I am a social policy researcher, with a background in qualitative research, policy analysis and teaching. A member of the Research Training Centre (RTC) within the School of Social and Political Sciences. My broad research interests include public libraries and other 'third spaces'; literacy in the early years; youth studies; families and personal relationships; community studies and civil society. Methodological interests are focused on qualitative research methods and qualitative policy analysis, specifically participatory research and collaborative ethnography, qualitative data analysis and secondary qualitative data and evaluation methods.