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As my research method was conversational, the data i have collected is in the form of voice recorded interviews. These interviews were conducted with consent, promised anonymity, and I agreed not to share transcripts of these conversation.It is important for me to respect the confidentiality of the participants. However, I will still provide some examples of qualitative data without violating their privacy.

1. I will ensure that the information I share is generalised and de-identified. I will avoid using real names, specific institutions, or any other details that could potentially identify the participants.
2. When I need to provide direct quotes, I will assign pseudonyms and generic labels to participants (e.g., Student A, Student B). This still allows me to share specific participant perspectives, without compromising the agreement.
3. When presenting my findings, I will combine and summarise responses to present an overall picture, providing a summary of common themes or patterns that emerged from the interviews. From this I will be able to focus on the broader themes and trends that emerged from the interviews, discussing the qualitative data without sharing specific details about individual participants.

Here is the proposed script for my research presenation.

In an ideal world, i would just hand out the books and allow 10 minutes for the group to read through as i hate hate hate public speaking, especially in a presentation format.
I am fine teaching, and delivering workshops, but public speaking in the sense of presenting facts or information really spooks me.

Here is my (hopeful) script which will be spoken aloud as the group read through the books.

“Hello, everyone. Today, I am excited to share insights from my research journey exploring a critical issue—bridging the gap between students’ academic work and their professional journey in Book Arts post-graduation. My name is Tilly, and my role as a technician at LCC in the Book Arts workshop sparked my interest in this area.

Identifying the Research Problem
This research emerged from a critical observation—talented students creating exceptional work during their studies, yet facing significant challenges transitioning into the professional realm of Book Arts. Financial constraints often prevent them from showcasing their work professionally and establishing a career post-graduation.

The Research Journey
Conducting this research presented multifaceted challenges. Time constraints due to teaching commitments and engaging participants within a limited timeframe impacted the depth of exploration. However, despite these challenges, the research process was enlightening and provided valuable insights.
I opted for informal conversations, and later used conversational analysis when going over the transcripts. I decided on more informal setting as i wanted to make a safe space for students with discomfort around the subjects covered. I was aware of my positionally as a person of authority, both at college, and in the industry they aspire to be a part of, and was conscious not to create an atmosphere of inadequacy or that had any possibility of holding negative feelings, as this is the very disparity I am aiming to diffuse.

Key Research Findings
The research highlighted prevalent issues faced by students—feeling ill-equipped and unsupported in developing connections outside before leaving university. Their discomfort in this transition phase underscores a critical need for enhanced support mechanisms and resources. Staff at both UAL and external institutions expressed an understanding of similar issues- the distinction between ‘student work’ and ‘professional work’ seems much too separate, and reinforces this hierarchy that students feel, and put between themselves and the professional world

Proposing Solutions from Research Insights
My research led me potential solutions, emphasising an event-centric approach such as a publicly open Book Fair, with established publishers selling work alongside students and alumni. These events could offer essential networking, exposure, and resources to bridge the gap between academia and the professional world for students and alumni working in Book Arts.

Acknowledging Limitations
The research process was not without it’s limitations. Challenges in participant engagement due to time constraints, as well as existing relationships potentially influencing the sincerity of responses. However, these limitations highlighted areas for future improvement and fine-tuning of research methodologies.

Conclusion
In conclusion, this research journey has uncovered crucial insights into the challenges students face transitioning into the professional realm and establishing themselves in Book Arts. The envisioned Book Fair holds promise as a platform for fostering collaboration and professional growth, although it’s realisation extends beyond the research project’s timeframe.

The findings underscore the crucial role of robust support mechanisms, with the proposed book fair emerging as a potentially valuable tool. It is important to refine these support mechanisms, ensuring both inclusivity and efficacy in facilitating students’ transitions.

I do hope to continue after the PgCert, and have the fair materialise, as there is a clear benefit and demand from students, who would gain much towards their professional development

My research delved into the labyrinth of graduation transitions, and the inequity students face between graduation and feeling accepted in the professional world of being a Book Artist. The predominant sentiment that was discussed among students was a feeling of being ill-prepared and lacking support in navigating their career paths post-graduation. This obvious discomfort and perceived inadequacy during the transition phase pointed to a crucial area in need of immediate attention and enhancement.

During the research interviews, a feeling of anticipation and enthusiasm surfaced among students and alumni alike upon the introduction of a proposed Book Fair at LCC. This hypothetical event would hope to blend the financial ease of university supported activity with the professional context and environment. For students, this offers a midway platform between academia and the professional world. On the flip side, alumni expressed excitement about reconnecting annually, fostering connections not only with industry professionals but also with fellow returning alumni and current students, hoping for potential collaborations.

