
Carol is a Research Director in the Crime and Justice team and
joined NatCen Social Research in 2008. Carol has over twelve years
experience of qualitative research with 'hard to reach' and
stigmatized groups. Her book 'Transitions through Homelessness' was
published in 2008 by Palgrave Macmillan. This research theorized
the risk negotiation strategies of homeless people, using a
qualitative longitudinal methodology. Carol has a MA in Sociology,
an MSc in Social Research from the University of Edinburgh and a
PhD in Sociology and Urban Studies from the University of
Glasgow.
Since joining NatCen Carol has managed studies for the Home
Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Government Equalities Office,
the General Medical Council and national charities such as Mind and
the Lucy Faithful Foundation. Substantively, her research currently
focuses on preventing and responding to trauma and abuse,
particularly sexual violence, and on youth offending. Carol is
currently managing a National Institute for Health Research project
examining the NHS response to the long term effect of abuse and
trauma on survivors; research on sentencing sexual offences for the
Sentencing Council and research on effective interventions to
reduce sexual offending among young people.
Carol also takes a role in developing methodological innovations
at NatCen, including participatory, online and visual qualitative
research. Carol has recently presented papers at the ESRC Methods
Festival, the Market Research Association Annual Conference and the
International Qualitative Health Research Conference in Canada.
Carol is also co-editor of the second edition of the research
textbook Qualitative Research Practice which is being revised by
NatCen, alongside Jane Lewis, Jane Ritchie and Rachel Ormston. The
second edition should be published 2013.