Between the Lines
Going beyond the published paper to explore the ideas, struggles and choices behind academic research.
We talk to authors not just about what they wrote, but why they wrote it, what challenged them along the way, and what their work changes in how we understand cities and governance.
the Lines
The story behind the research.
Academic papers show us the finished argument. Between the Lines is interested in everything that happened before it reached the page.
Each episode begins with a published paper, but the conversation goes further. We ask authors about the questions that drove their research, the moments that changed their thinking, the difficulties they encountered and the choices that shaped the final argument.
Along the way, we explore what their research tells us about governance, planning and cities — and what remains unresolved after the paper is published.
Beyond the abstract
We start with what the research is really about — explained beyond disciplinary language and academic conventions.
Behind the process
We explore the uncertainty, surprises, wrong turns and discoveries that rarely appear in the finished paper.
Into the implications
We ask what the findings change, where the tensions lie and what the research means for how we understand governance in practice.
From the first question to what comes next.
Each conversation follows the research journey rather than simply summarising the published paper.
The questions are designed to reveal how research develops: intellectually, practically and personally.
The idea
We begin by stripping the paper back to its central idea and asking where the research really started.
What annoyed you enough to write this paper?
The process
Research rarely unfolds as neatly as the final publication suggests. We talk about uncertainty, unexpected findings and moments when the project changed direction.
What was the messiest part of this research?
The thinking
We move into the concepts and arguments behind the work — including the ideas authors had to question, rethink or unlearn.
What is your argument against yourself?
The tension
We examine where governance appears in the research, who might disagree with its conclusions and what happens if the findings are taken seriously.
What is the most uncomfortable implication of your findings?
What remains
Finally, we look beyond publication: what was left out, what remains uncertain and which questions the research has opened rather than answered.
If you rewrote this paper in five years, what would change?
A paper is the end of one process — and the beginning of another conversation.
We are interested in the decisions, doubts and discoveries that usually disappear between doing the research and reading the finished publication.
Asking what the paper changes.
Between the Lines connects individual research projects to a broader conversation about how governance actually happens.
Rather than treating governance only as an abstract concept, we ask authors to identify where they see it operating in their research: through actors, institutions, regulations, conflicts, negotiations and everyday practices.
Where do you see governance happening in your case?
What does your paper change in how we understand governance?
If policymakers took your findings seriously, what would change?
Research does not arrive fully formed.
The publication journey is part of the research story too.
We ask why authors chose a particular journal, what scholarly conversation they hoped to enter, and how the paper changed through review.
We also talk about something academic publications rarely reveal: time. How long did the research actually take? What took longer than expected? Was there ever a point when the author thought the paper might never be published?
Go Between the Lines.
Watch conversations with researchers about the papers they wrote — and the ideas, choices, challenges and questions behind them.
Between the Lines
Each episode takes one published paper as its starting point and goes behind the finished research to explore how the ideas developed, what challenged the author, and what the work changes in how we understand cities and governance.
Select an episode in the player or explore the complete series on YouTube.
Research is more interesting when we talk about how it really happens.
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