Sam Ladner explores the tension inherent in mixed methods research, why people get so emotional about identity, and the importance of interpretive flexibility in tech.

Highlights include:

⭐ How do the statues on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) illustrate other ways of knowing? ⭐ What two philosophical positions are at odds in mixed-methods research? ⭐ How can researchers become more comfortable engaging with stakeholders? ⭐ What is interpretive flexibility and how does it apply to technology? ⭐ Why are you uncomfortable with a strictly Western way of knowing?

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Who is Sam Ladner?

A sociologist by training, Sam specialises in ethnographic research, design thinking, and strategic foresight, and she has over 15 years of applied research experience, helping companies to uncover the human side of workplace technology.

Currently a Senior Principal Researcher at Workday, Sam is focusing her efforts on understanding how work is changing, and building that insight into Workday’s products.

Before joining Workday, Sam was a Principal UX Researcher at Amazon, where she was the founding researcher for the AI-infused Echo Look. Sam also invested several years at Microsoft, where she worked on Cortana, Windows 10, Microsoft Office, Xbox, and HolloLens.

Highly skilled in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, Sam recently published her second book, “Mixed Methods, a short guide to applied mixed methods research”, which is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand and apply mixed methods in their practice.

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Find Sam here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sladner/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sladner Website: https://www.samladner.com/

Books:

Mixed Methods - A Short Guide to Applied Mixed Methods Research: https://www.mixedmethodsguide.com/

Practical Ethnography - A Guide to Doing Ethnography in the Private Sector: http://www.practicalethnography.com/

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Hosted by Brendan Jarvis:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanjarvis/ Website: https://thespaceinbetween.co.nz/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendanjarvis/