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All Outputs (72)

The UK private housebuilding sector: social media perspectives (2020)
Journal Article
Craig, N., Pilcher, N., MacKenzie, R., & Boothman, C. (2021). The UK private housebuilding sector: social media perspectives. International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, 14(3), https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhma-05-2020-0051

Purpose The UK private housebuilding sector is the key supplier of new-build homes for customers, constituting a fifth of the entire UK construction industry. Yet, despite the high average cost of houses, and official reports advocating improvement,... Read More about The UK private housebuilding sector: social media perspectives.

Measuring the effectiveness of English medium instruction shipping courses (2020)
Journal Article
Tseng, P., Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2020). Measuring the effectiveness of English medium instruction shipping courses. Maritime Business Review, 5(4), 351-371. https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-10-2019-0042

Purpose: Shipping courses contain much technical and specialist knowledge and present particular challenges for English medium instruction (EMI). This paper aims to investigate both student perceptions of the importance and satisfaction level of EMI... Read More about Measuring the effectiveness of English medium instruction shipping courses.

How a particular view of language enables neoliberalism in student support – and how to resist it. (2020)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2020, May). How a particular view of language enables neoliberalism in student support – and how to resist it. Paper presented at DPR20 Discourse, Power and Resistance the values of education, University of Coimbra, Coimbra,

In this presentation, extending previous research, the authors argue that a particular view of language which sees it as a concrete abstract objectivist entity separable from any context for analysis and teaching underpins neoliberal approaches to su... Read More about How a particular view of language enables neoliberalism in student support – and how to resist it..

Aligning the times: Exploring the convergence of researchers, policy makers and research evidence in higher education policy making (2020)
Journal Article
Smith, K., Fernie, S., & Pilcher, N. (2021). Aligning the times: Exploring the convergence of researchers, policy makers and research evidence in higher education policy making. Research in Education, 110(1), 38-57. https://doi.org/10.1177/003452372092067

The complexity of contemporary higher education policy making and the multitude of evidences and actors in policy networks mean that relationships between higher education researchers, policy makers and research evidence are not straightforward. In t... Read More about Aligning the times: Exploring the convergence of researchers, policy makers and research evidence in higher education policy making.

Role requirements in Academic Recruitment for Construction & Engineering (2020)
Journal Article
Pilcher, N., Galbrun, L., Craig, N., Murray, M., Forster, A., & Tennant, S. (2021). Role requirements in Academic Recruitment for Construction & Engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 46(2), 247-265. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2020.

Two ongoing and recurrent debates in the employment of academic staff are (1) how much industry experience should faculty staff have? and (2) what priority is given to research, teaching or both? Such debates take place worldwide and are particularly... Read More about Role requirements in Academic Recruitment for Construction & Engineering.

Using physical objects as a portal to reveal academic subject identity and thought (2020)
Journal Article
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2020). Using physical objects as a portal to reveal academic subject identity and thought. Qualitative Report, 25(1), 127-144

We are lecturers who help students studying subjects that use word-based writing, non-word based writing such as Mathematics, and non-text based language such as visual semiotics. To access examples of such language with subject lecturers we have fou... Read More about Using physical objects as a portal to reveal academic subject identity and thought.

Lime binders for the repair of historic buildings: Considerations for CO2 abatement (2019)
Journal Article
Forster, A. M., Válek, J., Hughes, J. J., & Pilcher, N. (2020). Lime binders for the repair of historic buildings: Considerations for CO2 abatement. Journal of Cleaner Production, 252, 119802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119802

Lime binders are utilised worldwide and are associated with a considerable scale of production and corresponding CO2 emissions. The relevance of this review is therefore international in scope, with production transcending geographical boundaries and... Read More about Lime binders for the repair of historic buildings: Considerations for CO2 abatement.

The 'Skills Gap' in Animation/VFX industry in Scotland (2019)
Presentation / Conference
Mortimer, J., Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2019, November). The 'Skills Gap' in Animation/VFX industry in Scotland. Presented at Educating Animators Conference, University of Salford, Manchester

This presentation outlines the perceptions of professionals from the animation/vfx industry in Scotland regarding the teaching of animation in Further and Higher Education. The concept of a possible 'Skills Gap' was explored through questions posed t... Read More about The 'Skills Gap' in Animation/VFX industry in Scotland.

Evaluating the key factors of green port policies in Taiwan through quantitative and qualitative approaches (2019)
Journal Article
Tseng, P., & Pilcher, N. (2019). Evaluating the key factors of green port policies in Taiwan through quantitative and qualitative approaches. Transport Policy, 82, 127-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2018.12.014

This paper presents a holistic picture of the factors that affect green port policies through the use of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitatively, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method with 25 questionnaires was used to i... Read More about Evaluating the key factors of green port policies in Taiwan through quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Tapping the thirdness in the intercultural space of dialogue (2018)
Journal Article
Zhou, V. X., & Pilcher, N. (2018). Tapping the thirdness in the intercultural space of dialogue. Language and Intercultural Communication, 19(1), 23-37. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2018.1545025

In this paper, we explore intercultural communication as dialogue occurring in a third space. Through seven students' reflective essays on group-based intercultural learning, we analyse the ever-shifting communicative space that interlocutors produce... Read More about Tapping the thirdness in the intercultural space of dialogue.

