Written by: Written by: Farzana Hirji Karawalli (IM-Adapted Public Co-Applicant)
In August (2025) I had an incredible opportunity and an honour not only to co-present the IM-Adapted study with Safiyah Khan at 2nd International Conference, Applied Research and Data Collection Methods with Hidden, Marginal, and Excluded Populations hosted by Nuffield College (University of Oxford), in partnership with the UNICEF, but also to engage with and learn from researchers and practitioners from around the world. This experience was truly unforgettable and magical, made even more special by being surrounded by the stunning buildings and gardens of Oxford University. It honestly felt like a dream.
This conference served as a powerful space with an atmosphere charged with a shared commitment of participants from across the globe, including demographers, data scientists, ethnographers, economists, statisticians, UN and World Bank staff, NGOs, and frontline practitioners. Together, we aimed to consider the best Research Methods and Applied Data and ensure meaningful evidence for hidden and marginalised populations, which demands not just compassion but also the very best of our methodological imagination and scientific rigour. 30 papers were accepted and presented during the conference out of over 95 abstracts submitted.
The diversity and ingenuity of the research were inspiring, with a range of contexts and methods. Topics included mixed-methods approaches to identifying clandestine graves in Mexico, adaptive assessments of children’s cognitive potential in Brazil, and the use of Respondent-Driven Sampling to reach populations typically excluded from surveys. Other sessions explored participatory research frameworks for understanding refugee coping strategies, anticipatory action in crisis-affected settings, AI-supported randomised controlled trials, and disability-inclusive sampling approaches in Cambodia. Several presentations also addressed the ethical challenges of conducting research with politically marginalised youth, ethnic minority communities, cases of unclaimed deaths, and child marriage. And not forgetting the Inspirited Minds Adapted Intervention: Feasibility study of a faith-based culturally adapted intervention to promote mental health and well-being in young Muslim women. Each presentation reminded us that research methods are not merely technical choices, but they embody political and ethical commitments.
Beyond the formal sessions, the informal conversations during breaks and networking events were particularly valuable. Engaging with researchers and practitioners working directly with hard-to-reach populations provided practical insights into implementation challenges and deepened my appreciation for the resilience, expertise, and commitment required in this work. These exchanges reinforced a key theme running throughout the conference: the importance of culturally sensitive, locally grounded, and community-engaged approaches.
A central takeaway from the conference was the shared recognition that research methods are never purely technical. They carry ethical and political implications and must be designed with care, reflexivity, and meaningful community involvement. Many discussions emphasised the need to work with communities rather than on them, ensuring that research processes and outcomes reflect local priorities and lived experiences. This perspective underscored that effective and sustainable solutions must be tailored, inclusive, and grounded in the voices of those most affected.
Attending the 2nd International Conference on Research on Hard-to-Reach Populations at Oxford’s Nuffield Campus reinforced my belief in the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and methodological innovation to address complex global challenges. The knowledge gained and connections formed have already influenced how I approach the design of interventions, prompting more critical reflection on how to ensure they are both scientifically rigorous and genuinely inclusive.
This experience was more than a professional engagement; it was a transformative one that deepened my commitment to humanitarian and equity-driven work. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn, share, and grow alongside a global community of scholars and practitioners dedicated to advancing meaningful and equitable evidence. The conference was not simply a series of presentations, but a compelling demonstration of what is possible when methodological innovation is aligned with ethical purpose, inclusion, and scientific rigour.
Publication Plans
Looking ahead, we are excited to draft a public involvement paper for an academic journal that will highlight the contributions of individuals with lived experience in our study. We plan to involve 2-3 group members as co-authors and further discussions will be had in future meetings. The evaluation data will encompass feedback from YWAG members and researchers, as well as insights from focus groups. Members were reminded and encouraged to document their personal reflections throughout the project, which will enrich our collective understanding. Farzana suggested that the Gibbs reflective cycle may help with this.
To end off with some final points
An in-person meeting is scheduled for July, giving the group an opportunity to connect face-to-face.The group have shown appreciation for the project updates and opportunities to contribute. However, there was a suggestion for an earlier meeting time – which has been taken onboard.
Other than the meeting, I’ve also started talking about the research project to fellow peers and strangers! I’ve become comfortable… to an extent, to talk about it. As Farzana put it in the last blog post, ‘There’s a real appetite for these conversations. They weren’t always easy, but they were necessary. And sometimes, just sitting with someone over a cup of tea and talking about what’s hard, that’s where real change begins.’
I smile, as a I finish my final draft of this blog. I smile, at the progress and the collaborative spirit of our team. Together, we are taking steps towards meaningful change in mental health.
