About
Maria Fermin | Research Studio is an independent qualitative research and cultural analysis platform exploring identity, belonging and the social worlds that shape who we are
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It began as a portfolio for my research and has developed into a space for bringing social research beyond academic papers and into conversation with the people, organisations and questions it can speak to.
Here, I share sociological perspectives and bring qualitative inquiry into research, collaboration and public-facing work.
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I have always been interested in the space between how we understand ourselves and how the world understands us.
My curiosity begins where identity meets social expectation, where belonging becomes conditional, and where people learn to navigate different cultural and social worlds.
Through qualitative interviews, ethnographic methods and sociological analysis, I explore the experiences that are often difficult to reduce to simple categories.
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I approach research with curiosity, reflexivity and care. Rather than beginning with assumptions about people, I begin by asking better questions, listening closely and understanding experiences within the social worlds that give them meaning.
Questions about working together?
Continue to FAQs ↓
Frequently Asked Questions
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Maria Fermin | Research Studio presents areas in which I may be available for future collaboration or project-based work, including Qualitative Research Support, Identity & Cultural Analysis, Identity & Belonging Conversations, and project collaboration. Each is research-informed and shaped according to the question or project being explored.
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I work with researchers, students, writers, creatives, organisations and individuals whose work or questions involve qualitative research, identity, culture, belonging or social behaviour.
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Send a consultation request with the area you are interested in and, if relevant, a preferred time. I will reply by email to discuss availability, scope and next steps. Sending a request does not confirm an appointment, paid booking or project agreement.
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There is no fee to submit an enquiry. Any future paid engagement will be discussed separately and is subject to availability, eligibility to undertake the work, and a separate agreement before work begins.
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Yes. Qualitative Research Support may include developing research questions, interview design, methodological planning, project framing and discussing qualitative interpretation.
I do not complete assessed work, ghostwrite academic submissions, fabricate data or guarantee academic outcomes.
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It is a one-to-one, research-informed and reflective conversation about identity, culture, belonging and the social expectations that shape how we understand ourselves.
These conversations are sociological and reflective, not therapeutic or clinical. They are not a substitute for counselling, psychotherapy, psychological assessment or medical care.
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My approach comes from qualitative social research: asking open questions, listening beyond surface-level answers and understanding individual experiences within their wider cultural and social contexts.
My work is particularly concerned with identity, belonging, liminality, social expectations and the ways people negotiate different social worlds.
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Yes. I am open to research, cultural, editorial and creative collaborations where qualitative research or sociological analysis can add value. If your project does not fit neatly into one of the listed areas, select Project Collaboration when submitting an enquiry.
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Yes. I am open to international enquiries, and consultations or conversations may be arranged online across locations and time zones. Scheduling is shown in Berlin time (CET/CEST).
You don't need to know exactly which area of support you need. Tell me briefly what you are working on or thinking through, and I can let you know whether I am the right person to help.