Method Preconference Stream 2

Room U43, Faculty of Social Studies, Brno (Czech Republic)

Media studies research relies on many different methodologies and approaches, often portrayed as successful in untangling the relationship between media production, distribution, and reception. Failure, understood as the researchers’ inability to reach the onto-epistemological ideals to which they aspire in their empirical engagements with communities and participants (Ross & Call-Cummings, 2019) plays a pivotal role in these dynamics. Yet, little is discussed about ‘methodological failures’ - what does not work, why, what we can learn from it and how we can integrate these experiences into our research. Echoing Limes-Taylor Henderson and Esposito (2019) and Ross and Call-Commings (2020), we advocate for using and facilitating discussions on methodological ‘failure’ and its experiences. We also believe that these are crucial for the development of a researcher within an ethic of care and (self-)reflexivity.

Organizers: Deborah Castro and Claudia Minchilli (University of Groningen), Eduard Ballesté and José M. Tomasena (University of Barcelona)

Bio:

Dr. Deborah Castro, Assistant Professor, University of Groningen, d.castro.marino@rug.nl
Her main research interests lie in the fields of television and audience studies. In 2020, she received a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (European Commission) to investigate film tourism in Spain from the residents’ perspectives. Her work has appeared in journals such as European Journal of Cultural Studies, Convergence, and Television and New Media. She is vice-chair of the Television Studies Section at the European Communication Research and Education Association and chair of the Erasmus Knowledge Centre for Film, Heritage and Tourism. More information: https://deborahcastromarino.wordpress.com/

Dr. Claudia Minchilli, Assistant Professor, University of Groningen, c.minchilli@rug.nl
Her research focuses on the intersection of migration, digital media and social class dynamics that she approaches through a postcolonial and feminist lens. Her work has been published in Global Networks, Media and Communication and Journal of Intercultural Studies. Her doctoral thesis, ‘Localizing Digital Diaspora: Diasporic Digital Networking among Somali, Romanian, and Turkish Women in Rome through the Lens of Social Class,’ has been recognised with the Ted Meijer prize 2022 by KNIR (Royal Netherlands Institute Rome).

Dr. Eduard Ballesté, Serra Húnter Assistant Professor, University of Barcelona
His research focuses on three main areas: youth studies, examining unequal social positions and power relations based on age, class, ethnicity, and gender differences; social movements, exploring forms of youth political participation and accepted/unaccepted forms of militancy; and social inequalities, urban poverty, marginality, gangs, structural violence, and resistance to these conditions. He has focused his research on the application of qualitative methodologies, particularly with an ethnographic approach. His work has been published in journals like Ethnography, Journal of Youth Studies, Critical Criminology, Social Analysis, among others. He is also the President of Research Committee 37 on Youth Studies of the Spanish Federation of Sociology.

Dr. José M. Tomasena, Assistant Professor, University of Barcelona, jmtomasena@ub.edu
His research about reading and writing practices on social media, influencer cultures, digital ethnography and media literacies has been published in Social Media and Society, Convergence, The Information Society, Information, Communication and Society, OCNOS and Cuadernos.info. His doctoral dissertation, based on a digital ethnography of Spanish-speaking booktubers, won the Larramendi Foundation Prize from the Spanish Royal Academy of Doctors in 2001. He is also a fiction writer and teaches script and creative writing. jmtomasena.com

9:30–10:00
Opening and Introduction:
This session opens with a guided reflection on what ‘failure’ means in participants’ own research trajectories, emphasizing ‘failure’ not as an exception but as a constitutive element of knowledge production. Three guest researchers (names to be announced soon) will be present throughout the morning and afternoon providing their own experiences as we explore different dimensions of methodological ‘failure’.

10:00–11:00
What is methodological ‘failure’?
We will engage with this question by discussing the experiences of the presenters looking at ‘failure’ in qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies, and in negotiating the alignment (or misalignment) between theory and methodology. This session will also address how epistemological assumptions shape what is recognized as ‘failure’ and how methodological challenges prompt creative adaptations and alternative ways of knowing.

11:00–11:15
Coffee break (provided)

11:15–13:00
What is methodological ‘failure’? continues

13:00–14:00
Lunch

While lunch isn't provided, you'll find a great variety of dining spots just a short walk away. Whether you're looking for a quick bite or a sit-down meal, there are plenty of choices nearby—including excellent vegan options.
Explore these local favourites within easy walking distance:

Naše Vaše Bistro (4 min walk)
https://nasevasebistro.cz/

Vegan AF Ramen Brno (3 min walk)
https://veganaframen.cz/

Desi Dhaba (Indian, 2 min walk)
https://www.instagram.com/desidhaba.cz/

Blue Demon Bistro (Mexican, 3–4 min walk)
https://www.facebook.com/bluedemonbistro

Zdravý Život (4 min walk)
https://www.zzbrno.cz/

14:00–16:00
Who defines methodological ‘failure’?
Building on the morning discussion, this session examines failure beyond individual projects, situating it within institutional structures, academic norms and political pressures that shape what can be researched, funded, published, or recognized as ‘successful’. The session will be structured in groups, each led by one of the speakers and organizers, and focused on a different level or type of ‘failures’. We will explore collectively how ‘failure’ is produced, managed and experienced, and how engaging with it critically can open new avenues for research and reflection.

16:00–16:15
Coffee break (provided)

16:15–18:00
From discussion to co-creation
In light of insights from the morning and early afternoon sessions, we will work together in drafting a set of guiding principles and/or provocations that capture both the challenges and productive potentials of methodological ‘failure’. This collaborative exercise aims to create a tangible outcome that reflects the diversity of experiences and positions in the room, and that can be further developed as part of a special issue the organizers are editing.

Overall, the workshop seeks to foster a more transparent, critical, and resilient culture within media research, while identifying practical ways to integrate these conversations into our research pra