Journal Articles
Blower, A. and Rainford, J. (Accepted) 'Internalizing the Present in the Articulation of the Future: Masculinity, Inequality and trying on new Possible Selves ', Boyhood studies 16 (2)
Bhandari, R., & Rainford, J. (2023). Exploring the Transitions of Neurodivergent Access Students to Level One Study: Narratives of Study Skills and Support. International Journal of Educational and Life Transitions, 2(1), 5.DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/ijelt.38
Rainford, J. (2021). Stripping back the novelty: A critical reflection on the dual use of a comic-based approach to engage participants and publics. Methodological Innovations, 14(3), 20597991211060681. doi:10.1177/20597991211060681
Rainford, J. (2021) ‘How institutional doxa shapes access to higher education through framings of ‘potential’’, Power and Education. DOI: 10.1177/17577438211040021.
Rainford, J. (2021) Are we still “raising aspirations”? The complex relationship between aspiration and widening participation practices in English higher education institutions. Educational Review, DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2021.1923461
Rainford, J. (2021) Working with/in institutions: how policy enactment in widening participation is shaped through practitioners' experience. British Journal of Sociology of Education. DOI: 10.1080/01425692.2020.1865130.
Rainford, J. (2020) ‘Moving widening participation outreach online: challenge or opportunity?’. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education. DOI: 10.1080/13603108.2020.1785968
Rainford, J. (2020) Creating connections to weather the storm of marketisation. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education. 24(2): 53-55. DOI: 10.1080/13603108.2019.1699196
Rainford, J. (2020) Confidence and the effectiveness of creative methods in qualitative interviews with adults. International Journal of Social Research Methodology 23(01): 109-122. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13645579.2019.1672287
Rainford, J. (2016) Becoming a doctoral researcher in a digital world: Reflections on the role of Twitter for reflexivity and the internal conversation. E-Learning and Digital Media.http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2042753016672380
Rainford, J. (2016). Making internal conversations public: reflexivity of the connected doctoral researcher and its transmission beyond the walls of the academy. Journal Of Applied Social Theory, 1(1). Retrieved fromhttp://socialtheoryapplied.com/journal/jast/article/view/14
Rainford, J. (2016) Targeting of widening participation measures by elite institutions: Widening access or simply aiding recruitment?, Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603108.2016.1148645
Rainford, J., Sinclair, T., and Pike, D. (2015). Widening the (Out)reach: Potential use of Interactive Webinars to Extend Widening Participation Beyond Local Geographical Boundaries, Widening Participation and Lifelong learning 17(4) http://dx.doi.org/10.5456/WPLL.17.4.105
Books
Rainford, J. and Guccione, K. (2023) Thriving in Part-Time Doctoral Study: Integrating Work, Life and Research, Abingdon: Routledge
McCaig, C., Rainford, J., and Squire, R. (2022) The business of widening participation: Policy practice and culture, Bradford: Emerald
Book chapter
Rainford, J. (2023) 'Enabling part-time doctoral researchers to develop effective support villages' in Elliot, D., Bengtsen, S. and Guccione, K. (eds.) Developing researcher independence through the hidden curriculum, Palgrave
Rainford, J. (2023) 'A Democratic View of Professional Development in HE', in Hopkins, N. and Thompson, C. (eds.) Reflections on Identity: Narratives from Educators, Springer
Rainford, J. and Baptista, V. (2022) Using theory-based approaches to embed evaluation within a small specialist performing arts institution. In: Samuel Dent, Anna Mountford-zimdars and Ciaran Burke (eds.), Theory of Change: Debates and Applications in Access and Participation in Higher Education. Bingley: Emerald Publishing
Pike, D. and Rainford, J. (2022) We close on Friday – a case study pivot to online learning and beyond at a UK Higher Education Institution. In: Jamil, M. G., & Morley, D. (Eds.) Agile Learning Environments amid Disruption: Evaluating Academic Innovations in Higher Education during COVID-19. Palgrave Macmillan, Switzerland.
Rainford, J. (2018) Legitimating and Justifying what is done in Access Agreements: The Role of Evidence-based Practice throughout the Whole Student Lifecycle. In: Graeme Atherton, Steve Kendall, Michael Naughton, and Martin Webster (eds.), Widening Access throughout the Student Lifecycle. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 184-196.
