Dr Gillian Fergie

  • Research Associate (MRC/CSO Social & Public Health Sciences Unit)

Biography

Gillian Fergie is a Research Associate in the Improving Healthy Public Policy Programme at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit. She currently works on a range of projects using qualitative and mixed methods to explore people’s engagement with contemporary health issues and debates.

Gillian is interested in the use of participatory research methods, community-engaged research and public engagement with research.  She currently leads the UKRI ESRC/AHRC funded Creative Insights project which involves working with young people in Glasgow and Leeds to generate creative responses to the enduring problem of addressing health inequalities.

Before joining the Improving Healthy Public Policy Programme Gillian completed her PhD exploring online engagement and health experiences in the age of social media. Prior to this, she graduated with an MA (hons) in History and an MSc in Social Science Research, both from the University of Glasgow.  She worked as a research assistant from 2008-2010 on a project developing academic writing support for postgraduates at University College London, and maintains an interest in the practice of academic writing.

Research interests

Research interests: e-health, social media, health inequalities, health literacy, public understandings of health, experiences of health and illness, young people.

Expertise: qualitative methods, participatory research methods, public engagement, media analysis.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013
Number of items: 21.

2021

Leifeld, P., Henrichsen, T., Buckton, C. , Fergie, G. and Hilton, S. (2021) Belief system alignment and cross-sectoral advocacy efforts in policy debates. Journal of European Public Policy, (doi: 10.1080/13501763.2021.1945131) (Early Online Publication)

2020

Hilton, S. , Buckton, C. H. , Henrichsen, T., Fergie, G. and Leifeld, P. (2020) Policy congruence and advocacy strategies in the discourse networks of minimum unit pricing for alcohol and the soft drinks industry levy. Addiction, 115(12), pp. 2303-2314. (doi: 10.1111/add.15068) (PMID:32219917)

Mackenzie, M. , Skivington, K. and Fergie, G. (2020) "The state they're in": unpicking fantasy paradigms of health improvement interventions as tools for addressing health inequalities. Social Science and Medicine, 256, 113047. (doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113047) (PMID:32460096) (PMCID:PMC7306155)

2019

Buckton, C. H. , Fergie, G. , Leifeld, P. and Hilton, S. (2019) A Discourse Network Analysis of UK Newspaper Coverage of the ‘Sugar Tax’ Debate Before and After the Announcement of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. Society for Social Medicine and Population Health and International Epidemiology Association European Congress Annual Scientific Meeting 2019, Cork, Ireland, 4-6 Sept 2019.

Hilton, S. , Henrichsen, T., Fergie, G. , Buckton, C. H. and Leifeld, P. (2019) Ideology, Stakeholders and Public Health Policy: A Comparison of Media Discourses on Alcohol and Sugar Pricing Policy in the UK. Society for Social Medicine and Population Health and International Epidemiology Association European Congress Annual Scientific Meeting 2019, Cork, Ireland, 4-6 Sept 2019.

Buckton, C. , Fergie, G. , Leifeld, P. and Hilton, S. (2019) A discourse network analysis of UK newspaper coverage of the 'sugar tax' debate before and after the announcement of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 490. (doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6799-9) (PMID:31046718) (PMCID:PMC6498658)

Fergie, G. , Leifeld, P., Hawkins, B. and Hilton, S. (2019) Mapping discourse coalitions in the Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol debate: a discourse network analysis of UK newspaper coverage. Addiction, 114(4), pp. 741-753. (doi: 10.1111/add.14514) (PMID:30475418) (PMCID:PMC6492293)

Hewer, R., Smith, K. and Fergie, G. (2019) The social functionality of humor in group-based research. Qualitative Health Research, 29(3), pp. 431-444. (doi: 10.1177/1049732318800675) (PMID:30340445) (PMCID:PMC6350176)

2018

Hilton, S. , Buckton, C. and Fergie, G. (2018) OP5 #Exploring Industry Influence Across Alcohol and Sugar Pricing Policies in the UK: A Discourse Network Analysis. Society for Social Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, Glasgow, UK, 5 Sep 2018. A3.1-A3. (doi:10.1136/jech-2018-SSMabstracts.5)

Naven, L. et al. (2018) Right Here Right Now (RHRN) pilot study: testing a method of near-real-time data collection on the social determinants of health. Evidence and Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice, 14(2), pp. 301-321. (doi: 10.1332/174426417X14987303892451) (PMID:29973958) (PMCID:PMC6027954)

2017

Hilton, S. , Fergie, G. , Hawkins, B. and Leifeld, P. (2017) A Discourse Network Analysis of Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol: Mapping the Discursive Communities in UK Newspaper Coverage of the Debate. Public Health Science 2017, London, UK, 24 Nov 2017. S8. (doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32943-4)

2016

Fergie, G. , Hunt, K. and Hilton, S. (2016) Social media as a space for support: Young adults' perspectives on producing and consuming user-generated content about diabetes and mental health. Social Science and Medicine, 170, pp. 46-54. (doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.10.006) (PMID:27750067) (PMCID:PMC5115652)

