Dr Tabetha Newman, Timmus Research Limited.

As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?
I grew up in Cornwall and owned lots of pets including a dog, goats, cats, ducks and a snake. By the time I was 14 I knew I wanted to study Zoology at the University of Bristol, and that’s what I went on to do.

When did you first turn towards a social research career?
I was always focussed on social research, initially in animals. I studied the territorial systems of red foxes for my PhD, which involved radio-tracking them through the night! I always thought I’d stay in academia, but by the time I graduated it looked less attractive. So I went on the hunt for a job that involved science and visual communication and got lucky.

What was your first professional job? And first project there?
I saw an advert for a ‘communications consultant’ at a company called Information Transfer (now Acteon). The interview process had several stages. About 300 people applied and I was one of two to be employed. My first project involved creating e-learning about GSK’s HIV vaccines for African healthcare workers. The second involved working on instructions for set-up and pack-down of the World Rally Championship time gates (which record start and stop times for each car). I was also involved in supporting the technical development of their e-learning tool, which led to me learning about learning management systems (LMSs) and writing articles about SCORM (‘the sharable content object reference model’ - essentially the technical wizardry necessary to hang e-learning from a LMS).

Where did your career go next? What motivated that/those moves?
After a couple of years, I set up my own consultancy. I was motivated by a desire to work in the public sector, and by the realisation that I wanted a family and career progression. I read about how to set up a business and registered my own limited company. From there I contacted several government education research quangos (including Becta, Jisc and the Learning and Skills Council) and won my first contracts, starting with a literature review on digital literacies.

What has been your best professional moment?
In 2016 I co-created an online survey service for children in the care system called Bright Spots. This was the first time that child voices had been collected and used directly to shape service delivery and social policy at a local authority and national level. It had a real impact on me personally and professionally and led to me bidding for more child wellbeing research and including this knowledge in my role as trustee of a primary academy.

...and worst?
When the government-funded education research quangos closed in 2010 at the same time I had my second child. It was hard work to sell myself into other sectors at a time when emotionally I was feeling vulnerable, and I was physically shattered!

Do you have a social research hero/heroine?
So many, but I’ll name three. First, Professor Cuthill who taught my postgrad’ statistics courses. He opened a world of multivariate analysis that blew my mind! Second, my sometimes-collaborator Helen Beetham. She is a digital literacies guru and the qual’ to my quant’. Her knowledge, integrity and constructive challenge add so much value; she’s a dream to work with. And third, Brené Brown, for championing a different approach to leadership.

Do you have a favourite quote?
I often think of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s quote “The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it”. I come from such a quantitative background that this used to feel blindingly obvious. But as I get older, I’m increasingly fascinated in people’s beliefs. Just look at opinions about the COVID vaccine! What is truth, and how relevant is it to people’s decision-making? Yes, it’s important to collect a volume of representative quantitative data and analyse it with integrity. But to connect with clients I need to include lived experiences and narratives. It’s led to me applying for a day-a-week psychotherapy course which I hope to squeeze into my week from September.

What would you say to encourage a young person today considering a social research career?
So many graduates aim for a specific career and feel overwhelmed by the competition. I define a career as a vocation you enjoy + the unexpected + evolution. Layer your skills, write articles, get involved in associations that interest you, and look for opportunities in the unusual overlaps created by your unique set of skills and interests. Expect the unexpected. And make an effort with your LinkedIn profile!