Studying elites: Challenges, opportunities & progressive potential

In June 2022, 30 academic and civil society researchers of elites met for two days in London, UK, at an NCRM Innovation Forum titled ‘Studying elites: challenges, opportunities and progressive potential’. The Forum brought together international early career and established academic researchers from across the social sciences and civil society researchers to discuss methodological approaches to the study of elites, share knowledge and strategies, and build capacity in researching elites. The Forum drew on a broad definition of elites as ‘those with vastly disproportionate control over or access to a resource’ (Khan 2012, 362), with a particular focus on political and economic elites. The event was organised around three themes: methodological strategies in studying elites, negotiating access and encounter, and the ethics and purpose of studying elites. The present Innovation Collection shares some of interventions and discussions during the event.