Understanding Research Methods

Dr. Plesch serves as the Director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London. He is the author of several influential books, including Human Rights After Hitler, America, Hitler and the UN (co-authored with Thomas G. Weiss), Wartime Origins and the Future UN, and The Beauty Queen's Guide to World Peace. Currently, he collaborates with UN agencies on public policy research concerning global governance reform and world disarmament, recently co-editing a paper on disarmament with the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs. Notably, he led a research group that successfully restored the role of women from the Global South in advancing gender equality in the UN Charter. His scholarly contributions to UN history have earned high praise, with Brian Urquhart, the inventor of Peacekeeping, describing them as "magnificent," while Ben Ferencz, a prosecutor of Nazis at Nuremberg, labeled his work on the WWII war crimes trials as an "eye opener." At the CISD, he convenes the flagship MA in International Studies and Diplomacy and spearheaded the introduction of Online Masters programs. Dr. Plesch studied history at Nottingham and gained professional qualifications in social work and public administration from Bristol in 1979 and 1980. His early career involved working with NGOs focused on nuclear disarmament. In 1986, he founded the British American Security Information Council (BASIC) and directed it from Washington, DC, until 2001, when he became a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies in London. His academic roles since 1988 include Honorary Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Peace Studies at Bradford University, Research Associate at Birkbeck College, University of London, and Senior Visiting Research Fellow at Keele University. Outside academia, Dr. Plesch has served as a consultant and advisor to various organizations, including the UK and US governments, BBC, CNN, Sky News, Kroll Security International, Oxfam, the Foreign Policy Centre, and Greenpeace. He was also an independent advisor to the UK government's Department of Constitutional Affairs on the Freedom of Information Act. Additionally, he has delivered keynote addresses on significant topics, including the 7/7 bombings and renewable energy. His writings have been featured in esteemed publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, The Times, The Guardian, and New Statesman.

Dr. J. Simon Rofe is a Senior Lecturer in Diplomacy and International Studies and the Director of the Global Diplomacy Programme at the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy, SOAS, University of London. With over fifteen years of experience teaching Diplomacy, International Relations, and History at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, he has received multiple awards for his teaching excellence, including an International E-learning award in 2010. His research interests encompass International and Diplomacy History, focusing particularly on US Foreign Relations and the diplomacy of international sport. Dr. Rofe teaches courses such as "Global Diplomacy – Diplomacy in the Modern World" and "Understanding Research Methods."

Dr. Yenn Lee serves as the Doctoral Training Advisor at SOAS, University of London, where she designs and delivers an institution-wide training program for PhD students. She is passionate about research education and is actively involved in research and authorship in the field of digital culture and politics, with a specific focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Dr. Lee teaches the course "Understanding Research Methods," contributing to the academic development of her students within the university's vibrant research community.