Workshop - Re-enchanting research: Working with ‘Many Minds’ in data analysis
Please note that this workshop is in person only.
Abstract:
How do we make sense of evidence when interpretation is shaped by emotion, experience, and relationships? This 90-minute interactive workshop introduces the Many Minds approach to psychosocial group data analysis, in which interpretation is treated as a collective, relational process rather than an individual task. Participants will explore how working with multiple perspectives can deepen decision-making, strengthen interpretive rigour, and surface the affective and relational dimensions of evidence that often shape research conclusions.
Participants will take part in the Business School’s first Many Minds group, led by contributors to a recent Special Issue on the Many Minds approach. The session combines brief input with small-group discussion and reflection. No prior experience is required, but a willingness to listen, reflect, and engage with curiosity about interpretation, evidence, and research encounters is encouraged. The following resources offer a sense of what to expect:
- The Many Minds Special Issue: https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journals/jps/jps-overview.xml?tab_body=latest-issue
- Dr Rachael Durrant’s paper, ‘Re-enchanting the research encounter’:https://doi.org/10.1332/14786737Y2025D000000052
- Professor Rachel Thomson’s blog post reflecting on the Sussex Many Minds group:https://sussexcircy.substack.com/p/what-does-it-mean-to-work-with-many
- Registration for the online Special Issue launch event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-many-minds-approach-to-group-data-analysis-tickets-1976561355221?keep_tld=1
Bios:
Rachael Durrant: https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p263003-rachael-durrant
Rachel Thomson: https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p285568-rachel-thomson