Building Reflexive Practice Across Project REPAIR
21st July 2026
Members of the Project REPAIR team recently came together at Swansea University for a workshop exploring the role of reflexive practice in transdisciplinary research.
Delivered by Luci Attala, the session encouraged researchers to consider how their own experiences, assumptions and disciplinary perspectives influence the questions they ask, the methods they choose and the knowledge they create. Through a series of practical exercises and discussions, participants reflected on the importance of remaining open to different perspectives and recognising the influence of their own position within the research process.
Reflexive practice is a core element of Project REPAIR's approach. Bringing together researchers from across the arts and humanities, social sciences, environmental sciences, engineering and professional practice requires more than simply combining different areas of expertise. It also involves creating space to understand how different ways of knowing can complement, challenge and strengthen one another.
As Luci explained during the workshop, reflexivity is about "turning our tools back on ourselves" and recognising that researchers are always part of the worlds they study. Rather than seeking a single objective viewpoint, reflexive practice encourages researchers to examine how their own perspectives shape what they notice, what they overlook and how they interpret their findings.
The workshop also explored how research questions are never neutral, highlighting the importance of considering whose perspectives are represented, what assumptions underpin our work and where potential blind spots may exist. Participants reflected on how these conversations can help produce richer, more inclusive research and support more meaningful engagement with communities.
The discussions also reinforced that reflexive practice is an ongoing process rather than a single exercise. As REPAIR develops, the team will continue to build in opportunities to reflect, challenge assumptions and learn from one another, ensuring that collaboration remains central to the research.
Project REPAIR is funded through the AHRC Mission Awards programme, which brings together diverse expertise to address complex societal challenges. Developing a shared culture of reflexive practice is an important part of that journey, helping the team learn from one another, challenge assumptions and strengthen the research that will support healthier, more resilient and nature-connected places. By embedding reflexive practice throughout the project, the team aims to ensure its research remains collaborative, inclusive and responsive to the communities and environments it seeks to support.