Emma Rothero, The Open University

We have reached Phase 2 of our seed funded impact project; on time and budget. (Have a look at my previous post for an overview of Phase 1.) This progress is very pleasing for all the obvious reasons but also because it has been fairly straightforward so far. In our mini-team, we identified appropriate sites and site managers to target with our first phase of requests for interviews. We also had a good round of emails working out which questions to ask and in what order. We got ethical approval from the university and set out the email that we would send to interviewees to explain the background to the project. And we have now invited our first phase of interviewees.

At this stage, my main concern is what if no one agrees to participate? Well, actually it won’t be no one, as we have already had two positive responses. But two won’t be enough, we need 15 or 16. Following on from that, what if those that do respond are overwhelmingly negative in their feedback!

Still, that is what we want to find out. If there have been problems with our advice or the way it has been given, we need to know.

My colleagues in the mini team have been working on looking for appropriate journals for publication, and assessing the appropriate literature, so I am pleased to say that from my point of view, the academic side is being taken care of (phew).

So we are on top of our game, waiting with bated breath for responses to our requests for interviews (and all that this may lead to!).

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Emma Rothero is a member of the Floodplain Meadows Partnership, a research project based on key academic work carried out at the Open University by Professor David Gowing and others on the response of species-rich floodplain meadows to changes in management, particularly hydrological changes. The partnership recently received an Evidencing Engaged Research seed funding award to look at the impact that advice from the project has had on site managers and sites across the UK.