However, when discussing this with staff members, the predominant feeling was of regret over the inadequacies in student support. Despite efforts to bridge this gap, these attempts seem to fall short of the students expectations. Staff members agreed with the potential benefits of a book fair, emphasising how the level playing field between professionals and students, could particularly benefit those with lower confidence levels. Additionally, the staff unanimously agreed that offering an industry-standard event for free could significantly enhance accessibility and student participation.

While the research showed crucial transition challenges and aims to build bridges between academia and professional domains, it also highlighted a large, hidden gap between intention and execution, specifically regarding student support systems. This begs for a deeper focus on resources and support mechanisms to ensure a smoother transition for students.

Who is to say that the Book Fair wouldn’t also fall short of student hopes and expectations? How could it then be improved and offer further support? Would LCC need then to provide a bespoke fair-style situation for every course offered at the college?

The research journey was not without its limitations. Time constraints due to parallel teaching commitments compromised the depth of engagement towards the end of the term. Recruitment challenges arose from attempting to secure consistent participants within a short timeframe, hindering in-depth exploration.

Conversational analysis revealed disruptions like participants’ over-talking, tangents, and short, unelaborated responses, affecting data transcription and depth of insight.
I was also aware of my position as a researcher, and that my intentional immersion in this social and educational research, as well as my positionality as a professional discussing with students, could introduce biases, or provoke insincere of inflated answers from some students.

I was concerned with the honestly of some answers, as responses might have aimed to impress or align with my expectations, influenced by the existing teacher-student bond established during the students’ time working in the Book Arts workshop.

While the research illuminated critical areas and proposed what seems to be a viable, or attractive solution, it calls for constant reevaluation and fine-tuning, with a larger focus on the support systems offered to students, ensuring inclusivity for seamless transitions into the professional world.
Though the proposed Book Fairs potential to foster collaboration appeals to both students and alumni and signifies a valuable initiative, the challenge lies in ensuring it is not only financially comfortable but also inclusive and conducive to genuine learning and professional growth.

The reality of the timeline for actually putting on a book fair, especially one that the students and university can be proud of hosting, and that would attract the industry professionals integral to the research and egalitarian environment, is that it is a very long process. Even with immediate university funding and an open calendar, it would take about a year to organise and so my research deadline ends with the initial interviews.

I do however hope to continue after the PgCert, and have the fair materialize.
My next steps in the research project, and the action part of this ARP would be:

Planning the Book Fair
   – Identify a committee or team responsible for organising the event, including staff and interested students.
   – Establish clear objectives and goals for the Book Fair, such as providing a platform for students to exhibit and sell their work, networking opportunities, or gaining feedback from industry professionals.
– Determine the logistics, including the venue, date, duration, theme (if any), promotion strategy, participant registration process, and any other necessary resources.

First Round of Interviews and Feedback
– Conduct interviews or surveys with students to understand their expectations, needs, and preferences for the Book Fair to help tailor the event to better serve their interests.
– Gather insights from professionals or alumni about their experiences with similar events and what they believe would be beneficial for students.

Executing the First Book Fair
– Host the Book Fair, providing students with space to exhibit and sell their work. Include opportunities for networking, workshops, panel discussions, and presentations.
– Host professionals, and encourage industry experts, and peers to engage with the showcased work and provide constructive feedback.

Second Round of Interviews and Feedback
– After the Book Fair, conduct another series of interviews or surveys with participants (students, professionals, staff) to assess their experiences. Evaluate what worked well and areas that could be improved.
– Gather feedback on the impact of the event on students’ professional transition, confidence, skill development, and networking opportunities.

Organising a Second Book Fair
– Use the insights gathered from feedback to improve the next Book Fair. Implement changes or enhancements based on the suggestions received.
– Provide another opportunity for students to exhibit and sell their work, potentially expanding the event based on the lessons learned from the first edition.

Continued Evaluation and Improvement
– Keep the cycle of feedback and improvement ongoing. Regularly assess the effectiveness of the Book Fair in meeting its goals.
– Consider incorporating new elements, diversifying participation, or partnering with other institutions to enhance the event’s impact and reach.
– Continuously adapt and refine the Book Fair based on feedback, emerging trends, and the evolving needs of students and the creative community.

Consent form for ARP

List of Questions sent out to participants in advance of Interview

My research method as discussed in the last blog post is qualitative Conversational Analysis.
I cannot post any raw data due to anonymity, as my interviews are all recorded voice files.
I can however, share my questions, and selected quotes from the interviews that informed my project.

Student Questions
-How do you perceive the difference between creating work as a student and preparing it for publication and sale in the professional arena? What are the major challenges you anticipate in this transition?

-In your experience, what kind of support or resources do you believe would be most beneficial to students in navigating the shift from creating student work to publishing and selling their creations?