Doctoral Thesis
Rainford, J. (2019) Equal practices? A comparative study of widening participation practices in pre and post-92 higher education institutions, PhD thesis, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on Trent. http://eprints.staffs.ac.uk/id/eprint/5610
Methods case
Rainford, J. (2021) Using Creative Methods in Qualitative Interviews London. Available at: https://methods.sagepub.com/case/using-creative-methods-in-qualitative-interviews
Conference proceedings
Rainford, J. (2015) Who has the potential to benefit from higher education?. In Papers from the Education Doctoral Research Conference Saturday 28 November 2015 http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/2133/1/2015_final_proceedings.pdf#page=99
Book Reviews
Rainford, J. (2015) Faces of Discrimination in Higher Education in India: Quota Policy, Social Justice and the Dalits (Routledge Research in Educational Equality and Diversity) by Ovichegan, Samson K., Sociological Research Online, 20 (4)
Invited Keynotes and Seminars
Rainford, J. (2022) ‘Engaging wider audiences: The power of social media and alternative modes of presentation of research’ [invited keynote], CDI Research conference for Careers Practitioners, 24 February 2022
Rainford, J. and Baptista, V. (2022) ‘Evaluation Workshop: Creative approaches to evaluation for the Creative Arts’ [invited workshop] , Access and Participation in the Creative and Performing Arts, NERUPI Network, 10 February 2022
Rainford, J. (2021) ’Workshop: Embedding Evaluation in Pedagogy in Online Spaces’, NERUPI Convention, 16 September 2021
Rainford, J. and Webster, M. (2021) Perfect recipe for online engagement, NEON Summer symposium, 1 July 2021
Panel member: Study Higher Twilights: Tackling the COVID-19 attainment gap, 30 June 2021
Panel member: ‘Widening access in a post COVID landscape – What part will technology play in improving access for disadvantaged learners?’. NEON Summit: Moving Online – Taking outreach into the digital age, 8 June 2021
Rainford, J. (2020) ‘Moving outreach online: Challenge or opportunity?’ [Invited Keynote], Taking outreach online: delivering widening access to HE work in the Covid-19 context, NEON Summit, 30 June 2020
Rainford, J. (2020) ‘Using creative methods in education research’ [Invited Seminar], Institute for Research in Education, University of Bedfordshire, 26 Feb 2020
Rainford, J. (2020) ‘Creating the conditions for effective engagement in the research process: From collection to dissemination’ [Invited Seminar], School of Education, Staffordshire University, 19 Feb 2020
Conference Papers
Blower, A. and Rainford, J. (2023) ‘ Internalising the Present in the Articulation of the Future: Masculinity, Inequality and Trying on New Possible Selves’, British Sociological Association conference, Manchester, April 2023
Rainford, J. and Blower, A. (2023) ‘Using creative methodologies to capture what it means to be a ‘boy’'‘, British Sociological Association conference, Manchester, April 2023
Squire, R. and Rainford, J. (2022) ‘The Business of Widening Participation: Reconciling values in practice’, SRHE conference online, 6 December 2022
Knight, L. and Rainford, J. (2021) ‘Lessons to Learn from 15 Years of Access Agreements’, SRHE Conference, Online, 8 December 2021
Rainford, J., Squire, R. and McCaig, C. (2021) ‘Who widens participation in UK Higher Education? ‘, SRHE Conference, Online, 7 December 2021
Rainford, J. and Child, S. (2020) ‘Getting creative with evaluation: finding better ways to enable students to shape the future of widening participation work’, NEON Symposium 2020, Online, 21 October 2020
Rainford, J. and Child, S. (2020) ‘Using qualitative visual methods to evaluate and evidence the impact of Widening Participation initiatives’, Why evaluate? conference, 21 May 2020
Rainford, J. (2019) ‘Effective widening participation policy: Where next?’, SRHE Newer Researchers Conference, Newport, 8 Dec 2019
Rainford, J. (2019) ‘From problems to solutions: How studies of widening participation practices can inform practical change’, 11th Annual Conference on Education Research (ACRE), Edge hill university, 16 July 2019
Rainford, J. (2019) ‘Evolving as a widening participation practitioner; the role of experience in becoming transgressive’, British Sociological Association conference, Glasgow 25 Apr 2019
Rainford, J. (2019) ‘Visualising the policy-practice gap in widening participation through a research informed comic’ [poster], British Sociological Association conference, Glasgow 24 Apr 2019
Rainford, J. (2018) Challenges of Creative Research with Adults and the Role of Confidence in Creativity, International Sociology Association conference, Toronto, Canada, 17 July 2018
Rainford, J. (2018) Who You Are Matters: How Backgrounds of Widening Access Practitioners Shapes Practice, International Sociology Association conference, Toronto, Canada, 17 July 2018
Rainford, J. (2018) Practitioners care, but do institutions? The gap between policy and practice in widening participation, NEON Summer Symposium, University of Sussex, 21 Jun 2018
Rainford, J. (2018) Building ladders, breaking down boundaries, using creative methods in comparative research, University of Surrey, 15 Jun 2018
Rainford, J. (2018) Legitimating and Justifying what is done in Access Agreements: The Role of Evidence-based Practice throughout the Whole Student Lifecycle, NEON summit, 9 May 2018
