Leon Moosavi: NCRM Impact Prize entry
The title of this application was NCRM Innovation Fora Funding and Decolonial Research Methods. It was submitted by Dr Leon Moosavi, of the University of Liverpool.
Summary of NCRM participation
I was awarded NCRM Innovation Fora Funding in June 2021 to organise a webinar series about the increasingly popular area of decolonial research methods. I organised 6 webinars with world-leading experts between October 2021 and December 2021. The webinar series was so successful that it not only achieved all of its objectives, but it actually far surpassed them.
The impact of this NCRM activity has been diverse: a) the webinar series was extremely well-attended with a staggering 4,600 registrations, b) the webinar series produced valuable digital resources which have been widely engaged with, c) the webinar series led to establishing a large and active international network with more than 1,800 members, and d) the webinar series has generated a journal special issue. This NCRM activity has had – and is still having – a major impact on the field of decolonial research methods as well as on my own career trajectory.
Impact achieved
I applied for NCRM Innovation Fora Funding in January 2021 to organise a webinar series about decolonial research methods. While calls to decolonise the university had expanded massively in recent years, these calls have primarily focused on decolonising the curriculum. Thus, I wanted to organise a webinar series that would offer advanced theorising, rich dialogue, and relevant training on decolonial research for scholars and students from a range of backgrounds. This meant inviting renowned speakers to examine how research may have been shaped by the legacy of colonialism and how this may be undone. It also meant thinking creatively about new strategies for conducting research with communities in the Global South and Global North who have been marginalised by colonialism and neo-colonialism.
The initial proposal set out four objectives of the webinars as follows: 1. To draw upon the expertise of eminent decolonial experts to further understanding about decolonial research methods and methodologies, 2. To reflect upon the way in which academic research can perpetuate coloniality, 3. To explore strategies of decoloniality within academic research, 4. To develop lasting and practical resources for academic researchers to utilise in a diverse range of research projects.
The webinars achieved all of these objectives, and actually, exceeded them. This NCRM activity is an exemplary illustration of how the NCRM can transform interdisciplinary fields of study and nurture academic communities nationally and internationally. The webinar series was impactful in four ways:
a) Webinar series - I organised 6 webinars which involved eminent scholars discussing the topical issue of decolonial research methods. They were specifically designed as interdisciplinary events so as to ensure that they would appeal to a wide range of scholars and students. I also ensured that non-academics, such as civil society researchers, activists, and community representatives, were invited and this resulted in a highly diverse audience. The webinars were also attended by people from a wide variety of countries around the world. More specifically, more than 4,600 people registered for the webinars, which is an extremely high number for an academic event. Due to the especially large number of attendees, the webinar series was able to have a major impact in shaping understanding and implementation of decolonial research methods far and wide. Overall, the webinars were able to ensure that knowledge about decolonial research was widely disseminated in an interactive and applied manner.
b) Digital resources - The webinar series resulted in the production of three important sets of digital resources. Firstly, the webinars were all recorded and uploaded to YouTube. This ensured that those who could not attend the activities live were able to catch-up on-demand at a later date/time. Thus far, these videos have proven to be some of the most watched content on the NCRM YouTube channel in recent years having generated approximately 15,000 views so far. These webinars are a permanent feature of the NCRM website. Secondly, I devised a unique and innovative strategy for including a diverse range of voices in the digital resources. This was the creation of a video montage whereby participants from the webinar series could share their reflections on key themes from the webinar series. This video montage has already been viewed more than 1,500 times and can be viewed here. Thirdly, transcripts of the webinars were uploaded to the internet so that they are freely available for researchers and students to download and utilise.
c) International network - The webinar series was so successful in bringing together experts and enthusiasts about decolonial research methods that I was able to create a thriving international network as a result of it. This network, known as The Decolonial Critique, was founded immediately after the webinar series concluded in December 2021. It currently has 1,879 members with new members joining every week. The network is a global network of scholars, students, and activists who have an interest in theoretical and applied approaches to coloniality/decoloniality within and beyond the university. The network recognises that there are a number of contested approaches to understanding coloniality/decoloniality and welcomes diverse perspectives. The purpose of the network is to: discuss topics relating to coloniality/decoloniality; coordinate online and in-person events; facilitate collaboration; share research resources; share teaching materials; and nurture a supportive and inclusive community. As the founder and convenor of this network, I moderate a listserv with semiweekly updates. I have also organised several events for the network. For example, in March 2022 and June 2022 I organised events in which several members of the network applied to present and discuss their research projects with the network. Furthermore, in April 2023 and August 2023, the network hosted events in which the network members discussed seminal scholarship relating to academic decolonisation. The network continues to be highly active, with members from many countries, fields, and backgrounds regularly contributing to discussions and events. The impact of the network is evident from the significant number of people who contact me on a routine basis extolling the benefits of the network in assisting them in better understanding and implementing decolonial knowledge production. I have also found that the network has led to raising the profile of my own scholarship and generating invitations for me to participate in events. Furthermore, my university has recognised the impact and potential of the network by recognising the network on their webpages.
d) Journal special issue - My original proposal to the NCRM suggested publishing a peer-reviewed journal article about decolonial research methods. As the webinar series was so successful, I upgraded this output to a journal special issue totalling 60,000 words. This will be hosted by the prestigious International Journal of Social Research Methodology. This special issue will focus on decolonial research methods by drawing upon many of the ideas that were discussed in the webinar series. The special issue will consist of 8 articles, including from contributors who are very highly regarded but whom I cannot mention yet due to maintaining the anonymity of the peer-review process. I have also written one of the articles in which I discuss the most common features of decolonial research and consider the synergies that decolonial research has with other critical research methodologies. I also examine the complexities and limitations of decolonial research. For the special issue, I have also established a panel of peer-reviewers to anonymously review all of the articles. At the current time, 1 of the papers has been accepted for publication, 4 are under review, and 3 are pending submission. This special issue is scheduled for publication in 2024 and will be accompanied by a major launch event due to the significant impact and legacy that this collection of academic papers is likely to have in the field of decolonial research methods. None of the above impacts would have been possible without NCRM support.