Reinvention: an International Journal of Undergraduate Research
Reinvention is an established online, peer-reviewed journal publishing high-quality undergraduate student research and critical reflections twice a year with occasional special issues. The journal welcomes academic articles from all student researchers across all disciplines and universities. Published by the Education Academy (formerly Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning), University of Warwick, Reinvention has an Editorial Board of students from Warwick who are joined by students guest Assistant Editors from a selection of our international partner institutions. IATL is an educational innovation academic department and develops student research initiatives including Reinvention, the International Conference of Undergraduate Research, Posters in Parliament, it also supports the British Conference of Undergraduate Research and Posters in the European Parliament.
Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning, University of Warwick
<p class="p-Cl1" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato,&quot; helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" align="left">Authors are responsible for obtaining permission from copyright holders for reproducing through any medium of communication those illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere. Authors are also responsible for adding these permissions to the acknowledgement footnote that precedes all other notes or crediting the source and copyright of photographs or figures in the accompanying captions. <p style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato,&quot; helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The journal's policy is to ask authors to grant us the licence to publish their work, which gives us the exclusive right both to reproduce and/or distribute their article (including the abstract) in printed, electronic or any other medium, and in turn to authorise others (including Reproduction Rights Organisations such as the Copyright Licensing Agency and the Copyright Clearance Center) to do the same. In return the author(s) assert their Moral Right to be identified as the author, and we promise that we will respect their rights as the author(s). That is, we will make sure that their name(s) is/are always clearly associated with the article and, while they do allow us to make necessary editorial changes, we will not make any substantial alteration to their article without consulting them. <p style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato,&quot; helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Copyright remains with the author(s), however, the author(s) authorise us to act on their behalf to defend their copyright if anyone should infringe it, and to retain half of any damages awarded, after deducting our costs. The author(s) also retain the right to use their own article (provided they acknowledge the published original in standard bibliographic citation form) in the following ways, as long as they do not sell it or give it away in ways which would conflict directly with our interests. The author(s) is/are free to use their article for the internal educational or other purposes of their own institution or company; mounted on their own or their institution’s website; posted to free public servers of preprints and/or articles in their subject area; or in whole or in part, as the basis for their own further publications or spoken presentations. <p style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Lato,&quot; helvetica neue&quot;,helvetica,arial,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 16px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">If you have any queries about copyright please contact reinventionjournal@warwick.ac.uk
British Conference of Undergraduate Research 2026
British Conference of Undergraduate Research Book of Abstracts
Copyright (c) 2026 Wesley Chew, Aya Aalhasan, Angelina Kancheva, Rob Sinnerton, Nida Naeem https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2026 Grace Fisher https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Critical Reflection: Researching the Seasonal Fishing Ban in Chennai and Presenting at BCUR
This article offers a critical reflection on my involvement in a research project examining the 61-day seasonal fishing ban in Chennai, India, conducted under the Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (URSS) and subsequently presented at the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR). Moving beyond empirical findings, the reflection adopts a reflexive analytical lens to interrogate how knowledge is produced, interpreted, and disseminated within specific academic and socio-political contexts. The discussion is structured around three interrelated dimensions: policy, academic practice, and personal positionality. This framework is chosen to move beyond surface-level evaluation towards a deeper examination of the assumptions and power dynamics embedded within the research process. While the project generated substantive insights into the tensions between sustainability imperatives and subsistence needs within Chennai’s fishing community, its value also lay in revealing how such insights are shaped by the researcher’s standpoint, methodological choices, and the institutional frameworks through which knowledge is validated. Ultimately, this reflection positions reflexivity as central to producing research that is analytically rigorous, ethically grounded, and socially accountable. These insights carry significance not only for the specific project but also for broader undergraduate research practice.
