The Epistemic Alchemy Podcast

The Ethical Use of AI in Research.

In this thought-provoking episode of the Epistemic Alchemy Podcast, host Dr. Mohammed Raei welcomes Dr. Philip Adu, a leading expert in research methodology and founder of the Center for Research Methods Consulting, LLC. Together, they explore the ethical and practical dimensions of using AI in academic research, especially within qualitative methodologies.
Dr. Adu shares his early curiosity and evolving relationship with AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, illustrating how these tools can streamline tasks such as interview question design, data coding, and theme development. The conversation delves into ethical concerns around privacy, bias, and skill erosion, emphasizing the importance of researcher oversight, transparency, and institutional guidelines.
Listeners will gain practical tips on using AI responsibly, including how to prompt tools for better outcomes, conduct pilot interviews with AI, and incorporate AI ethically into mentorship and literature reviews. Dr. Adu and Dr. Raei also debate the future of AI in academia—will it replace key research functions or simply augment them?
Whether you're a researcher, doctoral student, or just curious about the impact of AI on scholarship, this episode offers nuanced insights and real-world examples to help you navigate this rapidly evolving landscape.
 
Resources:
 
Dr Adu's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@drphilipadu
Books:
A Step-by-Step Guide to Qualitative Data Coding: https://www.routledge.com/A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Qualitative-Data-Coding/Adu/p/book/9781138486874?srsltid=AfmBOorAbKwPw9RQ4n0epOZlzITzoZUmELi7ZMMBt76xtgIFUOpVTFYu
 
The Theoretical Framework in Phenomenological Research: Development and Application is an introduction to phenomenology: https://www.routledge.com/The-Theoretical-Framework-in-Phenomenological-Research-Development-and-Application/Larsen-Adu/p/book/9780367540524
 
Dissertation Research Methods: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Up Your Research in the Social Sciences: https://www.routledge.com/Dissertation-Research-Methods-A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Writing-Up-Your-Research-in-the-Social-Sciences/Adu-Miles/p/book/9781032213859
Ailyze: https://www.ailyze.com/Napkin ai: https://www.napkin.ai/ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/Gama App: https://gamma.app/

Feminist Constructivist Grounded Theory

In this profound episode of Epistemic Alchemy, Dr. Mohammed Raei is joined by Dr. Lynn Horan—scholar, coach, and former Protestant clergy—to explore her pioneering research on the lived experiences of millennial women clergy who have left active ministry due to violations of interpersonal boundaries and psychological safety.
 
Drawing from her journey through politics, ministry, and academia, Dr. Horan shares how her career transitions shaped her inquiry into embodied leadership and feminist epistemology. The conversation traces the historical and theological disembodiment in Protestant traditions, examines the evolution of grounded theory methodology from Glaser and Strauss to Kathy Charmaz, and highlights how constructivist and feminist lenses can bring critical and emancipatory depth to qualitative research.
 
Dr. Horan reflects on the tensions of being both an insider and outsider in her fieldwork and explains how somatic awareness, trauma-informed research practices, and embodiment techniques deepen both understanding and healing.
 
Resources:
 
Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. L. (2000). Discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Routledge.
Horan, L. M. (2024). Feminized Servanthood, Gendered Scapegoating, and the Disappearance of Gen-X/Millennial Protestant Clergy Women (Doctoral dissertation, Antioch University).
Horan, L. (2025). Dismantled: Abusive church culture and the clergy women who leave. Tehom Center Publishing.
Morse, J. M., Bowers, B. J., Charmaz, K., Clarke, A. E., Corbin, J., Porr, C. J., & Stern, P. N. (2021). Developing grounded theory: The second generation revisited. Routledge.
Schwartz, R. (2023). No bad parts: Healing trauma & restoring wholeness with the internal family systems model. Random House.
 
 
 
 

Trauma Informed Research

In this powerful episode of the Epistemic Alchemy Podcast, Dr. I interviewed Dr. Kader Gumus, an independent consultant and trauma-informed researcher, about her pioneering work on thrivership after domestic violence. Dr. Gumus shares her journey as both a scholar and a survivor, highlighting the significance of conducting research ethically and with care. Drawing from her dissertation, Journey to Wellbeing, she explores how individuals move beyond survival to thrive after experiencing chronic trauma. The conversation delves into how traditional research practices can inadvertently retraumatize participants, and what researchers can do to prevent that. Dr. Gumus outlines how she designed a trauma-informed methodology, combining phenomenology with situational and thematic analysis, and discusses the importance of researcher self-care. She also emphasizes the role of IRBs and the need for more culturally sensitive, human-centered research practices. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in ethical qualitative research, trauma studies, or survivor-centered approaches.
5 Key Points:
Trauma-informed research requires an ethical design that prevents the retraumatization of participants.
Dr. Gumus developed a unique methodology: exploratory situational thematic analysis.
Self-care for researchers is essential in trauma-related studies.
Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) need more education on trauma-informed practices.
Thrivership transcends resilience—emphasizing transformation, not just survival.
Resources: 
 
