a veterinary nurse and used to read books on animals and birds. When I did my work experience at my local vets I soon realised it wasn’t a career I could pursue. Every time there was ever anything slightly gory or any sight of blood I felt faint!

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
When I studied a degree in Social Policy at the University of Plymouth, I knew I wanted to do something that helped improves the lives of people, especially disadvantaged groups, but I’d never considered social research. In my final year I decided to do my dissertation on students in higher education, and I enjoyed it so much that I knew social research was the career for me. That’s when I caught the ‘research bug’, and stayed at the university to do a Masters in Social Research.

What was your first professional job?  And first project there?
My first professional job was as a research consultant at the University of Wolverhampton where I completed my PhD in Education. I carried out a study that explored the educational needs of young offenders in a young offender’s prison. While in prison, they completed a test that helped them focus on their skills and interests so that prison staff could help them develop these skills for future employment. I regularly visited the prison and carried out in-depth life history interviews with the young offenders. I really enjoyed working with the young people, and it was a fascinating project to do.

Where did your career go next?  What motivated that/those moves?
My passion was applied research - I always wanted any research I carried out to have some impact on improving peoples’ lives. So, I decided to enter the charity sector. I worked at a young people’s charity and carried out projects that explored parenting teenagers and young people in foster care. I then joined Samaritans where the research team helps the charity better understand evidence around suicide and emotional wellbeing and develop evidence-based services to provide the best services we can for callers. We also contribute to the wider suicide prevention field through policy and practice and we link as much of our work to research evidence as possible.

What has been your best professional moment?
Besides completing my PhD, my proudest moment was recently completing Samaritans caller outcomes feasibility study with my colleague, Dr Carlie Goldsmith. We proved that we can collect impact data from callers on our helpline without increasing callers distress levels. This was a challenging project to undertake but the findings will change how we collect data from our callers and evaluate Samaritans services in the future.

...and worst?
Many years ago I carried out face-to-face interviews with people in their own homes, and two always stand out in my mind! One had a cat that repeatedly walked across my interview topic guide and the recording equipment. The other shared her home with birds, and they flew around us constantly during the interview. I had to keep ducking to avoid them hitting me!

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
I don’t have one specific person, but I am always inspired by researchers who want to improve social and health inequalities. It’s important to keep evidencing the impact inequality has on peoples’ lives, and work towards changing that. It’s a difficult thing to achieve but we must keep trying.

Do you have a favourite quote?
There is a quote that applies to everyday life, social research and the charity sector!

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’ (Martin Luther King)

What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?Stay true to yourself, and what your passion is. Think about the difference you want your research to make and for whom. When possible, do the parts of the research process you enjoy the most, for example do you prefer engrossing yourself in literature and data, or do you love being out and about meeting people and collecting the data = what gives you the buzz! Once you know these things, you will hopefully enjoy a career in social research!

Paul Chaney, is a Professor of Policy and Politics at Cardiff University

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
Untroubled by my lack of musical ability and football skills (childhood innocence, or, more likely plain foolishness I guess), I fervently wanted to be a footballer (Norwich City FC - if you’re asking) and a rock star (if you’re wondering - we’re talking Sex Pistols, Skids, The Motors, and The Damned) - possibly both. I’m a bit embarrassed about this today.

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
I did my undergraduate degree at what was then Saint David’s University College, Lampeter, (Llanbedr- Pont- Steffan), Wales. My tutors included Nigel Thrift and Paul Cloke. It was an inspirational setting to learn from such leading academics. In my final year, there were some bursaries to do a PhD.  I was inclined to apply but, other considerations prevailed and I did not. Later, following a PGCE at Oxford University and a couple of years college teaching in a Romania recently liberated from the tyranny of Ceausescu I saw an advert for a Leicester University PhD scholarship based at Nene College, Northampton. With the expert guidance of my supervisors Dr Ken Sherwood and Prof Gareth Lewis I researched the social change implications of the ‘Right to Buy’ in the 1980 Housing Act. Introduced by the first Thatcher government it gave tenants the legal right to purchase their homes from the state and its implications were, and are, profound.

