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Artwork for The Realist Lens - For Researchers Who Keep It Real
The Realist Lens - For Researchers Who Keep It Real · Dec 8, 2025 · 45 min

Episode 16 — The Realist PhD Journey with Sara Dada

In this episode, Alejandro is joined by Dr. Sara Dada, global health researcher, newly appointed Ad Astra Fellow at University College Dublin, and the mind behind a truly ambitious realist PhD. Sara walks us through what it means to build an entire doctoral thesis around realist principles: from developing initial programme theories, to conducting a realist review and realist evaluation in Zambia, to zooming out and constructing middle-range theories that speak to global health more broadly. She reflects candidly on the challenges and breakthroughs of realist work — including the messy, iterative nature of theory-building, the complexity of real-world contexts, and the importance of embracing imperfection as part of the learning journey.

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In this episode, Alejandro is joined by Dr. Sara Dada, global health researcher, newly appointed Ad Astra Fellow at University College Dublin, and the mind behind a truly ambitious realist PhD. Sara walks us through what it means to build an entire doctoral thesis around realist principles: from developing initial programme theories, to conducting a realist review and realist evaluation in Zambia, to zooming out and constructing middle-range theories that speak to global health more broadly.  She reflects candidly on the challenges and breakthroughs of realist work — including the messy, iterative nature of theory-building, the complexity of real-world contexts, and the importance of embracing imperfection as part of the learning journey.

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