My name is Marta and I am currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Sociology and
Anthropology at Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Prior to this, I completed a Master's
Degree in Research Methodologies at the same institution, where I developed an academic
interest in studying the interplay between research methodologies and their influence on our
understanding and investigation of social phenomena. Concurrently, I engaged in several
workshops on community radio and podcast production and started experimenting with sound
and voices as a hobby. Thus, when the time to propose a doctoral research project came, I had
long been reflecting on the intersections between qualitative methods, listening and audio
composition.
Motivated by these interests, I focused my doctoral thesis on listening practices and
aural methodologies within the field of social sciences. My investigation has a double aim, on
the one hand, it delves into the audit aspects of conventional qualitative techniques –such as
in-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnography or life-history- since there is a conversational
and recording tradition that is barely studied as a sonorous act. On the other hand, I aim to
assemble a compendium of innovative sound-based techniques that challenge conventional
methodologies and epistemologies, by critiquing the prevailing ocular-centric paradigm in
academia. For the latter, I have chosen to embrace an interdisciplinary approach, open to
learning the skills and sensitivities of other fields of knowledge, in search of a collective and
multidimensional understanding.
