Dr Jane Callaghan appointed Chair of American Psychological Association International Committee

Congratulations to Dr Jane Callaghan​, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Northampton, who has been appointed Chair of the International Committee of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology.

The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organisation representing psychology in the United States. The APA seeks to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives by encouraging development, promoting research, improving standards of ethics, conduct, education and achievement and the dissemination of psychological knowledge.

As Chair of the International Committee, Dr Callaghan will be responsible for coordinating the committee’s work in promoting collaboration and dialogue amongst people doing qualitative research in psychology around the world. The Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology (SQIP) is a new committee which aims to have an international presence.

Dr Callaghan explained: “Our main aim is to create opportunities for engaging in research with scholars from other countries, to build international projects and initiatives that are collaborative and mutually beneficial to all those who are involved. SQIP should explore ways to collaborate and form mutually productive relationships with graduate students and faculty from international universities. Our immediate focuses are on building a database of resources for qualitative research in psychology, and drawing together international scholars who are working qualitatively in psychology. In doing so we want to recognise the long history of critical and qualitative research beyond the Anglo-American academy, where post-colonial, indigenous, feminist, and participatory methodologies have been used to build new, more contextually sensitive ways of doing psychological research.”

On her appointment as Chair, Dr Callaghan commented: “I’m really thrilled to act as chair of this committee, and am so excited about the possibilities for international collaboration that this initiative offers. The APA has considerable reach and influence, and I think there is real potential in this initiative for transforming and internationalising psychological research.”

To find out more about the International Committee of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology (SQIP), visit the committee webpage.

Click here to find out more regarding The American Psychological Association.