I was delighted to be asked to write this foreword for Jennifer Leigh’s book. I have consistently been fascinated by the range and breadth of experience and literature that she weaves into her research, and this book is no exception! These days, it is very common for funders and other bodies to suggest that research should be interdisciplinary, however, how this should be achieved is much less clear. Furthermore, at a time when there is a push for these methods, the dearth of research methods literature to guide the way is a striking absence, surely diluting the potential impacts of interdisciplinary collaboration. As such, this book fills a much-needed gap in the literature.

Based upon her decades of experience as a scientist, therapist, and educator, Leigh’s research is consistently at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary research, for example, involving hard science – in this case chemistry – with consideration of embodied practices. It is this cutting-edge exploration, described in a highly accessible way, that researchers can find within Borders of Qualitative Research. In doing so, Leigh identifies ways in which the subjectivities and embodied realities of scientists impact on their practice, challenging the dominance of positivist world views and opening up a range of ontological perspectives. In doing so, the potential for harm to (under-supported) researchers is front and centre, raising important questions about the support provided to novice researchers, which are relevant to new and seasoned researcher alike.

Although these types of philosophical debates and considerations of how to change the academy for the better are challenging, Leigh takes readers on a gentle journey, sharing her own experiences to illustrate key points. First, she considers subjective research practices, including the use of qualitative methods, including those which rely on creative methods and embodied practices. Later she establishes current disciplinary boundaries, from art, science and ethics, before finally showing interdisciplinarity through a series of case studies. I am sure that by the end of reading this book any reader will be considering their practice through a different lens, which can help to identify ways in which creativity and embodiment can add to hard science research, while simultaneously reducing the potential for harm.