-How do you think a Book Fair specifically tailored for LCC students—offering a free platform to exhibit and sell their work—would impact your aspirations and development as a budding creator? What opportunities or challenges do you foresee with such an event?

-Considering the academic calendar and workload, which time of the school year do you believe would be most feasible for students to participate in a Book Fair? How might this timing align with your coursework, maintaining grades, and other commitments towards your degree?

-Reflecting on your own experiences or those of your peers, what specific support mechanisms or guidance do you believe the college could implement to assist students in effectively managing both their academic workload and the preparation of their work for potential publication or sale?

-How do you think participating in events like a Book Fair could impact the overall learning experience and professional development of students within the creative fields? What skills or insights do you anticipate gaining from such opportunities?

-In your opinion, what types of workshops, mentorship programs, or additional educational initiatives could enhance students’ abilities to transition from the academic setting to the professional world of publishing and selling their creative work?

“Exposure to the professional world would help build confidence. Live briefs don’t actually feel like a real connection.”

“Shows feel like more of an advert for uni’s rather than it being about selling work, or making connections with professionals. And the degree show is more of a celebration with friends and family.”

“There feels like a heirarchy between students and professionals”

Alumni Questions
-Reflecting on your transition from graduation to selling your creative work while managing livelihood demands, what were the most significant challenges you faced? How did you navigate these challenges, and what strategies or support systems did you find helpful during this transition period?

-Looking back at your time as a student, what do you think could have better prepared you or your peers for the transition to selling your work and sustaining a living post-graduation? Were there specific resources, mentorship opportunities, or skills you wished you had acquired during your academic years?

-Considering your experiences, do you believe that a Book Fair held at LCC, providing a platform for students to exhibit and sell their work, would have been beneficial in your journey post-graduation? How might such an event have impacted your early career development?

-From your current standpoint as an alum, do you think participating in a Book Fair at LCC, specifically designed for alumni to exhibit and sell their work, would be advantageous? How might such an event support your ongoing professional pursuits or contribute to your career growth at this stage?

-As someone who has navigated the challenges of transitioning from academia to a professional career, what advice or insights would you offer to current students preparing to graduate and enter the professional realm within your field?

-Reflecting on your own journey, what kind of ongoing support or networking opportunities do you think alumni would benefit from to continue thriving in their creative careers, especially within the context of a university community like LCC?

-How do you think events like a Book Fair, both for students and alumni, could foster a sense of community and collaboration among past and present creatives associated with LCC? What potential collaborations or connections do you envision arising from such events?

“Getting work after graduation is impossible! There’s so many graduates and so little jobs. It’s been really hard.”

“Lecturers should be honest and not say “There’s so much work out there” because  it’s not true! We did have portfolio reviews with external people, but it was halfway through our FMP (final major project) so we weren’t really focussing on it. Either do it before or after the deadlines are taken care of.”

“ I would rather be contacted by a person I remember, rather than a call-out from the uni. To be honest if I get a uni email, I just delete them without reading”

Staff Questions
-In your experience, how have students from your institution perceived and experienced Book Fairs as a platform for their professional transition? Have you noticed any particular ways in which participation in such events has positively affected their transition into the professional world?

-Could you describe how Book Fairs were typically set up or organised at your institution? What were the key components or strategies that contributed to making these events successful for students and beneficial for their professional development?

-Regarding the feedback received from invited professionals or peers who interacted with student work during Book Fairs, what were the notable observations or comments made about the showcased creations? How did these comments or evaluations impact the students’ confidence or future endeavours?

-Have you witnessed any discernible improvements in student work, skills proficiency, or confidence levels following their participation in Book Fairs or similar professional showcasing events? If so, could you elaborate on the specific areas where students seemed to make strides or show growth?

-From your perspective, what are the key elements or practices that contribute to making a Book Fair or similar exhibitions impactful for students in terms of enhancing their skills, confidence, and readiness for the professional arena?

-Based on your institution’s experience with these events, how do you think participation in Book Fairs or similar showcases contributes to the holistic development of students, beyond just their technical or creative abilities?

-Have there been any notable success stories or instances where student participation in Book Fairs led to significant opportunities or career advancements for them? How have these instances shaped your institution’s approach to fostering professional opportunities for students?

“Students find the transition difficult. They leave and don’t have access to equipment anymore.”

“Industry contacts are given out, but they are too nervous to reach out, they have a feeling of inadequecy.”

“It would be good if they had an understanding of how to set up their own shows or exhibitions, to invite industry to”

“We set up a faux interview system, or live briefs, but the status and heirarchy still exists. I think there’s is alot of intimidation”

“They felt more confident in interview settings, but not in terms of contacting them [professionals] as collaborators, or equals.”

