Sophie Gaber attended course at the University of Oxford
Docent Sophie Gaber at the University of Oxford.
Last week, U-CARE researcher Sophie Gaber participated in the course Realist Reviews and Realist Evaluation. The course focused on how realist methods can be used to study complex interventions in health and social care.
Professor Geoff Wong, an international expert in realist approaches.
The week-long course was taught by Professor Geoff Wong, an internationally recognised expert in realist approaches.
What was the course about, and how is it relevant to your research?
– The course focused on realist reviews and realist evaluation, particularly in research on complex interventions in health and social care. It was directly relevant to my current realist review project and will also be valuable for future studies, says Sophie Gaber.
'Moving through spaces where figures such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Dorothy Hodgkin, and Tim Berners-Lee once studied felt like stepping into a living intellectual tradition rather than simply attending a course', says Sophie Gaber.
What are your main takeaways from the course?
– I have deepened my understanding of the philosophical and theoretical foundations of realist approaches, which will strengthen the analysis in my current project. I also value exchanging ideas with other researchers using similar methods. In the spring, I plan to share insights from the course in a seminar at U-CARE.
What has been inspiring about attending the course at the University of Oxford?
– Studying in Oxford has been inspiring both academically and historically. Visiting the Bodleian Libraries and walking through the university’s historic colleges created a strong sense of connection to the history of ideas. In many ways, the experience reminded me of the academic environment at Uppsala University.
Miro Anter
More information
Sophie Gaber’s participation in the course is part of the research project ‘Engaged and empowered? A realist review of user involvement with inclusion health populations in complex interventions in health and social care research’, funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte).