Dear Reader, Welcome to It Ain’t Necessarily So, a collaborative blog project designed, written and run by social science research students from the University of Edinburgh.
Mere months ago this blog was but a rough and ready idea in the minds of its creators. Replete with earnest aspirations and good intentions, a group of hopeful research students decided to construct a site from scratch and fill it with articles on topics as diverse as its contributors would allow. It is undoubtedly a testament to the vibrant, dynamic and wonderfully friendly nature of the Edinburgh student community that their idea was met with enthusiasm, with offers of assistance, with smiles of encouragement and words of support. And when academics were consulted and solicited for advice, the students received nothing but reassurance and help. In truth, no negative utterance was heard at any stage. So standing on the shoulders of their allies, the blog’s creators were able to do as they had hoped and the fruits of their labours are before you today.
At this juncture, a very special mention is due: our indefatigable and incredibly talented graphic design artist has worked tirelessly to make this site as lovely as it is. If you have been following us on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll have seen her beautiful digits counting down the days to launch. If you’re anything like us, you’ll covet her designs with steely eyes. Thank you Nichole, we are very grateful!
This blog is designed for everyone who cares to read it. It’s designed for you and yours. One thing we wished to proactively avoid was writing only for our colleagues and supervisors – what use is knowledge if no one gets to know it. No pre-existing experience is assumed, no academic history is required – we only hope to pique your interest. Soon enough the blog will be filled with articles by authors who care a great deal about the things they write – with articles ranting and raving, articles exclaiming, articles exploring topics studied with commitment and zeal. We are nothing if not fascinated by the worlds and ideas we examine every day, and we really want other people to become fascinated too. We are lucky to be able to commit so much time to learning about the things we love, and that’s why we want to share and disseminate our thoughts and musings.
At the time of writing there are four posts awaiting your attention. Jen Stout has written on the topic of Scottish Independence, Kirsty Bailey on the Cancer Research Selfie Craze, Dilara Garaeva on her experiences of voting in a Russian election and Bex Thompson on the wide reaching harms of smoking. Each and every one is interesting and considered. Read them, discuss them and pass them along.
We hope very much that you enjoy our blog. Thank you for your support and time.
Kindest regards,
The Editorial Team