Copyright (c) 2026 Samyuktha Shankar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
British Conference of Undergraduate Research 2026 Book of Abstracts
Copyright (c) 2026 BCUR 2026 Presenters https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
British Conference of Undergraduate Research 2026 University of Glasgow - A Reflection
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr Lovleen Kushwah, Dr Paulina Navrouzoglou, Dr Wenya Cheng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Educating for Creativity Within Higher Education: Integration of Research into Media Practice
In this reflective article, I critically examine the development of the WMS NICU Society using the DIEP model, with a focus on interdisciplinary learning and undergraduate speciality awareness. Drawing on my experience as both an accelerated medical student and NICU nurse, I explore why I chose to frame the project around neonatal and perinatal care, particularly focusing on the importance of early exposure to level three NICUs during medical school. Exposure to this area of medicine during undergraduate studies is often limited, yet for many students it may be the only opportunity they have to encounter neonatal intensive care before speciality training. For doctors who do not pursue paediatrics, this exposure may never occur, despite NICU being a highly specialised field distinct from other paediatric subspecialities. The Society offers seminar series, virtual NICU night shifts, and fundraising initiatives in an attempt to address this gap, promote holistic learning and improve understanding of neonatal and fetal medicine. I also evaluate the SDA’s project’s strengths and limitations, including engagement, accessibility, sustainability and the challenge of measuring learning beyond positive feedback. Overall, the project has strengthened my teaching practice, supported my developing professional identity, and reinforced the value of early exposure in helping students recognise NICU as a potential career path.
Copyright (c) 2026 Holly Clennell https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
How Songwriting Can Shape Imaginative Experiences
Songs are a unique medium that can guide listeners through powerful, imaginative experiences. Songwriters, however, rarely know how to approach this capacity with intentionality, as the techniques they might use are often hidden within other disciplines, such as psychology. This project thus investigates how interdisciplinary techniques, which integrate knowledge from music theory all the way to cognitive science, can be deliberately employed to shape listeners’ imaginative responses to songs. Through a unified yet undulating original song about a long-distance relationship, I thus explore how songwriters' choices can serve as affective cues that guide the audience’s imaginative interpretation of the song. In crafting and reflecting on the song, I draw on Csikszentmihalyi's Systems Model of Creativity to see songwriting as collaborative co-creation: the songwriter (Individual) employs musical elements (Domain) to position listeners (Field) to extract particular imaginative potential. The specific techniques used include harmonic choices such as major 7 chords, evolutionary acoustic signatures such as minor seconds, and cognitive phenomena such as processing fluency. Critical analysis reveals the effectiveness of this approach but also its limitations, such as the methodology’s lack of regard for the influence of linguistic and cultural factors on the song’s imaginative interpretation. Yet, in its narrow scope, this project exemplifies the benefits of an interdisciplinary approach in understanding and shaping the imaginative experience of a listener, so that songwriters may be more purposeful in their craft, and more conscious of their art’s potential.
Copyright (c) 2026 Matteo Ponzano https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
I am Grace Fisher, a final-year medical student at Warwick University and this year’s Reinvention editor. Working on this edition has been a privilege – not only because of the quality of the research submitted, but because of how clearly our authors embody the spirit of Reinvention. Each contribution, in its own way, challenges how we think about knowledge, inclusion and creativity in research. Across the submissions this year, there is a shared willingness to question assumptions and to imagine something better – whether that is fairer assessment practices, more inclusive systems of support, or new approaches to technology, identity and belonging. What strikes me most is how confidently undergraduate researchers now occupy this space. Their work is not tentative or derivative; it is bold, critical and grounded in lived experience.
Copyright (c) 2025 Grace Fisher https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
IATL at 15: Educational Innovation Then, Now and in the Future
The paper traces the evolution of the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL) at the University of Warwick as it marks its 15th anniversary. Since its formation in 2010, IATL has served as a catalyst for educational innovation, championing interdisciplinary learning, undergraduate research and student–staff co-creation. The authors reflect on IATL’s foundations in Open-Space Learning (OSL) and Student-as-Producer, its development as an academic department and its influence on sector-wide conversations about agential learning and innovative assessment. They conclude with a discussion of possible directions of travel for educational innovation in the next decade, including the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence.