What was your first professional job?  And first project there?
My first professional research job was as a research associate at Cardiff University in a project led by Professor Ralph Fevre. This study was a critical exploration of the early years of devolution in Wales. The political rhetoric associated with devolution was one advancing the idea of ‘inclusiveness’ - in other words, reaching out to hitherto marginalised groups in the pursuit of a ‘new politics’. This empirical study examined the subsequent institutional and policy developments and I loved it.

Where did your career go next?  What motivated that/those moves?
When the Cardiff project came to an end I was encouraged to apply for a Welsh-medium lectureship at Aberystwyth University. I was extremely fortunate to get the post working with Professor Richard Wyn Jones at the Institute of Welsh Politics. In terms of motivations to apply for the post it was a combination of factors; the previous project had finished, I am, committed to researching devolution/ the pursuit of self-government for Wales (and other, so-called, ‘stateless nations’), and I welcomed the opportunity to work with Richard and colleagues in Aberystwyth, a friendly, engaging and talented group of people.

What has been your best professional moment?
Getting the Research Associate’s post in Cardiff with Ralph Fevre - it opened my eyes to the importance of critical policy studies. I subsequently returned to Cardiff and have been very happy here.

...and worst?
I can’t pick one but I’ve heard it argued that in recent years UK higher education has seen the undermining of academic professionalism as a result of the rise of New Public Management techniques and the commercialisation of academia. I think this has led to some ‘less than good’ experiences in the careers of some contemporary academics.

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
Two - amongst many - come to mind: Iris Marion Young and Gwynalf Williams https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/obituary-gwyn-a-williams-1582475.html

Do you have a favourite quote?
Yes - “Dyfal donc a dyrr y garreg” - it’s Welsh, broadly, it translates as “Perseverance brings success”

What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?
Stick at it. Prejudice (still, alas) lurks around some corners in academia (look at the under-representation of women in senior HE posts for example). If you think you can deliver excellence in a social research career, don’t be put off if you get knocked back - keep applying for posts and producing publications / delivering outputs that opponents cannot dismiss, that will show them and open doors: Dyfal donc a dyrr y garreg.

Tom Anderson is Head of Research and Statistics at Qualifications Wales, the regulator of non-degree qualifications in Wales.

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I believe the usual candidates came up, including professional footballer (delusional) and astronaut (also delusional, not least because I hate heights!). I did go through a spell of wanting to be a Maths teacher, which was more realistic but still not realised!

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
I cannot remember ever having a clear view of what career I wanted. After I finished my Masters in Sociology in 2002 I was somewhat at a loss. The experience of chain smoking my way through my dissertation had put me off a Phd and academia. I spent some time working as a teaching assistant and then in market research. I realised then that a career in social research outside of academia was possible and an option that I might be suited to. Well, it’s just applied Sociology after all.

What was your first professional job?  And first project there?
I worked on the target group index at BMRB International.

Where did your career go next?  What motivated that/those moves?
I joined the National Centre for Social Research as a Research Officer in 2003. After Natcen, I joined the ONS as a Senior Research Officer in 2007. It was at the time when ONS were locating jobs outside of London. My future wife and I had become disillusioned with commuting into London and of ever being able to afford a house there (yes – even in 2007!) and we fancied a move West. I haven’t regretted it – although I do miss the social life around working in London! In 2016, I made another change and moved into Qualifications Wales to work in regulating qualifications. Qualifications Wales had just been set up and I wanted to develop the new research and statistics function. After 13 years of national surveys, I wanted to get experience of working in a different but similar field of research. There are a lot of parallels between estimating population parameters via survey questions and measuring educational outcomes via test questions!

What has been your best professional moment?
Joint first place for a) publishing the national statistics from the 2013 Children’s Dental Health Survey, which I had run from tender to output stage, and b) seeing educational policy in Wales change to disincentivise wholesale early entry into GCSE. That decision was informed by some qualitative research delivered by my team.

