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Rachel Creaney

Staff picture: Rachel Creaney
Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences
Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences
Research Assistant
rachel.creaney@hutton.ac.uk
+44 (0)344 928 5428 (*)

The James Hutton Institute
Craigiebuckler
Aberdeen AB15 8QH
Scotland UK

 

I am a research assistant with a background in social sciences and human geography. I obtained a joint undergraduate degree (MA Hons) in Anthropology and International Relations from the University of Aberdeen in 2011, and an MSc in Sustainable Rural Development, again from the University of Aberdeen, in 2013. I have a keen interest in travelling, taking time out before each degree to explore and work in different parts of the world.

Current research interests

I am currently providing assistance on PRO AKIS. PRO AKIS is an EU-funded research project which is investigating agricultural advisory services within the EU. I have also worked on the Farm Path project which aimed to identify and assess future transition pathways towards regional sustainability of agriculture in Europe. My work also reflects my interest in rural tourism and agritourism. Other areas of interest which I hope to develop further in the future are the sustainability of crofting and remote communities more generally, and the use of renewable energy within rural communities.

I have experience in qualitative methods, namely; interviews, documentary analysis, ethnographic work and participant observation, and use of NVivo. I also have some experience with quantitative methods such as survey work.

I have presented work at a series of seminars and conferences including a seminar on the sustainability of tourism on Eigg for SAMS (Scottish Association for Marine Science), the IFSA conference in Berlin and RGS-IBG in London in 2014. I have also presented work such as case study results at a number of PRO AKIS seminars.

I am a part of the local organising committee for the upcoming ESRS conference to be held in Aberdeen in August 2015 and a contributor to the SEGS blog.

 

Past research

As part of my MSc I was involved in a group research project on ecotourism in Kasanka National Park in Zambia. Other research included looking at the sustainability of crofting for remote communities in Scotland and the importance of traditional knowledge in environmental auditing. My MSc dissertation looked at the role of tourism as an aid to the sustainability for the residents of the Isle of Eigg (Scotland).

Bibliography

  • Prager, K.; Creaney, R.; Lorenzo-Arribas, A. (2017) Criteria for a system level evaluation of farm advisory services., Land Use Policy, 61, 86-98.
  • Creaney, R. (2014) Eigg: The challenges of pursuing economic, environmental and socio-cultural sustainability simultaneously through in-bound tourism., RGS-IBG Royal Geographical Society Conference, London, 26-29 August 2014.


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The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.