Rainford, J. (2017) Widening access throughout the student lifecycle, BERA Conference, Univeristy of Sussex, 4 Sep 2017
Rainford, J. (2017) Using Creative Methods to Go beyond Common-Sense Understandings of ‘Aspiration’ and ‘Potential’ , British Sociological Association conference, University of Manchester, 4 Apr 2017
Rainford, J. (2016) Visualising common-sense terms: going beyond the rhetoric of widening participation and aspiration, University of Birmingham doctoral conference, University of Brimingham, 26 Nov 2016
Rainford, J. (2016) How institutional doxa can shape choice within higher education, Eurostudents launch seminar, University of Surrey, 21 Sep 2016
Rainford, J. (2016) Making It Fit: Institutional Variations in Access and Success Policies, 3rd ISA forum of Sociology, Vienna, Austria, 13 Jul 2016
Rainford, J. (2016) Making internal conversations public: reflexivity of the connected doctoral researcher and its transmission beyond the walls of the academy, 3rd ISA forum of Sociology, Vienna, Austria, 11 Jul 2016
Rainford, J. (2016) Legitimating and Justifying what is done in Access Agreements: The Role of Evidence-based Practice throughout the Whole Student Lifecycle, NEON Summer Symposium, University of Leicester, 9 Jun 2016
Rainford, J. (2016) Variations on a theme: Institutional interpretations of what it means to widen access and success, Using research to inform higher education policy and practice SRHE / OFFA event, Bristol, 15 Apr 2016
Rainford, J (2016) The same but different: Institutional variations on widening participation policy, British Sociological Association Conference, Birmingham, 6 Apr 2016
Rainford, J. (2015) Equal practices? A comparative study of widening participation in pre and post 1992 higher education institutions [poster], SRHE Newer Researchers Conference, Newport, 8 Dec 2015
Rainford, J. (2015) Who has the potential to benefit from Higher Education, 14th Annual School of Education Research Conference, University of Birmingham, 28 Nov 15
Rainford, J. (2015) Is the gap in widening participation practices narrowing? A comparison of the approaches in pre and post 1992 institutions, British Educational Research Association conference, Belfast, 15 Sep 2015
Rainford, J (2015) Perpetuating inequality: How conceptions of who is the right fit for an institution shape widening participation practices, European Sociological Association conference, Prague, 27 Aug 2015
Rainford J. and Sinclair, T. (2014) Widening the (out)reach: Using interactive webinars to extend widening participation beyond local geographical boundaries, European Access Network conference, Edinburgh, 3 Jun 2014
Online articles
Guccione, K. and Rainford, J. (2023) ‘Making your part-time doctorate work for you’, LSE Impact blog, https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2023/06/12/making-your-part-time-doctorate-work-for-you/
Rainford, J. (2022) ‘Building your support tribe’, The hidden curriculum in doctoral education, https://drhiddencurriculum.wordpress.com/2021/10/25/building-your-support-tribe%ef%bf%bc/
Rainford, J. (2020). ‘Personal, social and disciplinary connectors: the part-time, long-haul supervisor’, supervising PhDs, https://supervisingphds.wordpress.com/2020/09/14/personal-social-and-disciplinary-connectors-the-part-time-long-haul-supervisor/
Rainford, J. (2020) ‘ Starting a part-time doctorate? Three top tips’, https://patthomson.net/2020/09/14/starting-a-part-time-doctorate-three-top-tips/
Oman, S., Rainford, J. and Stewart, H. (2015). STORIES OF ACCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A TRIUMPH (OR FAILURE) OF HOPE OVER EXPERIENCE?, Discover Society Issue 27, http://discoversociety.org/2015/12/01/stories-of-access-in-higher-education-a-triumph-or-failure-of-hope-over-experience/
Armstong, V., Fenton, L., McEwan, K., McDonald, R., Morrin, K. and Rainford, J. (2015). ‘VIEWPOINT: VENTURING BEYOND CRITIQUE TO PRACTICE AND BACK AGAIN’, Discover Society Issue 27 , http://discoversociety.org/2015/12/01/viewpoint-venturing-beyond-critique-to-practice-and-back-again/
Rainford, J. and Allen, K. (2014) ‘Education and equality: A critique of the ‘poverty of aspiration’ agenda’, BERA respecting children and Young people’, http://berarespectingchildren.wordpress.com/2014/07/29/education-and-equality-a-critique-of-the-poverty-of-aspiration-agenda/
Rainford, J. (2014) ‘Educate Now, teach later?’,Education, Youth Poverty and Social Class, http://troublingyouthtransitions.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/educate-now-teach-later/
Rainford, J. (2013) ‘They want to be famous but know it’s not the easy route’, CelebYouth Blog, http://www.celebyouth.org/they-want-to-be-famous-but-know-it-isnt-the-easy-route/
Other publications
Rainford, J. and McCaig, C. (2020) ‘Editorial: Widening participation in practice’, Research Intelligence, 143:15
Harrison, N. and Rainford, J. (2020) ‘Why are we still so hung up on raising aspirations?’, Research Intelligence, 143: 20
Jankowska, M., Coleman, S., Rainford, J., Stoica, I., Pac, A., Christian, A., Syngouna, M. Tsoukala, A., Adewuyi, A. & Barker, D. (2016). Bilingual Creative Writing Clubs: An ecology for cross-cultural learning, Lifewide Magazine, 17, 86-92. http://www.lifewideeducation.uk/magazine.html