QSIG Midday Talk: Exploring digital storytelling as a qualitative research tool and process
Dr Sharli Paphitis, Senior Research Fellow in the Research Support Service, will present on digital storytelling. She describes her talk as follows:
In this session I will explore the potential of digital storytelling (DS) as both a qualitative research tool and a collaborative process, drawing insights from an Erasmus-funded project conducted with refugee communities in Norway and students in South Africa. While the focus in qualitative research often centres on the 'product'—in this case, the stories created through DS—this talk emphasizes the transformative value of the storytelling process itself. Drawing on my own experience and participant reflections, I will explore how the participatory nature of DS creates benefits that extend far beyond the final narratives. Ultimately, I want to invite attendees to consider how qualitative research might better centre the experiences and growth of participants as a core aspect of our scholarly practice.
Join our mailing list to receive the Zoom link, whcih will be sent out at the start of March, again a week before the talk, and on the morning of the 24th.
Speaker biography
Dr Sharli Anne Paphitis is a Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, specialising in qualitative research, global mental health, and social justice research. With over a decade of experience, she has led complex interdisciplinary research funded by UKRI, AHRC, MRC, and NIHR, addressing critical challenges in violence, abuse, and mental health worldwide.
A recognised expert in qualitative and participatory research methodologies, Dr Paphitis has developed and implemented innovative approaches to intervention development in global mental health research, including through leveraging realist reviews and storytelling. As the co-director of the Violence Abuse and Mental Health Network, and as Principal Investigator on major projects such as the Modern Slavery Core Outcome Set and the South African arm of the SHAER project, she has made significant contributions to trauma recovery research for survivors of violence and gender-based abuse. Dr Paphitis’s global health expertise extends through her work with the NIHR Global Health Research Group to improve the mental health of violence survivors in South East Asia and assessing psychosocial interventions for violent extremism in Nigeria. Her work is deeply rooted in co-production with NGOs, survivor groups, and community stakeholders, ensuring research outcomes are both practical and transformative.
With over a decade of teaching experience at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, Dr Paphitis has designed and delivered modules on qualitative research methods, global health ethics, and social psychology. She is a committed mentor, supporting early-career researchers and first-generation academics to promote equity and inclusion in academia.
Dr Paphitis holds a PhD in Philosophy from Rhodes University and has published widely in leading journals on topics such as epistemic justice, mental health interventions, and participatory research. Her career is defined by a passion for addressing global health inequalities through interdisciplinary and socially responsive approaches.