Patterson, C. , Emslie, C., Mason, O., Fergie, G. and Hilton, S. (2016) A content analysis of UK newspaper and online news representations of women’s and men’s ‘binge’ drinking: a challenge for communicating evidence-based messages about single-episodic drinking? BMJ Open, 6(12), e013124. (doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013124) (PMID:28028047) (PMCID:PMC5223657)

Fergie, G. , Hilton, S. and Hunt, K. (2016) Young adults experiences of seeking online information about diabetes and mental health in the age of social media. Health Expectations, 19(6), pp. 1324-1335. (doi: 10.1111/hex.12430) (PMID:26647109) (PMCID:PMC5139057)

Fergie, G. et al. (2016) Right Here Right Now Study: Final Report. Project Report. Glasgow Centre for Population Heath, Glasgow.

Van Bekkum, J. E., Fergie, G. and Hilton, S. (2016) Health and medical research funding agencies' promotion of public engagement within research: a qualitative interview study exploring the UK context. Health Research Policy and Systems, 14(23), (doi: 10.1186/s12961-016-0093-4) (PMID:27009326) (PMCID:PMC4806422)

2015

Boydell, N. , Fergie, G. M. , McDaid, L. M. and Hilton, S. (2015) Understandings of participation in behavioural research: a qualitative study of gay and bisexual men in Scotland. PLoS ONE, 10(8), e0135001. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135001) (PMID:26252480) (PMCID:PMC4529083)

Boydell, N. , Fergie, G. , Hilton, S. and McDaid, L. (2015) “… Giving Something back to the Gay Community by Taking Part”: Gay and Bisexual Men’s Understandings of Participation in Behavioural Research. BASHH Spring Conference 2015, Glasgow, UK, 1-3 June 2015. A79. (doi:10.1136/sextrans-2015-052126.233)

2014

Boydell, N. , Fergie, G. , McDaid, L. and Hilton, S. (2014) Avoiding pitfalls and realising opportunities: reflecting on issues of sampling and recruitment for online focus groups. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 13, pp. 206-223. (doi: 10.1177/160940691401300109)

2013

Fergie, G. , Hunt, K. and Hilton, S. (2013) What young people want from health-related online resources: a focus group study. Journal of Youth Studies, 16(5), pp. 579-596. (doi: 10.1080/13676261.2012.744811)

Fergie, G. , Boydell-Wright, N. , McDaid, L. and Hilton, S. (2013) Reflecting on the Opportunities and Pitfalls of Online Focus Groups for Qualitative Health Research. 12th Annual Advances in Qualitative Methods Conference, Edmonton, Canada, 21-23 Jun 2013.

This list was generated on Tue Aug 3 23:00:11 2021 BST.
Jump to: Articles | Research Reports or Papers | Conference or Workshop Item
Number of items: 21.

Articles

Leifeld, P., Henrichsen, T., Buckton, C. , Fergie, G. and Hilton, S. (2021) Belief system alignment and cross-sectoral advocacy efforts in policy debates. Journal of European Public Policy, (doi: 10.1080/13501763.2021.1945131) (Early Online Publication)

Hilton, S. , Buckton, C. H. , Henrichsen, T., Fergie, G. and Leifeld, P. (2020) Policy congruence and advocacy strategies in the discourse networks of minimum unit pricing for alcohol and the soft drinks industry levy. Addiction, 115(12), pp. 2303-2314. (doi: 10.1111/add.15068) (PMID:32219917)

Mackenzie, M. , Skivington, K. and Fergie, G. (2020) "The state they're in": unpicking fantasy paradigms of health improvement interventions as tools for addressing health inequalities. Social Science and Medicine, 256, 113047. (doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113047) (PMID:32460096) (PMCID:PMC7306155)

Buckton, C. , Fergie, G. , Leifeld, P. and Hilton, S. (2019) A discourse network analysis of UK newspaper coverage of the 'sugar tax' debate before and after the announcement of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 490. (doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6799-9) (PMID:31046718) (PMCID:PMC6498658)

Fergie, G. , Leifeld, P., Hawkins, B. and Hilton, S. (2019) Mapping discourse coalitions in the Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol debate: a discourse network analysis of UK newspaper coverage. Addiction, 114(4), pp. 741-753. (doi: 10.1111/add.14514) (PMID:30475418) (PMCID:PMC6492293)

Hewer, R., Smith, K. and Fergie, G. (2019) The social functionality of humor in group-based research. Qualitative Health Research, 29(3), pp. 431-444. (doi: 10.1177/1049732318800675) (PMID:30340445) (PMCID:PMC6350176)

Naven, L. et al. (2018) Right Here Right Now (RHRN) pilot study: testing a method of near-real-time data collection on the social determinants of health. Evidence and Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice, 14(2), pp. 301-321. (doi: 10.1332/174426417X14987303892451) (PMID:29973958) (PMCID:PMC6027954)

Fergie, G. , Hunt, K. and Hilton, S. (2016) Social media as a space for support: Young adults' perspectives on producing and consuming user-generated content about diabetes and mental health. Social Science and Medicine, 170, pp. 46-54. (doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.10.006) (PMID:27750067) (PMCID:PMC5115652)