Copyright (c) 2025 Professor Jonathan Hickman-Heron, Dr Fraser Logan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr Fraser Logan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Testing the Limits. Can Nitrate Levels be Used to Safeguard the Health of UK Rivers? The Critical Reflection of an Undergraduate’s Introduction to Independent Research
The novelty of independent research is always a memorable experience, although never for the reasons expected. The responsibility of designing and executing an original project; the uncertainty of having to cope with issues as and when they arise. While I can attest to this being a positively enriching experience, it was certainly not without its drawbacks. Since the majority of these were a product of my shifting priorities, this came to define my project. Akin to a trial by fire at times, I thus attained a better understanding of the realistic expectations that ought to come with carrying out research, at any level, alongside the strengthening of my resilience to setbacks – although it did not feel as such at the time. Met with unfavourable circumstances, I nevertheless produced a comprehensive academic poster that has since allowed me to present at multiple conferences. Furthermore, I have taken my experience here and the desire to undertake research onto the next project and will continue to do so going forward.
Copyright (c) 2025 Federico White https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Mysteries for Humans: Navigating the Maze of Science, Objectivity and our Mental Limits
My project explored the idea that science, often upheld as the epitome of objectivity, may instead resemble a maze of our own creation. Drawing inspiration from Penelope Scott’s ‘Mysteries for Rats’ and Chomsky’s concept of ‘mysteries-for-humans’, the work considers how social structures, institutions and scientific practices can form problems we are unable to conclusively solve. The exhibit’s structure deliberately avoids resolution, echoing both intellectual dead ends encountered during philosophical discussion and the recursive loops of institutionalised science. Ultimately the goal is not to provide answers but to provoke curiosity, encourage openness and prompt reflection on the limitations of human knowledge. Engaging openly with other disciplines may allow us to examine a question more fully and utilise these unique perspectives to form creative solutions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ezra Smith https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
An Exploration of the Potential which Artificial Intelligence has in Supporting Children’s Learning
This paper explores the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in primary education, highlighting its potential to personalise learning, alleviate teacher workload and enhance student outcomes. It critically examines the integration of AI technologies, ranging from intelligent tutoring systems to voice-activated assistants, and their implications for pedagogy, student wellbeing and digital literacy. While acknowledging AI’s transformative capabilities, the paper similarly addresses ethical concerns, including data privacy, bias and overreliance on automated systems. Drawing on current research, educational policy and practical examples, it advocates for the responsible adoption of AI guided by informed teacher judgement and robust digital literacy education. Ultimately, it calls for collaborative efforts among educators, technologists and policymakers to ensure AI enriches learning without compromising human values or professional integrity.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lorna Robinson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Celebrating the Student, Acknowledging the Researcher
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr Fiona Farnsworth https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Student Research at the Heart of UK Government
Copyright (c) 2025 Prof Jane Bryan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
British Conference of Undergraduate Research 2025 Book of Abstracts
British Conference of Undergraduate Research 2025 Book of Abstracts The British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR) took place over two days, from 9th to 10th April 2025 and was hosted by Newcastle University. Over the two day academic conference students presented their research after having their abstracts reviewed and accepted by academic peer reviewers. The abstracts from the conference are collected here and provide an overview of the vast array of research subjects across multiple disciplines, from many higher education institutions. The student presenters opted to talk about their research in the form of a presentation, a poster or an installation.
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Celebrating the Diversity of Student Research
The Magical Power of Discussion and Connection Creates Hope for Research in Challenging Times
Copyright (c) 2025 Prof Paul Taylor https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Celebrating Student Research at BCUR 2025
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr Damien Hall, Helen Foley https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Rethinking Muslim Women’s Agency in Orientalist, Nationalist and Identity Discourses Beyond Abu-Lughod
This article engages with Lila Abu-Lughod’s fundamental 2002 review ‘Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others’, which criticises Western narratives of Muslim women’s passivity and victimhood. Orientalist and post-structuralist gender theories are brought together in a discussion of the complexity of Muslim women’s position in global and national politics and the intricate role of rituals in identity and agency. This article aims to critically assess Abu-Lughod’s work in the context of the Middle East, asking key questions: (1) To what extent is the identity of Muslim women created by Orientalist narratives? (2) How do religious rituals interact with notions of gender and agency? While supporting Abu-Lughod’s criticisms of Orientalist tropes, this article also argues that her analysis is insufficient in addressing the role of Middle Eastern nationalist discourses in shaping gendered identities. This article further critiques Abu-Lughod’s limitations in viewing veiling as a matter of choice or oppression, instead theorising agency as relational and performative, embedded within power structures and identity formation. The article ultimately calls for a more nuanced understanding of Muslim women’s agency beyond binary framings.
