About Dr Laura McGinty
I am a researcher with a broad range of interests, centred around a theme of people and place, through a lens of real-world impacts and evaluation. How people experience built environments, the intersections of human and natural spaces, wellbeing, and evaluation of interventions targeted at meeting need.
I have a range of research experience in both academic and non-academic settings. I am especially interested in monitoring, evaluation, and learning; how to measure and evidence impact, and understanding 'what works'. I've used these interests in third-sector evaluations, an evaluative approach to green infrastructure in my PhD, delivering the Newcastle University REF2021 submission for the School of Engineering, and in private-sector research consultancy.
Research
My PhD research centred around green infrastructure networks, the benefits/disbenefits of these, and how these can be measured and quantified. I used this to create an understanding of the spatial/distributional impacts of a green infrastructure network to inform innovative business models for financing these networks.
In private sector research and in the third sector I specialise in evaluation research, through both quantitative, qualitative, and spatial approaches. This has spanned a wide range of settings including sustainable transport, active travel, coastal safety, health, wellbeing, gender identity and LGBTQ+ experiences, young people, neurodiversity, the criminal justice system, employment and skills, business operations, social care, and the environment and climate adaptation.
I am always happy to talk about evaluation theory - how we measure and evidence outcomes and impact, theories of change, and discovering what works.
Publications
- Neurodiversity, SEN and school inclusion, and absence(opens in new tab) (2023) (A report by Rocket Science for West Yorkshire Combined Authority Violence Reduction Unit)
- Neurodiversity and violence: evidence review(opens in new tab) (2022) (A report by Rocket Science for West Yorkshire Combined Authority Violence Reduction Unit)
- Young people's experience of low-level mental health issues and violence(opens in new tab)
- (2022) (A report by Rocket Science for West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit)
- Raising Aspirations(opens in new tab)
- (2022) (A report by Rocket Science for West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit)
- The Impact of Scotland's Developing Young Workforce Strategy on Employer Engag(opens in new tab)ement (2022) (A report by Rocket Science for the Scottish Government)
- Business model innovation for green urban infrastructure(opens in new tab) (2020) PhD Thesis, Newcastle University