The Realist Lens - For Researchers Who Keep It Real

Alejandro Arguelles Bullon
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The Realist Lens is a podcast that makes realist evaluation and synthesis accessible and easy to follow. Through relaxed conversations with expert guests, students, and practitioners, we explore key realist concepts like mechanisms, context, and outcomes. Whether you're new to realist approaches or more experienced, this podcast offers practical insights, real-world examples, and thoughtful reflections to support your learning and curiosity—one conversation at a time.

  1. 4 days ago

    Episode 30 – Realist Evaluation and Health Systems with Prashanth Srinivas

    How can realist evaluation help us understand health systems, inequality, and social change in marginalised and ecologically sensitive contexts? And what happens when realist thinking moves beyond academic projects and becomes part of long-term, participatory work with communities? In this insightful conversation, Alejandro is joined by Dr Prashanth N Srinivas, a public health researcher and health systems scholar at the Institute of Public Health Bengaluru. Prashanth reflects on his journey into realist evaluation, from his early work as a clinician in community health settings to using realist approaches in health systems research, government health management, and long-term work with Adivasi communities in Southern India. The conversation explores how realist inquiry can help move beyond surface-level explanations of health inequalities, such as remoteness, literacy, or cultural difference, to examine the deeper structures, mechanisms, relationships, and histories that shape health outcomes. Prashanth discusses the value of realist thinking for making sense of complexity, building explanations with communities, and creating research approaches that are less extractive and more participatory. Prashanth also reflects on middle-range theory, participatory workshops, learning sites, global health, donor dependence, resilience, and the importance of humility in research. He highlights how realist approaches can support more grounded, equity-oriented health systems research by helping researchers, practitioners, and communities ask not only what works, but why things are the way they are, for whom, and under what conditions. Whether you’re an evaluator, researcher, public health practitioner, policymaker, student, or someone interested in realist approaches, global health, Indigenous health, or participatory research, this episode offers valuable insights into using realist thinking as a way of building shared understanding, practical wisdom, and more equitable approaches to health systems research

    39 min

  2. 8 June

    Episode 29 – Realist Synthesis, Online Forums and Living Libraries with Paul Marshall

    How can realist synthesis help us understand digital forums, online communities, and living libraries? And what happens when lived experience, story sharing and peer support take place in dynamic online or hybrid spaces where safety, connection and meaning are constantly being negotiated? In this insightful and reflective conversation, Alejandro is joined by Dr Paul Marshall, Research Associate at the Spectrum Centre for Mental Health Research at Lancaster University. Paul shares his experience of working with realist approaches across projects on living libraries and online mental health forums, exploring how people share experiences, build connections and seek support in both face-to-face and digital environments. The conversation explores how realist evaluation and synthesis can help unpack what makes online forums meaningful, helpful or challenging for different people indifferent contexts. Paul reflects on the difficulty of conceptualising online forums as interventions, the difference between context and setting, and the importance of psychological safety that enables people to share experiences and ask questions. Paul also discusses the value of combining realist synthesis with realist interviewing, working with multiple stakeholders, and using mixed methods to understand what is happening beyond individual posts or interactions. He reflects on the roleof forum moderators, service leads, forum hosts and users in shaping the culture and functioning of online spaces. Whether you’re an evaluator, researcher, student, practitioner, digital health professional or someone interested in lived experience, online communities and participatory approaches, this episode offers valuable insights into using realist approaches to understand how digital and hybrid spaces work, for whom, and under what circumstances.

    25 min

  3. 25 May

    Episode 28 – Realist Evaluation in Government and Policy with Finlay Green

    How can realist evaluation help make sense of government policy, complexity, and decision-making? And what happens when realist ideas move beyond academic journals and into fast-moving, politically shaped, resource-stretched environments where people need answers quickly? In this insightful and practical conversation, Alejandro is joined by Finlay Green, an evaluation and policy practitioner with experience across consultancy, government evaluation and policy advice. Finlay reflects on his journey into realist evaluation, from discovering Realistic Evaluation during recovery from an ACL injury to applying realist thinking in government settings. The conversation explores where realist evaluation fits within government, where it can clash with existing evidence expectations, and how realist ideas can be adapted without losing their integrity. Finlay discusses the importance ofdropping unnecessary jargon, making evaluation tangible and accessible, using quantitative and administrative data and focusing on explanations that are useful to policymakers. Finlay also reflects on the value of realist approaches for wicked problems, regulation, policy design, and ex ante evaluation. He highlights the need for realist evaluators to engage more directly with policy questions, collaborate across disciplines and understand the pressures and constraints faced by government teams. Whether you’re an evaluator, researcher, policymaker, student, or practitioner interested in applying realist approaches in policy contexts, this episode offers valuable insights into making realist evaluation feasible, credible, and genuinely useful where decisions happen and stakes are high.

    37 min

  4. 11 May

    Episode 27 – Remote Aboriginal Health and Realist Approaches with Katherine Zippel

    How can realist approaches help us understand culturally safe, community-led healthcare? And how can storytelling, lived experience, and clinical practice come together to make research more responsive and relational? In this rich and reflective conversation, Alejandro is joined by Dr Katherine Zippel, a General Practitioner, DPhil student at the University of Oxford, and researcher working at the intersection of clinical care, cultural safety, social prescribing, Aboriginal health, and realist research. Katherine shares how realist approaches helped her move beyond asking “does it work?” to exploring what works, for whom, in what circumstances, and why. Drawing on herexperiences in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, she reflects on how care is shaped by trust, cultural legitimacy, relational continuity, and community control. Katherine discusses powerful examples from her work, including HIV testing in Ghana, COVID-19 vaccine rollout in remote Aboriginal communities, and cancer survivorship. She highlights how realist thinking can reveal why interventions succeed in some settings but not others, especially when programmes are implemented in complex cultural and structural contexts. Drawing on narrative medicine, Katherine also explores how stories can surface mechanisms that might otherwise remain hidden. She reflects on the importance of listening deeply, honouring lived experience, and resisting one-size-fits-all models ofcare. Whether you’re a researcher, clinician, or interested in culturally safe and community-led approaches to healthcare, this episode offers rich insights into embracing complexity, valuing stories, and using realist thinking to supportmeaningful change.

