About The Research

Please take some time to read this information, it will tell you why the research is being carried out and what you will be asked to do if you would like to take part. If anything is not clear, or if you have any questions, please contact the researcher, Vikki Barry Brown.

If you decide to take part in this research, you will be given a paper copy of this information for you to keep and be asked to sign a consent form stating that you agree to participate.

To take part, please contact Vikki via email: [email protected]

What is the purpose of this research?

There are many English people living in Ireland, but very little current research exists on this population meaning that little is known about what it is like to be English in Ireland. This study aims to investigate how English people who have moved to Ireland since 1960 experience belonging, attachment to where they live and how they experience being at 'home'.

It is hoped that this project will add to academic work on English national identity, English migration, migration to Ireland and work on the geographies of belonging and home.

Who is organizing this research?

The research is being carried out by Vikki Barry Brown, a doctoral student in the School of Geography at Queen Mary University of London. The project is supervised by Professor Catherine Nash and Dr Tim Brown, it has received ethical approval from Queen Mary University of London.

Who is eligible to take part?

If you identify as English or part English, live in the Republic of Ireland having moved there since 1960 (and before 2019) then the researcher would like to invite you to take part in this research.

What do you mean by 'English'?

It's more about 'what do you mean by English?'! The researcher doesn't have a pre-conceived definition of this. If you feel that you are English or part English, regardless of your ethnic, cultural or religious background then you are eligible to take part in this project.

What does taking part involve?

Taking part in this research will involve a one-to-one interview which will be audio-recorded. The interview will be conducted by Vikki Barry Brown and will take place at a time that is convenient for you, and preferably in a place where you feel 'at home'.

It is unlikely that you will be asked to take part in a follow-up interview, however if you have further thoughts following the conversation, please feel free to send these by email to the researcher.

If you agree to take part, you will be asked to read and sign a consent form indicating that you are happy to participate and for your data to be used as detailed below. The consent form will ask if you are content to assign the copyright for your interview to the researcher - this means that you consent to the researcher using and quoting what you say.

You are, however free to withdraw from the project and have the data you have provided excluded from the research and destroyed at any stage (until the point where it is no longer practical to do so). Throughout the project the researcher will check in with you to make sure that you are content and comfortable to be involved.

What happens to the information collected during the study?

Interviews will be audio recorded. These recordings will be uploaded to and stored in a secure, password protected digital location. The information will be transcribed and stored on password protected software which will be managed by the researcher for the duration of the project. Only the researcher and supervisors will have access to the interviews and personal information about you. This project is being conducted for doctoral research, however information from the study may be used in other publications before and after the completion of the PhD thesis.

What will happen to the results of the project?

Your identity and any identifiable information that you give during the interviews will be anonymized. Your name will not be linked with the research materials, and you will not be identified or identifiable in the write up of the research or any reports, articles, books or presentations that come out of the project. If, however you would like your real name to be used, this can be discussed and agreed upon.

The results of this research project will be included in the doctoral thesis and may also be published in academic articles, books, online articles or as part of conference presentations in the future.

Who is funding this research?

This project is funded through a Leverhulme Trust Doctoral Scholarship with additional grant funding from the British Association of Irish Studies and the Queen Mary University of London Postgraduate Research Fund.

Where will the research take place?

The research will take place in the Republic of Ireland. Specific regions or areas within Ireland will be selected based on where potential participants live.

What should I do if I have any concerns or complaints?

If you have any worries or concerns about the research at any point, please speak to the researcher who will respond to you within ten working days:

Vikki Barry Brown: [email protected]

If you have any further concerns, you may contact the project supervisors using the following details:

Prof. Catherine Nash: [email protected]
Dr. Tim Brown:[email protected]

If this is unsuccessful, or not appropriate, please contact:

The Secretary, Queen Mary Ethics of Research Committee,
Room W104,
Queens Building, Mile End Campus,
Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS

or [email protected]

If you have any questions relating to data protection, please contact Data Protection Officer, Queens Building, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS or [email protected]

Please read Queen Mary's privacy notice for research participants http://www.arcs.qmul.ac.uk/media/arcs/policyzone/Privacy-Notice-for-Research-Participants.pdf for important information about your personal data and your rights in this respect.