Brown, D. J., Arnold, R., Fletcher, D., & Standage, M. (2017). Human thriving. European Psychologist.
Brown, D. J., Passaportis, M., & Hays, K. (2021). Thriving. In Stress, well-being, and performance in sport (pp. 297-312). Routledge.
Brown, D. J. (2016). Human thriving: a conceptualization, understanding, and application to sport (Doctoral dissertation, University of Bath)
Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2012). Posttraumatic growth in clinical practice. Routledge.
Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0749-3797(98)00017-8
Gumus, K. (2025). Journey to well-being: An exploration of thrivership post-domestic violence [Doctoral dissertation]. https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/1101/
Herman, J. L. (2015). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence--from domestic abuse to political terror. Hachette UK.
Kolk, B. V. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin.
Maté, G. (2011). When the body says no: Exploring the stress-disease connection. Turner Publishing Company.
SAMHSA’s six principles of trauma-informed care – post-secondary peer support training curriculum. (2022, June 1). BCcampus Open Publishing – Open Textbooks Adapted and Created by BC Faculty. https://opentextbc.ca/peersupport/chapter/samhsas-six-principles-of-trauma-informed-care/
Taleb, N. N. (2012). Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder. Random House.
Tudge, J., & Rosa, E. M. (2020). Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory. The Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Development, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119171492.wecad251
What AI cannot do. (2022, May 20). Big Think. https://bigthink.com/the-future/what-ai-cannot-do/
Calhoun, L. G., & Tedeschi, R. G. (2012). Posttraumatic growth in clinical practice. Routledge.
Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., Koss, M. P., & Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245-258. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0749-3797(98)00017-8
Gumus, K. (2025). Journey to well-being: An exploration of thrivership post-domestic violence [Doctoral dissertation]. https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/1101/
Herman, J. L. (2015). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence--from domestic abuse to political terror. Hachette UK.
Kolk, B. V. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin.
Maté, G. (2011). When the body says no: Exploring the stress-disease connection. Turner Publishing Company.
SAMHSA’s six principles of trauma-informed care – post-secondary peer support training curriculum. (2022, June 1). BCcampus Open Publishing – Open Textbooks Adapted and Created by BC Faculty. https://opentextbc.ca/peersupport/chapter/samhsas-six-principles-of-trauma-informed-care/
Taleb, N. N. (2012). Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder. Random House.
Tudge, J., & Rosa, E. M. (2020). Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory. The Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Development, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119171492.wecad251
What AI cannot do. (2022, May 20). Big Think. https://bigthink.com/the-future/what-ai-cannot-do/
Additional resources in the US:
National Domestic Violence Hotline Call 1.800.799.SAFE (7233)
Disaster Distress Helpline – Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call 800-273-8255 or Chat with Lifeline
Crisis Textline – Text TALK to 741741
Veterans Crisis Line - Call 800-273-8255 or text 838255
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Metamodern Scholarship

In this episode, I interview Dr. Jason Ānanda Josephson Storm where we discuss metamodernism and metamodern scholarship:
 
*The different strands of metamodernism and its history.
*What metamodernism adds to postmodernism.
*Storm's contribution to metamodern scholarship, including the concept of social kinds.
*Developmental theories and metamodernism.
*The Journal of Metamodernism Theory and Praxis. 
*The metamodern university.
 
Resources mentioned:
 
Dr Storm’s works
 
Josephson, J. A. (2019). The invention of religion in Japan. University of Chicago Press.
 
Josephson-Storm, J. A. (2019). The myth of disenchantment: Magic, modernity, and the birth of the human sciences. University of Chicago Press.
Storm, J. Ā. J. (2024). Metamodernism as the Pedagogy of Revolution: Response to Special Review Symposium (Religion & Theology 30, no. 3&4 [2023]): Jason Ānanda Josephson Storm, Metamodernism: The Future of Theory (Chicago, IL; London: University of Chicago Press, 2021). Religion and Theology, 31(1-2), 129-136.
 