...and worst?
There have been a few moments. Everyone has made a few mistakes over the years…

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
Not really. Although since starting work in education and seeing the impact on behaviour of high stakes performance measurement, I have felt an increasing respect for Max Weber’s work on rationality.

Do you have a favourite quote?
Recently I have found myself returning to a piece of writing from Charles Sanders Peirce on probability (in ‘The Doctrine of Chances’). Peirce was trying to understand how to reconcile the frequentist interpretation of probability with a single case in which the outcome of an incorrect decision is catastrophic:

“It seems to me that we are driven to this, that logicality inexorably requires that our interests shall not be limited. They must not stop at our own fate, but must embrace the whole community. This community, again, must not be limited, but must extend to all races of beings with whom we can come into immediate or mediate intellectual relation. It must reach, however vaguely, beyond this geological epoch, beyond all bounds. He who would not sacrifice his own soul to save the whole world, is, as it seems to me, illogical in all his inferences, collectively. Logic is rooted in the social principle.”

Perhaps the sentiment expressed in this quote is increasingly moving to me in the current political context!

What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?
I would always encourage their interest. We are fortunate to be able to have such intellectually stimulating ways to earn a living! But I would also encourage them to try different paths through their career. It keeps you sharp and helps build broader knowledge and skills. And given that we’re all be working into our 70s, we might as well move around a bit!

Suzanne Pritchard is one of three directors who own and manage Strategic Research and Insight, a Cardiff-based independent research and evaluation agency.

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I had no clue what I wanted to be growing up, but whatever I was thinking, it didn’t involve being a researcher!  It’s not that surprising I’ve ended up here though - many people I know have come into research by what seems to be happenstance.

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
The idea first occurred to me when I was doing an economic development Masters at Cardiff University. We covered such a wide range of research in different sectors that I realised there were so many directions I could take to work in this field. I was really interested in the different areas of work and how they interlink. The idea of doing a job that could help support positive change has always been something I find both motivating and rewarding.

What was your first professional job?  And first project there?
After my Masters I worked for the Welsh Development Agency on a project which supported the garment and textiles sector.  This was great for me as I’d just done my dissertation comparing the economic support networks for the sector in Wales and Italy. My first project was to carry out desk research to identify businesses in the area which was then used to provide support through the programme.

Where did your career go next?  What motivated that/those moves?
After that, I went to Strategic Marketing as a researcher. The company had a number of divisions, including research but also ran events and marketing projects at that time. I worked mainly on quantitative B2B surveys and skills surveys in this role initially, but the company has evolved dramatically since then. I’ve been at Strategic since then and it’s been very exciting to be involved in the development of the company. In 2011, we undertook a management buyout taking us in a new direction which lead to our rebrand as Strategic Research and Insight in 2016. I’ve enjoyed having the chance to steer the company along with my co-directors.  We do such a variety of work for a wide range of clients throughout the UK and Ireland; I still love the variety this work brings and the chance to work in partnership with our clients.

What has been your best professional moment?
There’s no single moment which I would say is the best, I still get a buzz when clients take the work we’ve done and really use it to take their projects, programmes or organisations to the next stage.

...and worst?
Undertaking a management buyout during the recession in 2011 was challenging to say the least.  They were very tough times on many levels and we had to make some very difficult decisions, but we found our way through. I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved as a team since then. 2018 has been a great year for us and we’ve just expanded our team so we’re really excited about what the future will bring.

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
Not really. I take inspiration from the speakers I hear at events and conferences. There are always some real nuggets that give you a new way of thinking about things.

Do you have a favourite quote?
I like ‘Research is creating new knowledge’ by Neil Armstrong, US Astronaut. It’s simple but says something about the power that research has to inform and equip.

What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?
Be curious, be respectful of your participants and really take time to understand what your client really needs - which may not always be what they think at first!

Kieran O’Leary is Director of Ipsos MRBI in Dublin. He is also a SRA trustee

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
My earliest memory was my fascination with airports, and wanting to be a customs officer (some parallels perhaps with the curiosity of a researcher!). But I went to Dublin City University for a BA in Communication Studies, expecting to come out the far side as a TV Director.