Copyright (c) 2026 Candela Pons Humet https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Machine Learning Approach to Augment Security in NFC-Based Access Control Systems
Near-field communication (NFC) is widely used in access control systems such as payment processing and regulating access to facilities. Due to its decentralised nature, NFC is constrained by resource limitations, making it vulnerable to exploits such as key cloning. This study investigated the effectiveness of machine-learning algorithms in visually distinguishing cards as an added security measure against unauthorised cloned cards. The methodology includes collecting datasets, building classification models (CNN, KNN and SVM), performance evaluations and integration of the best-performing model into an NFC prototype, Clone Guard. Performance evaluations included accuracy, precision, F1-score and recall metrics. We found that CNN was the best-performing model, with a prediction accuracy of 96 per cent. Experimental results showed that noisy datasets produced a more robust model than noiseless datasets. Heatmap visualisations indicate that distinct colours and bold text regions contributed significantly to the model’s decision-making. Despite the high accuracy on test data, the prototype performed less accurately when classifying scanned cards. The study provided a basic evaluation of classification algorithms, concluding that deep learning offered greater suitability. The implications of the prototype extended into the applied research domain, offering a configurable and deployable solution to improve the resilience of NFC-based access systems against unauthorised cloned cards.
Copyright (c) 2025 Daniella R. Gullotta, David Prego, Yibeltal F. Alem https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Threads of Transformation: Unravelling Norms, Reweaving Futures
Feminine Passion as Feminine Power: Challenging Mary Wollstonecraft’s ‘Rational Woman’ in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey and Charlotte Smith’s Elegiac Sonnets
Describing the feminist ideology central to Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), Anne Mellor identifies an ‘unreconciled tension between female sexual passion and female self-control’ (Mellor, 1993: 44) evident in Wollstonecraft’s attempt to define a woman’s rightful place in the late eighteenth century. This article investigates this tension alongside other paradoxes in Wollstonecraft’s argument and their impact on the presentation of feminine passion in Charlotte Smith’s Elegiac Sonnets (1784) and Austen’s Northanger Abbey (1818), and uses Vindication as a framework to analyse the presentation of femininity, emotion and power in these works. The article explores the connotations of novel reading and feminine sensibility as presented in Northanger Abbey’s Catherine Morland and argues for the autonomy and power that can be gained from this, alongside analysing the similar representations of feminine-coded power in Smith’s poetic representations of the connection between humans and nature. Finally, the article concludes that both Austen and Smith reconcile the tension identified by Mellor through their proposal that feminine power (for Wollstonecraft only attainable through rationality and ‘self-control’) and feminine passion not only can co-exist, but are, in fact, complementary.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sofia Macchi Watts https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Breaking into Academic Publishing: Creating a Credible, Quality and Publishable Article
Writing an academic article is something many students desire but common fears and concerns can prevent them from taking the next steps to publication success. This article offers insights from a journal’s Chief Editor aimed at early career and student authors considering publication, and hopes to enhance their publication experiences alongside avoiding some common mistakes. It explores how through spending time locating and evaluating suitable candidate journals from the outset, prospective authors can help avoid early rejections of their manuscript submissions. The article then proposes how authors, once writing is underway, can further increase their chances of a positive reception by reaching out to prospective editors. It illustrates that, as some form of peer-review is ubiquitous in academic publishing within quality research journals, authors should prepare to deal with reviews functionally, effectively and, where possible, dispassionately. Further, it suggests where rejection is encountered, authors should appreciate that other, alternative journals are likely to still be interested in publishing their work. Thus, through a lot of hard work, advice and attention to guidance from journals, and some common sense, any would-be author can achieve a publishable, quality academic article within a suitable research journal.