“The difference between ‘good’ work and ‘bad’ work is just  preference, which could lead to bad feelings in the students who arent picked”

“Selling thier work alongside professionals would be good- being in a respected professional environment made the students feel part of something”

“As a member of the public, the playing feild is totally even- you cant tell who is student and who is an established publisher”

“Feedback from those that did take part, they met loads of people, and felt like equals. Even if they didn’t make money, it worked for them”

“A fair taking place at the same time as another large fair pulls those that wouldn’t come otherwise, but as they are close anyway they do. I don’t want the professionals to have to choose between fairs, as they would choose the more established fair”

1.Ethics form
2.Draft activity plan/brief
3.Identify interview participants colleagues/student/alumni
4.Interview participants
5.Define/refine event with information from interviews (Book Fair)
6.Plan event using information from interviews
7.Prepare participants secondary interview questions (post event)
Prepare interview for new participants (who will take part in the event)
8.Run event (Book Fair)
9.Interview participants post book fair
10.Reflect on session
11.Debrief with observers / colleagues / Students who attended the Book Fair
12.Collate feedback
13.Plan next steps
14.Presentation book for assessment

This changed MASSIVELY as the timeline for actually putting on a book fair, especially one that the students and university can be proud of hosting, and that would attract the industry professionals integral to the research and egalitarian environment, is LONGGGGG

So my list became more like this

1.Ethics form
2.Draft activity plan/brief
3.Identify interview participants colleagues/student/alumni
4.Interview participants
5.Define/refine event with information from interviews (Book Fair)
6.Plan event using information from interviews
7.Prepare participants secondary interview questions (post event)
Prepare interview for new participants (who will take part in the event)
8.Run event (Book Fair)
9.Interview participants post book fair
10.Reflect on session
11.Debrief with observers / colleagues / Students who attended the Book Fair
12.Collate feedback
13.Plan next steps
14.Presentation book for assessment

When it comes to doing research, I find informal chats or casual conversations are my most comfortable arena. I find the tangents that naturally come up can be really oinformative, and find the more organic flow of a conversation helps the person being questioned feel more comfortable, and on control of what information they want to share. This is only from my personal experience and opinion, but I have always felt more comfortable discussing difficult topics in a conversational way, rather than a strict question and answer format.

This research method is called Qualitative Research. Informal conversations or unstructured interviews with participants. Qualitative research all about open-ended discussions, where the researcher and the participants just chat it out. This way, they can dive into topics, experiences, and how people see things without sticking to a strict set of questions.

Even though we call it informal, there still needs to be a bit of structure. To give the discussion some kind of direction, I need to focus on what exactly I want to ask. My plan was to send out some general points about what I wanted to talk about. This gave the participants a heads-up so they could decide if they were up for a chat and maybe even prepare a bit beforehand.

I really enjoyed the more casual conversations and felt it worked for me and my topic of discussion.The conversations were flexible, and as the topic of personal support and professional development via a book fair is quite niche, i was able to gain deep insights by just having a natural, relaxed chat with the participants. we were able to discuss personal experiences, unique perspectives, and meanings that might not have come up in a more structured, or formal setup of email survey, or secondary data.

As Koro-Ljungberg (2016) pointed out in THIS article, different projects and research plans need different approaches. Sometimes, the data leads researchers down unexpected paths. So, even though you plan your research method, sometimes you’ve got to be open to taking detours and exploring new spaces to get what you need.

After each conversation, I used something called Conversational Analysis (CA) to dissect all that was discussed.

Conversational Analysis is a sophisticated method used to delve deeply into the intricacies of communication within conversations. It focuses on dissecting various elements, such as the specific words used, the timing of pauses, shifts in tone, instances of interruptions, and other subtle nuances that construct and convey meaning during social interactions. The goal is to comprehend how individuals convey and interpret messages through their communication. I feel a natural tendency toward this and so I was confident to employ CA as my main method.

However, Conversational Analysis does have its challenges. One significant issue is the necessity to address and confront personal biases. Acknowledging and managing one’s own predispositions is important to maintain the integrity and reliability of the any findings. Allowing biases to influence the analysis can potentially skew the outcomes, undermining the credibility and validity of the entire research project. A meticulous and conscious effort to mitigating biases is needed to ensure the research remains impartial and credible

I read papers by Emanuel A. Schegloff and Gail Jefferson, Charles Goodwin and John Heritage. Each of them discussed how Conversational Analysis tries to unpack the social rules and conventions that make conversation flow smoothly. Illuminating an invisible structure that shows how we communicate with one another.

This felt really essential to my research, specifically with my belief that certain events, like a book fair, can create a level playing field between students and industry professionals. These events give students the chance work alongside professionals as equals, creating this cool space where connections just naturally click.