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
After realising that a career in TV was not for me, I took a module on research methodologies in my final year as an undergraduate, become fully immersed in primary data collection for my undergraduate thesis, and went on to do a Masters in Applied Social Research at Trinity College Dublin. It was all heading in one direction after that.

What was your first professional job?  And first project there?
My first job in research was actually working in the research team in a telecoms company managing their customer satisfaction study.

Where did your career go next?  What motivated that/those moves?
Shortly after that I jumped over to agency-side and developed my research skills working on a large syndicated personal finance tracking study in the UK. After that it was back to Ireland working for a smaller agency where I became a jack-of-all trades that allowed me to progress more into social research.

What has been your best professional moment?
Very recently I worked on the exit poll for the referendum on removing restrictions on abortion from the Irish constitution. We published the result immediately when the polls closed at 10pm (publishing this quickly had never previously been achieved for an Irish exit poll). The magnitude of the vote in favour was somewhat surprising, but was proven to be accurate when the official referendum result was finalised the following day. It was very pleasing to demonstrate the accuracy of good research and a wonderful impact for our client too - the article with the results of the exit poll was read one million times, making it the most-read story in the 150-year history of The Irish Times

...and worst?
Are we really expected to share this in a public forum?

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
The founder of MRBI in Ireland (now Ipsos), Jack Jones, was a trailblazer in research in Ireland. As a former army captain he brought military rigour to how research should be conducted.

Do you have a favourite quote?
"I dtír na ndall, is rí é fear na leathshúile". This translates from Irish as In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king. I think it represents well the privilege of working in research, while also serving as a reminder that we don’t always see the full picture (Side note: I was always of the understanding that this was an Irish proverb that achieved global reach and only recently found out that it actually has its roots in ancient Greece!)

What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?
If you want to work in an area that gives you a unique understanding of why people do what they do, then come talk to us!

Emily Sumner is Senior Social Researcher at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
Probably a job that allowed me to spend my day with dogs, whether it be grooming, training or dog walking…

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
I’ve always been interested in behaviour, from my very first psychology class, learning about a number of infamous experiments (e.g. Milgram’s controversial experiment on conformity). I went on to study Experimental Psychology, at the University of Bristol; after graduating I knew what my interests were, but I didn’t know what that would ‘look like’ as a career. I decided there were three things I wanted; (1) a job that I’m genuinely interested in and passionate about, (2) a job that challenged me, helped me develop research skills and gave me the space to progress and (3) being able to produce research that has real world impacts, to better society. Social research seemed like a good way to apply my interests in behaviour, and achieve these three aims.

What was your first professional job?  And first project there?
After leaving Bristol, I was unsure of what career path to follow, or whether to stay on a do a master’s degree. I started by volunteering as a Research Assistant at the University of Birmingham on a few research projects, ranging from testing cognition in older people, to researching the role of social norms in influencing healthy eating. I secured a job in the Psychology department working on a randomised control trial testing the efficacy of using assistive technology to rehabilitate stroke patients. I really enjoyed this role, and learnt so much about implementing a complex project, and working with vulnerable participants.

Where did your career go next?  What motivated that/those moves?
My contract was coming to an end, so I was looking for the next challenge. It was by chance that an email about Government Social Research’s turned up in my inbox. After reading the job description, it seemed to fit all of my career criteria perfectly, and I was keen to know more. I eventually secured a job working as a social researcher in the former Department for Energy and & Climate Change. Two years, and a promotion later, I’m working as an evaluation advisor, assessing the impact and delivery of policies aiming to reduce energy use and carbon emissions in businesses.

 What has been your best professional moment?
Being still quite early in my career, I’m still waiting for my moment of glory (and probably moment of shame also…). However, I do really enjoy showcasing the research we do at BEIS, whether it’s at internal seminars, or conferences and away days to other research institutes. We try to implement new and innovative methods of analysing complex policy areas, which always makes for a good presentation.