Copyright (c) 2025 Gareth Johnson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Access to Information and Support for LGBTQI+ People Seeking Asylum
Both asylum seekers and LGBTQI+ people systemically lack access to information; in the context of the British asylum system, intersections and interactions between being LGBTQI+ and seeking asylum aggravate this insufficiency. This research project is unique in its exploration of the effects of the hostile asylum accommodation environment on LGBTQI+ people’s access to information through the case study of Coventry’s immigration accommodation. The research question ‘What is the nature of LGBTQI+ asylum seekers’ access to information and support in the context of Coventry’s immigration accommodation?’ was explored through interviews and focus groups with local LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum. The findings show that participants mainly accessed information through government-funded charities and accommodation staff, and that they had limited access to services specifically developed for LGBTQI+ people. They faced violence in the asylum accommodation, which translated into isolation and fear of revealing their sexual orientations and/or gender identities in order to request specialised information from housing staff. The fear was aggravated by staff inaction, which led to participants feeling discriminated against, and which further reduced their attempts to request support. This created a vicious cycle, in which LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum have continuously less access to information, which illustrates a systemic unpreparedness in the British asylum system to support this group.
Copyright (c) 2025 Isabel Coelho Govier https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Breaking Barriers: A Comprehensive Study on the Pathways and Challenges Faced by First-Generation Students in Higher Education
This study explores the experiences of first-generation students at Warwick University, focusing on academic preparedness, financial barriers, social integration and mentorship support. The research specifically compares the experiences of students who were and were not part of the Warwick Scholars Programme, revealing that both groups faced similar challenges. Existing literature highlights challenges faced by first-generation students, including deficiencies in academic preparation, financial constraints and social isolation. Using a mixed-methods approach, this paper combines survey data (N = 24) with in-depth interviews (N = 4) to provide a comprehensive understanding of these issues. The findings reveal that both Warwick Scholars and non-Scholars experience similar levels of under-preparedness, despite pre-university interventions. Financial pressures significantly influence educational choices and contribute to family-driven stress. Social integration varies, with some students feeling isolated while others find community through extracurricular activities. Mentorship support is inconsistent, with some students benefitting from personal tutors and peer networks while others struggle to access adequate guidance. The study underscores the necessity for more inclusive and targeted support systems to address the multifaceted challenges faced by first-generation students. While the paper provides valuable insights, limitations include a small sample size, suggesting the need for broader studies. Key recommendations include increasing counselling and skill-building workshops, expanding financial aid, and enhancing mentorship, guidance and career support to better support first-generation students.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jessica He https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Yit Xiang Wong https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Age and Racial Disparities Persist for Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia in the United States
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are primarily spread through sexual activity. In recent years, STIs have been on the rise globally. In the United States, chlamydia and gonorrhoea are the most prevalent bacterial STIs and have been for the past decade. Both these infections infect the same tissues, have similar modes of transmission, clinical presentations, and can be treated by the same antibiotics. Yet, the epidemiologies and forecasts appear to be different. This paper identifies vulnerable populations specific to gonorrhoea and chlamydia and assesses factors that are likely driving these disparities. Publicly available surveillance data from The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was examined to identify vulnerable populations for both diseases. These findings show that there are sex-specific differences in risk of gonorrhoea and chlamydia, and that young females carry an increased risk of both. Also, there is an increased risk of both infections among the Black/African American population. Understanding risk and risk-drivers is essential to targeting these vulnerable populations for the interest of public health.
Copyright (c) 2025 Amy Parnell https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Insights into Diversity: A Multi-Stakeholder Analysis of Inclusive Assessment Practices in Higher Education
Changes to admissions policies may have improved access to higher education, but equitable teaching and assessment strategies must address persisting attainment gaps. A diverse and inclusive assessment strategy is proposed to contribute towards reducing attainment deficits by providing learners with equality of opportunity. This study aims to elucidate student and staff experience of diverse assessments, to involve students in shaping the future of assessments, and to develop recommendations to overcome challenges associated with implementation. To achieve this, a mixed-methods survey (n = 54) explored students’ experiences of assessments. Focus groups (n = 7) led by students were conducted with some of the survey respondents. University educators (n = 6) participated in one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Student and staff data were analysed separately and assembled for comparison. Analysis revealed strong agreement between students and staff: both groups considered that diverse assessment would promote equitable opportunities in higher education. Participants recognised the need for a shift in culture to facilitate the implementation of a diverse assessment strategy that would promote equity of opportunity by improving accessibility and inclusivity. Moreover, implementation should be accommodated to the ‘learning journey’, welcoming students as equal co-creators and seeking to minimise the burden of assessments and marking.
Copyright (c) 2025 Molly Fowler, Marie-Dolores Ako-Adounvo, Isabel Fischer, Leda Mirbahai https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0