Patterson, C. , Emslie, C., Mason, O., Fergie, G. and Hilton, S. (2016) A content analysis of UK newspaper and online news representations of women’s and men’s ‘binge’ drinking: a challenge for communicating evidence-based messages about single-episodic drinking? BMJ Open, 6(12), e013124. (doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013124) (PMID:28028047) (PMCID:PMC5223657)

Fergie, G. , Hilton, S. and Hunt, K. (2016) Young adults experiences of seeking online information about diabetes and mental health in the age of social media. Health Expectations, 19(6), pp. 1324-1335. (doi: 10.1111/hex.12430) (PMID:26647109) (PMCID:PMC5139057)

Van Bekkum, J. E., Fergie, G. and Hilton, S. (2016) Health and medical research funding agencies' promotion of public engagement within research: a qualitative interview study exploring the UK context. Health Research Policy and Systems, 14(23), (doi: 10.1186/s12961-016-0093-4) (PMID:27009326) (PMCID:PMC4806422)

Boydell, N. , Fergie, G. M. , McDaid, L. M. and Hilton, S. (2015) Understandings of participation in behavioural research: a qualitative study of gay and bisexual men in Scotland. PLoS ONE, 10(8), e0135001. (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135001) (PMID:26252480) (PMCID:PMC4529083)

Boydell, N. , Fergie, G. , McDaid, L. and Hilton, S. (2014) Avoiding pitfalls and realising opportunities: reflecting on issues of sampling and recruitment for online focus groups. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 13, pp. 206-223. (doi: 10.1177/160940691401300109)

Fergie, G. , Hunt, K. and Hilton, S. (2013) What young people want from health-related online resources: a focus group study. Journal of Youth Studies, 16(5), pp. 579-596. (doi: 10.1080/13676261.2012.744811)

Research Reports or Papers

Fergie, G. et al. (2016) Right Here Right Now Study: Final Report. Project Report. Glasgow Centre for Population Heath, Glasgow.

Conference or Workshop Item

Buckton, C. H. , Fergie, G. , Leifeld, P. and Hilton, S. (2019) A Discourse Network Analysis of UK Newspaper Coverage of the ‘Sugar Tax’ Debate Before and After the Announcement of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. Society for Social Medicine and Population Health and International Epidemiology Association European Congress Annual Scientific Meeting 2019, Cork, Ireland, 4-6 Sept 2019.

Hilton, S. , Henrichsen, T., Fergie, G. , Buckton, C. H. and Leifeld, P. (2019) Ideology, Stakeholders and Public Health Policy: A Comparison of Media Discourses on Alcohol and Sugar Pricing Policy in the UK. Society for Social Medicine and Population Health and International Epidemiology Association European Congress Annual Scientific Meeting 2019, Cork, Ireland, 4-6 Sept 2019.

Hilton, S. , Buckton, C. and Fergie, G. (2018) OP5 #Exploring Industry Influence Across Alcohol and Sugar Pricing Policies in the UK: A Discourse Network Analysis. Society for Social Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, Glasgow, UK, 5 Sep 2018. A3.1-A3. (doi:10.1136/jech-2018-SSMabstracts.5)

Hilton, S. , Fergie, G. , Hawkins, B. and Leifeld, P. (2017) A Discourse Network Analysis of Minimum Unit Pricing for Alcohol: Mapping the Discursive Communities in UK Newspaper Coverage of the Debate. Public Health Science 2017, London, UK, 24 Nov 2017. S8. (doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32943-4)

Boydell, N. , Fergie, G. , Hilton, S. and McDaid, L. (2015) “… Giving Something back to the Gay Community by Taking Part”: Gay and Bisexual Men’s Understandings of Participation in Behavioural Research. BASHH Spring Conference 2015, Glasgow, UK, 1-3 June 2015. A79. (doi:10.1136/sextrans-2015-052126.233)

Fergie, G. , Boydell-Wright, N. , McDaid, L. and Hilton, S. (2013) Reflecting on the Opportunities and Pitfalls of Online Focus Groups for Qualitative Health Research. 12th Annual Advances in Qualitative Methods Conference, Edmonton, Canada, 21-23 Jun 2013.

This list was generated on Tue Aug 3 23:00:11 2021 BST.

Grants

Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.

  • SPHSU/MRC EU - Participatory Systems Mapping
    Medical Research Council
    2021 - 2021
     
  • Developing a participatory approach for exploring young people's perspectives on health inequalities
    Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
    2019 - 2021
     

Supervision

Teaching

Gillian teaches qualitative methods, including focus group facilitation, qualitative interviewing, online research methods and analysing qualitative data. She also runs sessions on public engagement and public involvement in research.

Research datasets

Jump to: 2019
Number of items: 1.

2019

Fergie, G. (2019) Understanding online engagement and health experiences in the age of social media: exploring diabetes and common mental health disorders 2011-2012. [Data Collection]

This list was generated on Tue Aug 3 22:58:28 2021 BST.