The Realist Lens – For Researchers Who Keep It Real
The Realist Lens - For Researchers Who Keep It Real
Podcast Description
The Realist Lens is a podcast that makes realist evaluation and synthesis accessible and easy to follow. Through relaxed conversations with expert guests, students, and practitioners, we explore key realist concepts like mechanisms, context, and outcomes. Whether you're new to realist approaches or more experienced, this podcast offers practical insights, real-world examples, and thoughtful reflections to support your learning and curiosity—one conversation at a time.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on key realist concepts such as mechanisms, context, and outcomes, offering episodes that provide practical insights. For example, the inaugural episode with Geoff Wong covers the foundations of realist research, explaining generative causation and programme theories, while subsequent episodes aim to unpack various aspects of realist evaluation through real-world examples and thoughtful reflections.
The Realist Lens is a podcast that makes realist evaluation and synthesis accessible and easy to follow. Through relaxed conversations with expert guests, students, and practitioners, we explore key realist concepts like mechanisms, context, and outcomes. Whether you’re new to realist approaches or more experienced, this podcast offers practical insights, real-world examples, and thoughtful reflections to support your learning and curiosity—one conversation at a time.
What is a realist interview, really? How do we design interviews and focus groups that go beyond collecting stories to actually testing and refining theory?
In this engaging and thought-provoking episode, Alejandro is joined by Professor Ana Manzano — a leading thinker in realist methodology — to unpack exactly that. From the roots of theory-driven interviewing to the practical realities of asking “how” and “why,” Ana shares insights that will change how you think about realist research.
Drawing on decades of experience in evaluating complex health and social interventions, Ana explores how realist interviews work, when (and why) they don’t, and what ittakes to build genuinely dialogical, theory-informed conversations with stakeholders.
Whether you’re planning your first realist interview, refining programme theory, or simply looking for practical wisdom from someone who's been there — this episode is for you.
Disclaimer
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