Dr Sheng-Hsiang Lance Peng, a current IAFOR Global Fellow, presented a research methodology workshop on ‘hauntology’ at the first annual Cambridge Creative Research Conference (CCRC) in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; held online via Zoom on October 26, 2024. The event offered a wide range of participatory workshops focused on creative research methods, categorised into three strands: Artistic Expression and Communication, Innovative Approaches to Knowledge Creation, and Social Context and Identity. Dr Peng’s workshop titled ‘Finding ghosts within the research network’ explored hauntology and its potential for enriching research fieldwork, guiding participants through both the theory and practice of hauntology as a research method. Drawing from Jacques Derrida’s concept of spectres, he guided participants in reflecting on how the past lingers in the present and shapes research encounters, discussing how hidden voices, forgotten histories, and unacknowledged presences influence the research process, encouraging participants to think about their own fieldwork experiences through this lens.
The session was interactive, with participants sharing personal reflections on how ‘ghosts’ and invisible forces have impacted their research. Dr Peng remarked that it was powerful to see people connect with the idea of hauntology as a way to uncover overlooked aspects of their work. After discussion, he guided participants in creating mind maps to synthesise the concepts covered, helping them take away practical tools for integrating hauntological thinking into their future research. ‘It was a satisfying experience to facilitate such a reflective and open conversation, and to witness participants begin to apply these abstract ideas to their own work in creative and insightful ways’, said Dr Peng. To respect ethical standards and consent, no photographs were taken during the event. However, Dr Peng collected some of the captivating (anonymous) responses from the workshop’s participants:
The 2024/2025 cohort of IAFOR Global Fellows will organise and lead panel presentations, workshops, and other academic programmes as part of IAFOR’s various Conference Series throughout their tenure as Fellows. Find out more about the IAFOR Global Fellows programme.
