January 12, 2017, by Macarena Orchard
Introducing The Enquire Blog
Welcome to the newly-established Enquire Blog, a place for postgraduate social science researchers to share ideas, research findings and reflections. This first post, written collectively by the first editorial team (Macarena Orchard, James Pattison, Emmanuele Lazzara and Ed Wright) explains what Enquire is, how the organisation started and where it is heading, starting in 2017.
We are excited to announce the foundation of The Enquire Blog: an open and inclusive platform primarily for postgraduate social researchers to share their research, theoretical or methodological reflections with the world. This venture marks a new stage in the history of Enquire, and through it we hope to continue to support and encourage postgraduate researchers in the sociological community. Whilst the blog is new for 2017, postgraduate researchers in The School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham have been organising research-based endeavours under the Enquire moniker since 2008. We would therefore like to take this moment to give you the potted history and rationale of Enquire, not least as a way of explaining from where and why the blog has emerged.
Enquire was established in 2008 as a conference and peer-reviewed postgraduate journal, both run by postgraduate researchers in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at The University of Nottingham. These ventures were undertaken in order to provide a platform for fledgling social science academics to present and disseminate their highly important research, in a friendly and constructive environment.
The Enquire Annual Conference continues to grow each year, in particular giving first-time presenters the opportunity to deliver research papers in a supportive environment. We have hosted eight successful conferences so far, and we are currently planning the ninth. Previous conference themes have included: Power, Interdisciplinarity, Methodology, Normality, and Identity. The 9th Annual Enquire Conference takes place on 25th February 2017, the theme of which is Social Inequalities. We are delighted to have accepted 20 papers from postgraduate researchers from various institutions, as well as hosting three excellent keynote speakers: Tracey Warren, Tracy Shildrick and Anoop Nayak. Whilst are interested in all kinds of topics, we welcome in particular blog submissions related to our conference theme. We are very excited about this conference, and we would really like to start reflecting on the many pressing issues of inequalities in this blog.
The Enquire Journal was established with postgraduate researchers in mind, and likewise managed and edited by postgraduate researchers. It was the first of its kind in the UK, created to serve as a publication to which postgraduate researchers could submit in order to grapple with the arduous peer-review process. Over the last decade, though, the ways in which research is disseminated and consumed have changed. Blogging is now a staple component of academic life, whereas in 2008 it was in its infancy. Wishing to provide a platform for postgraduates in keeping with advances in media and technology, we are bidding farewell to the Enquire Journal. In its place, we have founded The Enquire Blog. The entire journal back catalogue remains openly accessible, and we would like to thank all of those who have contributed to it, authors and editorial teams alike.
We warmly extend our invitation to submit blog posts to all postgraduate researchers primarily in sociology and social policy, but also related disciplines. In keeping with the long-standing spirit of Enquire, we are particularly keen to encourage those new to academia to participate in scholarly life, in this case through the blogosphere, and hope to provide a supportive environment in which to do so. So, if you are new to academic blogging, please do consider starting your journey as a blogger with us. Potential posts can be discussed prior to submission with the editorial team. Contact details are below.
Long Live Enquire!
Email for editorial team: enquire@nottingham.ac.uk
Twitter: @enquirenottm
Conference hashtag: #enquireinequalities
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