Cecile B Menard

My research focuses on the extent to which the research we produce is affected by the context in which the research is done. In other words, how does the research culture and the research environment in which we evolve affect our research practice?

I am an interdisciplinary researcher who uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods. I have a BSc in Geography and Environmental Science from the University of Sussex and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. I worked as a researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute and as an independent scientist within CORES Science and Engineering. I returned to the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh in 2017 and was a part-time secondee at the Institute for Academic Development in 2021 and 2022.

Decision-making in physically-based modelling How subjective are physically-based models? I am interested in the sources of uncertainties and errors in physically-based models, most specifically in snow models, and in the context within which they are produced. I am particularly interested in the decision-making process of the modellers throughout the model development timeline.

The scientific process as storytelling How do we construct and narrate our research? I am particularly interested in why errors and failures, which are part of the scientific process and known drivers for change and innovation in research, remain invisible and invisibilised in research narratives, from project proposals to journal articles.    

Precarious employment in research What are the personal and professional circumstances that lead to long-term employment on short-term contracts? I am interested in how precarious employment affects the identity of researchers, but also in how the research landscape’s reliance on short-term contracts affect our research practice and decision-making in scientific projects.