    29 min

  5. 27 Apr

    Episode 26 – Realist Approaches in Arts and Mental Health Recovery with Louisa Peters

    What role can the arts play in recovery? And how can realist approaches help us understand the deeper processes behind healing, identity, and lived experience? In this creative and thought-provoking conversation, Alejandro is joined by Dr Louisa Peters, a researcher who brings together psychology, community arts, and realist thinking. Louisa’s work draws on her background in musicology, community arts practice, and her PhD research exploring recovery in serious mental illness. Louisa shares how realist approaches allowed her to movebeyond asking “does it work?” to exploring how and why arts-based interventions support recovery. She highlights how community arts create safe, trusting spaces that promote coping, acceptance, and positive emotional engagement, while also acknowledging the complexity and non-linear nature of recovery. Drawing on her research, Louisa discusses innovative methods such as arts elicitation interviews, poetry, and visual approaches, showing how creative expression can uncover mechanisms that are difficult to articulate. She also reflects on navigating complexity in realist research through mapping,causal loop diagrams, and embracing a flexible, adaptive approach. Whether you’re a researcher, clinician, or interested in theintersection of arts and health, this episode offers rich insights into embracing complexity, valuing lived experience, and using realist thinking to explore meaningful change.

    35 min

  6. 13 Apr

    Episode 25 – Realist Approaches in Physiotherapy with Leah Morris

    What makes physiotherapy such a complex, context-dependent practice, and how can realist approaches help us better understand what works, for whom, and why? In this insightful and grounded conversation, Alejandro isjoined by Dr Leah Morris, a physiotherapist, senior lecturer, and realist researcher working at the University of the West of England. Leah’s work spans academia, teaching and supporting realist research across healthcare settings. Leah shares her journey into realist evaluation, reflectingon how it helped her make sense of complex roles such as first contact physiotherapy and why realist thinking aligns so naturally with physiotherapy’s core principles of individualised care and clinical reasoning. Drawing on projects like FREEHAB and her work in supporting colleagues, she highlights how realist approaches can uncover the mechanisms behind tailored interventions and explain variation in outcomes across contexts. From applying realist thinking in non-realist projects to navigating methodological challenges, limited guidance, and misconceptions about “realist light,” Leah offers practical insights grounded in both clinical and research experience. Whether you’re a clinician, researcher, or educator, thisepisode provides valuable lessons on embracing complexity and applying realist approaches to physiotherapy and beyond.

    34 min

  7. 30 Mar

    Episode 24 – Realist Approaches in Dementia Care: Understanding Medication Management with Ian Maidment

    What makes medication management in older people with dementia such a complex challenge, and how can realist approaches help us make sense of it? Alejandro is joined by Professor Ian Maidment, whose career spans over two decades in pharmacy practice, mental health, and dementia care, alongside leading NIHR-funded realist research. Ian shares his journey from NHS pharmacist to realist researcher, explaining how he discovered realist evaluation and why it became essential for unpacking the complexity of medication safety in older populations. Drawing on flagship projects like MEMORABLE, he reflects on what realist synthesis and evaluation reveal about hidden burdens, particularly for family carers, and why understanding “what works, for whom, and why” is critical in this field. From the power of realist interviews and stakeholder engagement to navigating limited literature and co-producing meaningful findings, Ian offers practical insights grounded in both clinical experience and methodological expertise. Whether you’re a clinician, researcher, or policymaker, thisepisode provides valuable lessons on embracing complexity, translating findings into practice, and using realist approaches to improve care for vulnerable populations.

    38 min

  8. 16 Mar

    Episode 23 - Lessons from Realist Evaluation in Global Health with Brynne Gilmore

    What makes realist evaluation so valuable in global health, and what does it take to apply it meaningfully? In this rich and reflective conversation, Alejandro is joined by Assistant Professor Brynne Gilmore, whose career has taken her from community health programmes in East Africa to leading realist research and mentoring PhD students at University College Dublin. Brynne shares how she first discovered realist approaches, why they’re so suited to the complexity of global health systems, and what it really means to work ethically, relationally, and with cultural awareness in contexts far from where the approach was born. From navigating power dynamics and co-producing knowledge to adapting interviews and focus groups so they resonate locally, Brynne offers practical insights grounded in years of fieldwork and methodological reflection. Whether you’re stepping into global health evaluation for the first time, refining your approach to stakeholder engagement, or looking for ways to close the capacity gap in realist research worldwide, this episode will give you both inspiration and practical tools.

    45 min
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About

The Realist Lens is a podcast that makes realist evaluation and synthesis accessible and easy to follow. Through relaxed conversations with expert guests, students, and practitioners, we explore key realist concepts like mechanisms, context, and outcomes. Whether you're new to realist approaches or more experienced, this podcast offers practical insights, real-world examples, and thoughtful reflections to support your learning and curiosity—one conversation at a time.

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