The DIALOGUE Research Project at QUEEN MARGARET UNIVERSITY 2008-2010
The DRP team was formed by two communication experts (Dr. Magda Pieczka and Emma Wood) and a political scientist (Oliver Escobar).
Our aim was to study “dialogue” in a variety of settings. We started by reviewing dialogue scholarship, rooted in communication studies, and then we moved on to map its practice accross the globe. Subsequently we have done research on dialogue in a range of areas including the science and technology world, business settings, community contexts, and policy processes
Other activities carried out at the DRP were action research, knowledge exchange and training. For instance, we designed and analysed the policy making process of the Stewarding Group of an international network of humanitarian organisations (South Africa 2009). We also trained communication practitioners at different levels, and organised encounters such as the Dialogue Forum, where policy makers, researchers and communication practitioners gathered to discuss the use of dialogue in their organizations.
The project has now evolved into the innovative QMU Centre for Dialogue.