Other metamodern books
Metamodernism (Radical Cultural Studies) 
by Robin van den Akker (Editor), Alison Gibbons (Editor), Timotheus Vermeulen (Editor)
 
Metamodernism: Or, The Cultural Logic of Cultural Logics Paperback – October 30, 2023
by Brendan Graham Dempsey (Author)
 
Freinacht, H. (2017). The Listening Society: A Metamodern Guide to Politics. Metamoderna ApS.
 
 
The Journal of Metamodern Theory and Praxis
https://sts.williams.edu/metamodern/
 Articles
Kleineberg, M. (2024). Piaget as Metamodernist. Metamodern Theory & Praxis, 1(1), 22-60. https://doi.org/10.70613/2024.0003
Andersen, L. R. (2024). Polymodern economics. Metamodern Theory & Praxis, 1(1), 61-84. https://doi.org/10.70613/2024.0004
Díaz, A. D. (2024). University of the future. Metamodern Theory & Praxis, 1(1), 115-123. https://doi.org/10.70613/2024.0011
 
Other:
Freire, P. (2020). Pedagogy of the oppressed. In Toward a sociology of education (pp. 374-386). Routledge.
 
 
 

Roy Bhaskar's Critical Realism and the crisis of replication in psychology

In this episode, I interview Dr Rob Archer and we talk about Roy Bhaskar’s critical realism and how it deals with the crisis of replication.
 
*What is critical realism?
*What is the role of ontology?
*What is a transcendental argument?
*How does critical realism deal with the issue of replication?
*How has Bhaskar’s critical realism evolved over time and his spiritual turn.
*Where critical realism is going?
 
Resource mentioned in the episode.
 
Retiring Popper: Critical realism, falsificationism, and the crisis of replication
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/09593543241250079
 
Critical realism, psychology, and the crisis of replication: A reply to Haig; Derksen & Morawski; and Trafimow
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/09593543241279138
 
Replicating is difficult but necessary, and methodology can help
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/09593543241265912
 
Haig, B. D. (2024). Should psychology adopt Bhaskar’s critical realist philosophy of science? Theory & Psychology, 34(5), 585-590. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593543241265727 (Original work published 2024)
 
Derksen, M., & Morawski, J. (2024). Replications are informative, particularly when they fail. Theory & Psychology, 34(5), 597-603. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593543241269697 
 
Roy Bhaskar’s works
The Possibility of Naturalism: A philosophical critique of the contemporary human sciences
Reflections on metaReality
The Order of Natural Necessity: A Kind of Introduction to Critical Realism
From East To West: Odyssey of a Soul (Classical Texts in Critical Realism (Routledge Critical Realism)
Dialectic: The Pulse of Freedom
 
Margaret S. Archer book
Realist Social Theory: The Morphogenetic Approach
 
Iceberg model
 
https://changemanagementinsight.com/iceberg-model-of-change-management/
 
Lipton’s Inference to the best explanation model
Lipton, P. (2017). Inference to the best explanation. A Companion to the Philosophy of Science, 184-193.
 
 
 
 

Editing Academic Anthologies

In this episode, I interview Dr. Stacey Guenther and Dr. Lisa Berkley and we discuss our experience of editing an academic anthology together.
*The challenges of editing academic anthologies.
* What makes an anthology unique?
*The process for collaboration.
*Doing a call for chapter proposal vs invite only.
*Misconceptions about editing academic anthologies.
*Rewarding aspects of editing an academic anthology.
*Decolonizing.
*Spirituality and the shadow side and dark side.
*Cross-cultural scholarship.
 
Dr. Stacey Guenther’s Website
https://www.drstaceyguenther.com/
Dr. Lisa Berkly’s Website
http://innereconomy.com/
 
Resources mentioned in the episode
Leadership at the Spiritual Edge
https://www.routledge.com/Leadership-at-the-Spiritual-Edge-Emerging-and-Non-Western-Concepts-of-Leadership/Raei-Guenther-Berkley/p/book/9781032500591
 
Ken Wilber’s waking up, growing up, and cleaning up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mROP49BeJc

Indigenous scholarship, decolonizing, and the authentic dissertation.

In this episode, I interviewed Four Arrows, who was selected by AERO as one of 27 visionaries in education and is recipient of a Martin Springer Institute Moral Courage Award for his activism.
Topics covered include:
*Decolonizing
*Indigenous research/scholarship.
*The role of spirituality.
*Alternative/authentic dissertations.
 
Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Authentic Dissertation: Alternative Ways of Knowing, Research and Representation by Four Arrows aka Don Trent Jacobs (Author)
Differing Worldviews in Higher Education: Two Scholars Argue Cooperatively about Justice Education First Edition by Walter Block (Author), Four Arrows (Author)
The Indigenization Controversy For Whom and By Whom?
https://ices.library.ubc.ca/index.php/criticaled/article/view/186438
Worldview Chart for Rebalancing Life Systems on Planet Earth
https://kindredmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/Worldview-Chart-BW-8-5-2024.pdf
APA article:
Four Arrows, W. T. (2024). Restoring sanity and remembering spirit in psychology: Reclaiming our pre-colonial worldview. Review of General Psychology, 28(2), 106–122. https://doi.org/10.1177/10892680231226387
Messages from Water and the Universe by Masaru Emoto

Mastering the Dissertation: Overcoming Literature Review Challenges

In this episode of the Epistemic Alchemy podcast, join Dr. Mohamed Raei as he engages in an enlightening conversation with Dr. Harriet Terber Rasmussen, a seasoned leadership coach and educator with over 30 years of experience. As a faculty member at Drexel University, Dr. Rasmussen shares her insights into guiding educational leaders through the complexities of academic writing and the doctoral dissertation process.
Explore the common challenges faced by students during the literature review stage, and gain valuable practical advice on conducting impactful research that benefits a wide range of fields, from education to financial institutions. Discover the importance of aligning purpose statements and research questions, and the transformative role of AI in supporting dissertation research.
With a focus on fostering critical thinking and navigating the evolving landscape of academic inquiry, this episode offers invaluable guidance for emerging scholars and doctoral candidates looking to excel in their academic endeavors.
 
Resources
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Informal-Meditation/dp/1590308492
Otto Scharmer’s Theory U
https://ottoscharmer.com/
Impacting Education AI Special Edition Themed Issue
https://impactinged.pitt.edu/ojs/ImpactingEd/issue/view/32
Bloomberg's book on qualitative dissertations
https://www.amazon.com/Completing-Your-Qualitative-Dissertation-Beginning-ebook/dp/B09XBMQ4N8?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Intersubjectivity, transdiciplairity, and dynamic skills

In this episode:
*History of intersubjectivity
*What is intersubjectivity and how does it relate to phenomenology and social construction?
*How can one use intersubjectivity in research?
*How does intersubjectivity relate to Consensus reality?
*How does intersubjectivity relate to Csikszentmihalyi's systems model of creativity?
* Challenges to Transdisciplinarity.
*Making social science matter.
*Applying Kurt Fischer's dynamic skill theory to become better researchers and scholars.
 
Useful links:
Mike's website:
https://michaelmascolo.com/
Intersubjectivity:
https://www.academia.edu/104362384/Intersubjectivity_Joint_Action_and_Sociality
Fischer's dynamic skill theory:
https://www.academia.edu/44981984/Dynamic_Skill_Theory_An_Integrative_Theory_of_Psychological_Development
System's model of creativity:
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-94-017-9085-7
Making Social Science Matter:
https://www.amazon.com/Making-Social-Science-Matter-Inquiry/dp/052177568X
 

Transdisciplinary -Integralist Scholarship

In this episode I interviewed Dr. Jonathan Reams, PhD. We had a lively discussion about Integralism, transdisciplinary scholarship and his experience as a scholar and editor-in-chief of Integral Review: A Journal Dedicated to Transdisciplinary Research and Thought.
Topics covered:
*History of Integral Review(IR)
*The different strands of Integralism.
*The editorial process at IR.
*Jonathan's experience with publishing transdisciplinary work.
*Challenges to transdisciplinary scholarship.
*The future of transdisciplinary scholarship.
*Artificial Intelligence and how it can influence scholarship.
 
Jonathan's website: 
https://www.jonathanreams.com/
 
Integral Review Website:
https://integral-review.org/
 
Useful links:
Ken Wilber’s AQAL model:
http://www.redfrogcoaching.com/uploads/3/4/2/1/34211350/ken_wilber_introduction_to_integral.pdf
 
Nicolescu's Transdisciplinary approach:
https://www.academia.edu/download/36468289/Transdisciplinary_Theory_Practice-2013.pdf
 
Michael Basseches Dialectical Thinking:
https://integral-review.org/issues/issue_1_basseches_the_development_of_dialectical_thinking.pdf
 
Zach Stein's article on interdisciplinarity:
https://integral-review.org/modeling-the-demands-of-interdisciplinarity-toward-a-framework-for-evaluating-interdisciplinary-endeavors/
 
Bloom's Taxonomy:
https://bloomstaxonomy.net/