...and worst?
A moment of embarrassment was probably at a demonstration event, where I was showcasing the technology we had developed for rehabilitating stroke patients. However the technology had decided to spontaneously crash, making it very difficult to promote how good it was!

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
There are many social researchers that have inspired and peaked my interest. One of the more unexpected ones – who may not fit the category of ‘social researcher’ - is Darren Brown. He doesn’t claim to be a magician, but instead researches how the mind works, and uses his knowledge of how the mind works to manipulate people’s behaviour. Not as easily done for policy delivery…

 What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?
Having been there not that long ago, consider what career path to go down is a very daunting situation. I thought long and hard about what I really liked from my degree, what my interests were, and what I could see myself doing every day. I can honestly say a career in social research is diverse, relevant and challenging on a daily basis. I always find people asking me to tell them more when I tell them what I do for a living.

Dr Cath Dillon is an Independent Researcher and Co-Chair of SRA North & Midlands

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
It changed over time (nurse, doctor, dancer, writer).  Growing up, many of my family worked for the public sector and there was an expectation to be useful and contribute to society. However, I still harbour secret ambitions to be an acrobat or artist.

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
Every careers questionnaire I have ever tried has recommended that I should be a researcher or teacher, and this is exactly what I have done over time in different guises, no matter my attempts to escape.  I started to read psychology texts as a teenager, and though I studied and worked in the field of experimental psychology for a number of years I was drawn more to applied rather than theoretical work  - and so I found myself working on projects what would be classed more as social research than psychology.

What was your first professional job?  And first project there?
After I graduated I was lucky to work for my third year dissertation supervisor (Prof. John Morton) at the MRC Cognitive Development unit at University College London until the Unit closed on his retirement.  I worked across the memory research team setting up and running experiments on event memory, mainly with nursery age children in early years settings across London.

Where did your career go next?  What motivated that/those moves?
Although I was looking for further employment, the feedback I received was that I should apply for a PhD, which I hadn’t previously considered. I fell in with a new research team at Goldsmiths College who were funded by the then ‘Future Media’ research group at the Independent Television Commission. I received funding from the ITC to conduct doctoral research into ‘Emotional Responses to Immersive Media’. The team later became ‘i2 media research ltd.’ and I worked with them on a number of projects, such as a national survey of family’s use of the internet and safety tools.

What has been your best professional moment?
Every time I deliver a report that provides an organisation with much needed evidence and insight, and especially if this can influence practice or policy. I enjoy research as a problem solving activity, gathering the evidence to help organisations develop and make decisions.

However, I was also surprised and a bit pleased to be the only social scientist presenting at the International Council of Museums (Collections Care) Triennial Conference in 2017!

...and worst?
I was senior researcher at a children’s charity for a number of years, working intensively on a series of consultations that built the evidence base to change the way they delivered services to families. Unfortunately, the final consultation coincided with the last recession and the research team, along with a number of other services, were cut.  This felt a little like we had researched ourselves out of jobs. However, if this hadn’t happened I might not have been bold enough to follow my interests, do voluntary work, get involved with local organisations, work independently and then transfer my knowledge of psychology and social research to heritage projects

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
It is right that academic references are non-gendered, but it perhaps masked to me the influence of women in early social science, and I remember being delighted to find that many familiar names from cognitive science were female e.g. Deutsch, Treisman, Gibson.

Do you have a favourite quote?
This is very cheesy and from a birthday card, but ‘Think big thoughts, relish small pleasures’ sums me up.  Alternatively, I enjoy public speaking and presenting, but still have to regularly say to myself ‘Stop, Breathe and Think’.

What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?
All types of organisation need research skills in some way, whether survey design, data management and analysis, user consultations or evaluations. Research training gives you a grounding in how to meet those needs in a robust, methodical and ethical way. If you find yourself forging an independent path it will be highly likely that there is an organisation in your locality who will be pleased to see you and relieved that you can take a research weight off their shoulder. You just have to find them, and regular networking really works.