It’s ‘Blue Monday’ today but worry not – McDonald’s are giving away free burgers this week and the European VP of Twitter Bruce Daisley has taken the opportunity to tout his book The Joy of Work: https://www.standard.co.uk/business/bruce-daisley-blue-monday-is-rubbish-but-the-workplace-is-killing-us-a4044466.html I find the title probably the most depressing thing imaginable, but I’m sure it’s a good read. He triesContinue reading “Tell me now how do I feel?”
Category Archives: Shore
2019: sunlit lowlands
Christmas has been a welcome break from my addiction to Brexit podcasts. Perhaps for that reason I’m seeing things less feverishly than a few weeks ago. No new answers to it all have emerged of course – we’re in a genuine pickle in this country – but it’s not time to give up onContinue reading “2019: sunlit lowlands”
Government divided and confused, so is public – but business means business
This from Sir John Curtice the other day is a great reminder of the realities of public opinion on Brexit: Curtice for the BBC: what kind of Brexit. I picture the dashing data knight as Cleese’s Sir Lancelot at the wedding in Holy Grail, running amok through the castle, wantonly butchering hapless garlanded politicians with his SwordContinue reading “Government divided and confused, so is public – but business means business”
Long hot summer of Brexit may be about to get hotter
Never make predictions, they say, especially on blogs that people might read after the prediction has already died a death. But after England lose 17-16 to Colombia on penalties this evening, in a bizarre shoot-out in which Gloria from Modern Family races onto the pitch dressed in a Carlos Valderrama wig, bearing the skull ofContinue reading “Long hot summer of Brexit may be about to get hotter”
Happy new year from Shore
I’m going to do more on the blog this year, he promises again – but this time he means it. But just to put 2017 behind us, I hereby recycle the Christmas tree of The Onion’s inestimable review of the year. Do yourself a favour and take a gander at the big stories of theContinue reading “Happy new year from Shore”
Top Qual Tips 1: the generation vs illustration dichotomy
It’s time to post something actually useful – I hope – about qualitative research. After a long hiatus with this blog in 2015 for technical reasons – WordPress somehow produced an unbreakable security loop which prevented me and my IT guy accessing it for several months – I’ve managed a couple of ultimately quite self-indulgentContinue reading “Top Qual Tips 1: the generation vs illustration dichotomy”
Julia Holter: lucidity by the shore
Since I branded my qual consultancy Shore in 2010 – the ‘shore’ idea being qual research as a liminal, in-between place between communicators and the public – I find myself regularly awash with cultural references to shore-related stuff. I think it’s like when you buy a new Toyota Avensis and suddenly start noticing how manyContinue reading “Julia Holter: lucidity by the shore”
Coppola’s “The Conversation”: the human side of the professional listener
I’ve long thought that every qualitative researcher – or anyone who has spent long hours listening back to imperfect voice recordings and working out what they mean – should watch this film. The trailer is much cheesier than the film by the way. The Conversation is really a much more subtle, tense, claustrophobic psychological thrillerContinue reading “Coppola’s “The Conversation”: the human side of the professional listener”
Signs of life: why qual and semiotics are natural partners
I came across this today by Czech semiotician Martina Olbertova, via Joanna Chrzanowska’s brilliant and generous resource, the Qualitative Mind website (www.qualitativemind.com; follow her on Twitter on @QualitativeMind; Joanna’s site is full of great information and resources for qual researchers and research buyers alike). Olbertova gives an introduction for the skeptical and/or uninitiated to theContinue reading “Signs of life: why qual and semiotics are natural partners”
A light buzz year: to infographics and beyond
I came across a link to this today while browsing the wonderful @brainpickings by Maria Popova. I know 2013 is so last year, but still – some brilliant visualisations of data on here. These examples are American, but no less interesting for that. I love the vote-weighted electoral map and the wind map in particular.Continue reading “A light buzz year: to infographics and beyond”
Strangers on the Shore 