History of science popularisation in Britain since the eighteenth century
The University of Edinburgh
Jan 2020 – Jun 2023
In 2019, I was awarded a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellowship to conduct research into the popularisation of science and science literacy in the UK. I have published several papers looking into various aspects of this topic across different periods. The first examines long-term historical trends in the popularisation of science in Britain. It argues that viewing science popularisation as the spread of constantly evolving and difficult natural knowledge can help us explain vital aspects of the form, function and history of science popularisation. The second article, published in the Annals of Science, provides detailed historical evidence for the emergence of ‘the scientific report’ in seventeenth-century England as the standard form of communication in modern science. It discusses what the scientific report means for the development of science, for understanding science popularisation, and even for the development of standards for academic writing more generally. The third article compares the argument for the educational value of science presented (1) in a recently published book by the physicist and science populariser, Jim al-Khalili and (2) in a public lecture by the nineteenth-century scientist, Michael Faraday. Finally, I have conducted archival research into the popularisation work of James Clerk Maxwell and science teaching at Working Men’s Colleges in the nineteenth century.
History of statistics and data visualisation
The University of Edinburgh
Jul 2018 – Dec 2019
I have studied extensively the history of statistics and quantification. I have published two encyclopaedia articles on the statistical work of Karl Pearson and Ronald A. Fisher, two of the founders of modern statistics. I have also studied the history of data visualisation from the eighteenth century to the present day and used this research in my teaching.
History of sociology and statistics in Britain
The University of Edinburgh
Sep 2014 – Jan 2019
My doctoral research investigated the historical relationship between British sociology and statistics. That this relationship had been, and still is, largely unproductive was clear to me from the fact that, unlike in the USA or Europe, for example, the majority of British sociologists lacked advanced training in quantitative methods and showed a consistent preference for qualitative approaches. This despite the fact that since the nineteenth century, Britain has been at the forefront of statistics, making major contributions to the development of statistical methodology for social research. My research provided the first detailed historical analysis of how this curious situation arose and why it persisted. It offered clear evidence that from its very beginnings as an academic subject in the early twentieth century, British sociology had harboured a deep and instinctive distrust of the statistical methodology and mindset, resulting in a mix of quiet indifference and active hostility. Crucially, as the post-war expansion of higher education was turning sociology into a major university subject, these attitudes became more and more entrenched. My research resulted in the publication of two peer-reviewed articles, two articles in an edited collection and two books. The first book, a sole-authored monograph, is the only full-length analysis of the subject to-date and one of very few histories of British sociology available. The other book is a collection of essays for which I was sole editor and to which I contributed. It features essays by a number of distinguished sociologists and historians from the UK and the USA which were originally presented at a conference which I organised in the University of Edinburgh in 2018.
Research funding and awards
- British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Jan 2020 – Jun 2023.
- SSPS Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award, 2019.
- Best Presentation, Q-Step Postgraduate Inaugural Event, Cardiff, Oct 2015.
- 1+3 ESRC Doctoral Funding Award, Scottish Graduate School of Social Science, 2014.
- Colin Bell Prize for Best Sociology Dissertation, 2014.
- Patrick Geddes Prize in Sociology 1A for session 2010-2011.