How a view of language underpins approaches to supporting higher education students that facilitate neo-liberalism, and how to resist this (2018)
Journal Article
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2018). How a view of language underpins approaches to supporting higher education students that facilitate neo-liberalism, and how to resist this. Power and Education, 175774381881180. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757743818811801

In this article we argue a particular view of language underpins approaches to supporting students in Higher Education, and that this view facilitates neoliberalism. Universities worldwide have glossaries of terms such as 'describe' or 'discuss', and... Read More about How a view of language underpins approaches to supporting higher education students that facilitate neo-liberalism, and how to resist this.

Music Generated Narratives: Elaborating the Da Capo Interview Technique (2018)
Journal Article
Cortazzi, M., Pilcher, N., & Jin, L. (2018). Music Generated Narratives: Elaborating the Da Capo Interview Technique. Qualitative Report, 23(10),

Qualitative researchers draw on multiple, creative ways to elicit participant narratives. Our previous use of playing researcher-selected music to participants to elicit narratives at the end of a traditional interview, in what we call the ‘Da Capo’... Read More about Music Generated Narratives: Elaborating the Da Capo Interview Technique.

Western and Eastern Building Conservation Philosophies: Perspectives on Permanence and Impermanence (2018)
Journal Article
Forster, A. M., Thomson, D., Richards, K., Pilcher, N., & Vettese, S. (2019). Western and Eastern Building Conservation Philosophies: Perspectives on Permanence and Impermanence. International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 13(6), 870-885. https://doi

In this conceptual paper, we illuminate Western building conservation philosophy practice with insights into Eastern conservation philosophy and associated aesthetic understanding. We frame dialogue recognising individual and societal perspectives on... Read More about Western and Eastern Building Conservation Philosophies: Perspectives on Permanence and Impermanence.

Constructing English-medium instruction indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education (2018)
Journal Article
Tseng, P., Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2018). Constructing English-medium instruction indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education. Maritime Business Review, https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-07-2017-0020

English is a common language in the global shipping industry and many universities in non-English speaking countries in the world are now moving towards the use of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) to deliver their courses. Such a medium incre... Read More about Constructing English-medium instruction indicators in the shipping courses of Taiwan’s higher education.

What Is The ‘Academic Purpose’ Of ‘English’ In ‘English For Academic Purposes’? (2017)
Book Chapter
Pilcher, N., & Richards, K. (2017). What Is The ‘Academic Purpose’ Of ‘English’ In ‘English For Academic Purposes’?. In L. Tuen Wong, & W. Lam Wong (Eds.), Teaching and Learning English for Academic Purposes: Current Research and Practices. No

In this chapter, we suggest abandoning the current form of EAP for a form of EAP that is actively explorative of and taught within individual subject contexts. We argue that for students to meet the ‘academic purposes’ in academic subjects requires t... Read More about What Is The ‘Academic Purpose’ Of ‘English’ In ‘English For Academic Purposes’?.

A holistic framework to embed good company practice for customer retention (2017)
Journal Article
McCrory, B., Pilcher, N., & McMillan, J. (2017). A holistic framework to embed good company practice for customer retention. The TQM magazine, 29(2), 257-275. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-11-2015-0139

Purpose: To detail a holistic practice based guiding framework for improving customer retention, which helps companies instil a customer service culture through encouraging them to concentrate on the three key areas of culture, continuous improvement... Read More about A holistic framework to embed good company practice for customer retention.

Assessing the shipping in the Northern Sea Route: a qualitative approach (2017)
Journal Article
Tseng, P., & Pilcher, N. (2017). Assessing the shipping in the Northern Sea Route: a qualitative approach. Maritime Business Review, 2(4), 389-409. https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-06-2017-0013

Purpose－The Northern Sea Route (NSR) could become viable in the near future. If this happens it will radically reducey impact upon sailing times and distances current routes and have huge implications for shipping worldwide, and particularly on rout... Read More about Assessing the shipping in the Northern Sea Route: a qualitative approach.

‘Intercultural competence’ as an intersubjective process: a reply to ‘essentialism’ (2017)
Journal Article
Zhou, V. X., & Pilcher, N. (2018). ‘Intercultural competence’ as an intersubjective process: a reply to ‘essentialism’. Language and Intercultural Communication, 18(1), 125-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2017.1400510

In this paper, we problematise a competence-oriented reflective approach to intercultural education by drawing on four students’ reflective essays about their experiential learning experiences on an ‘Intercultural Competence’ (IC) module. Their refle... Read More about ‘Intercultural competence’ as an intersubjective process: a reply to ‘essentialism’.

Should we teach from materials developed with corpus linguistics? (2017)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Richards, K., & Pilcher, N. (2017). Should we teach from materials developed with corpus linguistics?. English for Specific Purposes Special Interest Group Journal,

In our presentation for the IATEFL ESP-SIG in Athens our intention was to create ‘wobble’ and genuine dialogue around the issue of the importance of ‘context’ in relation to corpus linguistics. We believe we failed to achieve this, as illustrated by... Read More about Should we teach from materials developed with corpus linguistics?.