Helen Kara discusses her career working independently, and offers practical advice to others considering scholarly work without an institutional affiliation. A Methodspace interview with Janet Salmons, Research Community Manager.
About Helen Kara
I’m a leading independent researcher, author, teacher and speaker specialising in research methods, particularly creative methods, and research ethics.
With over twenty years’ experience as an independent researcher I now teach doctoral students and staff at higher education institutions worldwide. I am also a prolific academic author with over 25 titles; notably Creative Research Methods: A Practical Guide and Research and Evaluation for Busy Students and Practitioners, both in their second editions. Besides my regular blogs and videos, I also write comics and fiction. In 2021, at the age of 56, I was diagnosed autistic. I think that my neurodiversity explains my lifelong fascination with, and ability to focus on, words, language and writing.
I am fascinated with research methods and am always happy to discuss this on Twitter, where I am @DrHelenKara. I often post on #CRMethods and hold regular Twitter chats at #CRMethodsChat.
About Methodspace
Methodspace is an online community for social and behavioral research methods, which enables scholars and students to share experiences and solve problems on a global scale.
Launched by SAGE Publishing in 2009, Methodspace users have free access to over ten years’ worth of content, as well as selected journal articles, book chapters and other resources from SAGE that highlight emerging topics in the field. SAGE is the world’s leading publisher in research methods, publishing more than 1,200 books and journals across qualitative methods, quantitative methods, mixed methods and evaluation.