News

Writing a capstone dissertation is one of the most significant and (hopefully) rewarding aspects of completing a master's course here at SoGE. It's a daunting and almost mythical assignment that has both excited and terrified cohorts of MSc students for generations. Because the dissertation is arguably the most important aspect of a SoGE master's degree, many incoming graduate students will arrive with many pressing questions about what exactly writing a dissertation at Oxford is like. Emma Schneck, current MSc student, provides a brief guide on what to expect.

Raphaella Mascia, postgraduate student on the MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management (BCM) course, recounts her experience on the Tenerife field trip and the importance of positive conservation outcomes.

Two academic members at the School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE) have been awarded the title of Professor by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to their fields of research, teaching and academic service. Congratulations to Louise Slater, Professor of Hydroclimatology, and Christian Brand, Professor of Transport, Energy and Climate Change, on this richly deserved achievement.

Researchers face ethical dilemmas in every step of the research process, often unforeseen despite our best efforts of anticipation in the research design. Many complex ethical questions arise from the best intentions of producing inclusive and responsible research while avoiding harm to participants and researchers. These questions become more salient with the emergence of diverse creative and innovative research methods in the field, such as 'go-along', visual, and digital methods. Responding to the ethical and practical challenges in qualitative research, Dr Jennie Middleton, Dr Rosalie Warnock, and Professor Gillian Rose convened a two-part workshop on Thinking Care-fully with Method at SoGE in May.