Design2Defense · For MA English

The Interpretive Research Studio

Qualitative inquiry in the Humanities

A practice-based research development programme for postgraduate students in English Studies, built for the move from coursework to independent research. Over four days you design a research project of your own.

Register your Interest
See the four days

FORMAT

Four days, in person

CONTACT TIME

About 14 hours

STRUCTURE

Six studio sessions

SHOWCASE

Symposium, Jan 2027

WHAT THE STUDIO IS

A studio, not a lecture series

Each session combines brief conceptual inputs with guided activities, individual project development, collaborative discussion, and structured reflection, so that you apply ideas to your own emerging project as you go. The largest share of every session is your own project.

The Studio complements your classroom learning by giving you structured time to apply the theoretical, analytical, and interpretive skills you have developed in courses such as Postcolonial Studies, Gender Studies, Literature and Ecology, Contemporary Critical Theory I and II, and Literature and Subalternity.

Over four days you will

  1. Turn theoretical knowledge into research practice

  2. Strengthen your qualitative and interpretive research skills

  3. Build confidence in framing research questions and research designs

  4. Meet contemporary and emerging methodologies in Humanities research

  5. Prepare for your dissertation and for independent inquiry

  6. Work alongside others doing the same thing

The Research Portfolio

One section per session, built in the room. Sessions open with a short check-in on the previous section and close with a reflection on what has shifted. The portfolio is a working record of how your project develops, revised as your thinking evolves, rather than a set of finished products.

  • You start with an interest, name the material it lives in, and locate yourself in relation to both.

    What goes in it: your research interests · the texts and materials you are drawn to · what might count as data in your work · your positionality as a reader that shapes what you notice, the questions you ask, and shapes how you engage with the interpretation of your data

  • You work towards a focused research problem and two or three draft questions, tested for scope and feasibility.

    What goes in it:

    • a focused research problem

    • two or three draft questions

    • notes on scope and feasibility

  • Your lens, your key concepts, and what they let you examine

    What goes in it:

    • your chosen lens, or lenses

    • definitions of your key concepts

    • How your chosen theory shapes what you will examine

    • Your Preliminary Project Concept.

  • You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.

  • We offer flexible pricing based on project type and complexity. After an initial conversation, we’ll provide a transparent quote with no hidden costs.

  • Collaborative, honest, and straightforward. We're here to guide the process, bring ideas to the table, and keep things moving.