The role of the self in the research process: reflections on researching the REF as a PhD student

In this short, reflective post, Emily Yarrow considers her experiences as a PhD student researching women's lived experiences of research evaluation in the UK and particularly the anxieties she felt as a junior researcher interviewing very senior, esteemed academic colleagues. It is important to reflect on the role researchers play in the interviewing and data collection process, and also on how gender, gendered power dynamics, and one’s position in the academic hierarchy can potentially affect interactions with participants from the outset.